This article is about the
government of
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England.
Civic history
Most of Birmingham was historically a part of
Warwickshire, though the modern city also includes villages and towns historically in
Staffordshire or
Worcestershire.
Until the 1760s, Birmingham was administered by
manorial and
parish officials, most of whom served on a part-time and honorary basis. By the 1760s the population growth of Birmingham made this system completely inadequate, and salaried officials were needed. In 1768, a body of "
Commissioners of the Streets" was established who had powers to levy a rate for functions such as cleaning and street lighting. They were later given powers to provide policing and build public buildings.
The
Reform Act of 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major changes to the electo ...
gave Birmingham its first representation in
Parliament initially with only two MPs but this has been gradually expanded.
Birmingham gained the status of a
municipal borough in 1838 and gained its first elected
town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
which took over the functions of the Street Commissioners. In 1889, it became a
county borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent t ...
(unitary authority) and a
city. This remained unchanged until 1974 when Birmingham became a
metropolitan district of the newly created
West Midlands county under the
West Midlands County Council
West Midlands County Council (WMCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county, a metropolitan county in England.
History
The WMCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on 1 April 19 ...
. The county council was abolished in 1986 and Birmingham effectively reverted to being a
unitary authority although sharing some services with other authorities in the county.
A
Birmingham coat of arms was awarded to the corporation in 1889 and updated for the city council in 1977.
In the past, the council has been responsible for water, electricity and gas supply, further education colleges,
public transport and local police and fire services. All are now in the hands of other public- or private- sector bodies.
Expansion
Birmingham's boundaries were expanded at several times during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Birmingham was incorporated as a
municipal borough in 1838. The borough initially included the parishes of
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
and
Edgbaston and part of the parish of
Aston
Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre.
History
Aston wa ...
. In 1889, the municipal borough of Birmingham was reconstituted as a
county borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent t ...
.
It was expanded in 1891 under the ''City of Birmingham Extension Order'' by adding
Harborne
Harborne is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. It is one of the most affluent areas of the Midlands, southwest from Birmingham city centre. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constit ...
from
Staffordshire and
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is an inner-city area of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It has a diverse cultural mix of people and is the location of the Balti Triangle.
History
Balsall Heath was agricultural land between Moseley village and the city of B ...
from
Worcestershire, as well as
Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city.
History
Saltley was originall ...
, a further part of Aston parish.
Quinton in Worcestershire was added in 1909.
Greater Birmingham Act 1911
1911 saw a large expansion under the ''Greater Birmingham Scheme'', with the addition of
Aston Manor
Aston Manor was a local government district of Warwickshire in what is now northern Birmingham, from the 19th century to 1911, when it was added to Birmingham.
The Aston Manor Local Board of Health was formed in 1869, from part of the ancient par ...
and
Erdington from
Warwickshire,
Handsworth from
Staffordshire, and
Yardley Rural District
Yardley is an area in east Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Historically it lay within Worcestershire.
Birmingham Yardley is a constituency and its Member of Parliament is Jess ...
and the greater part of
King's Norton and Northfield from Worcestershire.
Perry Barr in Staffordshire was added in 1928. In 1931, parts of the parishes of
Minworth
Minworth is a suburban village situated in the civil parish of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It lies within the City of Birmingham on its northeastern outer fringe, where it forms part of the Sutton Walmley and Minworth electoral ward and ...
,
Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich () is a large suburban village situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of the West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east; also Sutton Coldfield to the east and n ...
,
Sheldon Sheldon may refer to:
* Sheldon (name), a given name and a surname, and a list of people with the name
Places Australia
*Sheldon, Queensland
*Sheldon Forest, New South Wales
United Kingdom
*Sheldon, Derbyshire, England
*Sheldon, Devon, England
*S ...
and a tiny part of
Solihull were added, including the area of
Castle Vale
Castle Vale is a housing estate located between Erdington, Minworth and Castle Bromwich. Currently Castle Vale makes up the Castle Vale Ward of Birmingham City Council which is part of Erdington constituency (having previously been part of Hodg ...
, then known as Berwood.
Birmingham was reconstituted on 1 April 1974, under the
Local Government Act 1972, as a
metropolitan district, which covered both the former county borough of Birmingham, and the municipal borough of
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles sou ...
.
Local government
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is one of the largest local authorities in
Europe with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120
Birmingham City Councillors
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom ( ...
representing over one million people, in 40
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
. The council headquarters are at the
Council House
A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 a ...
in the city centre. Birmingham City Council is responsible for running nearly all local services, with the exception of those run by
joint boards as detailed below. The provision of certain services has in recent years been devolved to several
Districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, which each have an
area committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees or area boards, which involve local people and organisations in decisions affecting council spending within their area. They cover a geographical area suc ...
made up of councillors from that district.
