Birmingham’s Labour leadership has been accused of backtracking on a promise to share influential watchdog committee jobs with opposition parties.

Just days after securing control of the City Council in the local election the Birmingham Labour group revealed that all eight scrutiny committee chairmen would be Labour councillors, each paid a £12,500 per year allowance.

A move described as 'outrageous' by rivals.

But in March the City Council as a whole backed reform of the limp watchdog committees which was aimed at increasing their ability to challenge the council leadership.

This included not only increasing the number of committees from five to eight but also appoint a number of chairmen from rival Conservative and Lib Dem parties - based on the number of seats they have on the council.

It would mean that five of the jobs would go to Labour, two to the Tories and one to a Liberal Democrat.

Birmingham's party leaders: Ian Ward (Lab), Robert Alden (Cons) and Jon Hunt (Lib Dem)

House of Commons select committees, which carry out a similar function, are organised in the same way - so experienced Labour MPs like Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper chair committees and hold Conservative Government ministers to account. Only last month Amber Rudd resigned as Home Secretary after making incorrect statements about deportation targets to Ms Cooper’s committee.

Lib Dem group leader Jon Hunt (Perry Barr) said: “It is outrageous to publicly vote for this in March and then vote the other way during their private meeting.”

Conservative Robert Alden (Erdington) added: “It is disappointing, but sadly not surprising that the Labour administration made it just a week before breaking their first pre-election promise.

“This was a decision taken at the March meeting to improve the way the council works and work the way other councils do. How can Labour be trusted in future.”

But Labour leader Ian Ward (Shard End), defended the move saying that the March report carried a series of recommendations, not firm commitments.

He said: “It made a suggestion and left it to the ruling group to decide. I have promised to write to the scrutiny committee to explain why not.”

And explained that the group of 67 Labour councillors were presented with three options - share the chairmen with other parties as suggested, keep all the chairs as before, or keep the chairs but give all of the vice-chairs to opposition parties. They chose the third option.

“The Labour group is democracy, it is not for me to dictate,” he added.

The 2018 Birmingham local election count at the International Convention Centre.
The 2018 Birmingham local election count at the International Convention Centre.

The vice-chairmen receive no allowance, while between them over four years Labour councillors will receive £150,000 for the three extra chairmen.

Opposition parties are set to table an amendment to the constitution to reassign the committee seats at the City Council meeting on Tuesday.

In a further complication no Labour councillors came forward for the health and social care committee job, meaning it is being re-advertised among the group at their meeting on Monday.

The scrutiny committee chairmen appointed by the Labour group are:

  • Coordinating committee: Cllr John Cotton (Glebe Farm and Tile Cross)
  • Resources and finance: Cllr Sir Albert Bore (Ladywood)
  • Children’s social care: Cllr Mohammed Aikhlaq (Ward End)
  • Health and adult social care: Vacant
Councillor John Cotton
  • Housing and neighbourhoods: Cllr Penny Holbrook (Stockland Green)
  • Education, learning and culture: Cllr Mariam Khan (Alum Rock)
  • Transport: Cllr Liz Clemments (Bournville and Cotteridge)
  • Economy and jobs: Cllr Tahir Ali (Nechells)