Lib Dem Roger Harmer new Birmingham City Council leader

Liberal Democrat Roger Harmer has been elected leader of Birmingham City Council with his party forming a minority administration with the Greens and Better Birmingham Independent Group.

The local authority was left in deadlock after the 7 May election, with no party reaching the 51 seats needed for a majority.

The council is the largest in England, with 101 councillors and managing a budget of over £4.4bn.

Harmer said that his first priority as leader would be settle the bin strike, which has been running for over a year.

Robert Alden, of the Green party, and Jex Parkin, of Reform UK, were also nominated as leader, but Harmer was voted in with 40 of the votes, although there were a number of abstentions.

Reform UK emerged as the largest party from the election, with 23 councillors, but previously ruled out attempting to form an administration, saying other groups would not work with it.

Labour, which previously ran the council, had also ruled itself out for any incoming coalition.

In 2022, Labour held 65 seats, but following the most recent local elections they were left with just 17.

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