Council constituencies
From 5 April 2004, responsibility and budgets for a number of services were devolved to 11
district committees, as part of a growing trend in the UK to use
area committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees or area boards, which involve local people and organisations in decisions affecting council spending within their area. They cover a geographical area suc ...
s for large councils. From 1 June 2006 the districts were reduced from 11 to 10 in order to correspond with the revised Westminster constituency boundaries, and renamed "council constituencies". Each now comprises four wards. The council constituencies are:
*
Edgbaston
*
Erdington
*
Hall Green
Hall Green is an area in southeast Birmingham, England, synonymous with the B28 postcode. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Historically it lay within the county of Worcestershire.
Politics
Hall Green ...
*
Hodge Hill
Hodge Hill is an area 4 miles east of Birmingham City Centre, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The MP of Hodge Hill is currently Liam Byrne.
The constituency includes the smaller constituency ...
*
Ladywood
Ladywood is an inner-city district next to central Birmingham. Historically in Warwickshire, in June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a citywide "Ward Boundary Revision" to round-up the thirty-nine Birmingham wards to forty. As a result ...
*
Northfield Northfield may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland
* Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
* Northfield, Birmingham, England
* Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England
United States
* Northfield, Connect ...
*
Perry Barr
*
Selly Oak
Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harbor ...
*
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles sou ...
*
Yardley
Parishes
There are two
civil parishes in Birmingham;
New Frankley and
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles sou ...
, apart from these, most of the city is
unparished. New Frankley parish was established in 2000 in an area transferred from
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about northeast of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 (39,644 in the wider Bromsgrove/Catshill urban area). Bromsgrove is the main town in th ...
in 1995, and which had previously been part of the
Frankley parish. Sutton Coldfield used to be a town and parish in its own right until 1974, when it was absorbed into Birmingham; the new parish of Sutton Coldfield was established in 2015, when the Sutton Coldfield Town Council was first elected.
Regional government
Birmingham was the seat of regional government for the
West Midlands region of England
The regions, formerly known as the government office regions, are the highest tier of sub-national division in England, established in 1994. Between 1994 and 2011, nine regions had officially devolved functions within government. While they n ...
as the home of the region's
Government Office, the
regional development agency Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine regional development agencies (RDAs) in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a bus ...
,
and the
West Midlands Regional Assembly
The West Midlands Regional Assembly (WMRA) was the regional chamber for the West Midlands region of England, established in 1999. It was based in Birmingham. It was abolished on 31 March 2010, its functions transferring to West Midlands Leaders ...
.
Since 2011, Birmingham has formed part of the
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership
The Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) is one of 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships set up by Government to drive economic development in England.
Established in May 2011, the LEP covers the geographical boundaries o ...
along with neighbouring authorities
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about northeast of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 (39,644 in the wider Bromsgrove/Catshill urban area). Bromsgrove is the main town in th ...
,
East Staffordshire,
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of ...
,
Redditch,
Solihull,
Tamworth,
Wyre Forest
__NOTOC__
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural (partially unmanaged) woodland and forest measuring which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England. Knowles Mill, a former corn mill owned by the National Trust, lies w ...
.
In November 2014, it was announced Birmingham was to create a combined authority with the four neighbouring boroughs of
Dudley,
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county in England. The borough is named after the Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of the West Midlands conurbation. According to Sandwell Metropo ...
,
Walsall and
Wolverhampton.
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed ...
and
Solihull later joined, making the entire West Midlands county involved. The authority is expected to be formed in April 2016 in a bid to gain greater devolved powers from the government.
Joint county-wide services
Some local services which cover Birmingham are run jointly with the six other authorities in the
West Midlands county. These county wide services are:
*
West Midlands Police
*
West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) is the fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of West Midlands, England. The service is the second largest in England, after London Fire Brigade. The service has 38 fire stations, with a blende ...
*
Transport for West Midlands
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services in the West Midlands metropolitan county in England. It is an executive body of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with bus franc ...
, which oversees public transport.
At Westminster
Birmingham's first two members of parliament were
Thomas Attwood and
Joshua Scholefield who were elected when the town was enfranchised in 1832, following the
Great Reform Act.
Birmingham's ten
parliamentary constituencies
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polit ...
are represented in the
House of Commons by two
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
and eight
Labour MPs.
See also
*
List of Lord Mayors of Birmingham
This is a list of the Mayors in England, mayors and lord mayors of Birmingham in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England.
Birmingham has had a mayor (and elected council) since 1838. The office was raised to the dignity of lord ma ...
References
External links
Birmingham City CouncilCouncillorsWardsCouncil Constituency CommitteesCouncil LeaderBirmingham ConservativesBirmingham Liberal Democrats
Video clips
Birmingham City Council YouTube channel
{{City of Birmingham
Politics of Birmingham, West Midlands