Full Birmingham by-election results as Tories retain council seat

The Conservatives have retained a seat on Birmingham council in a by-election which was called after the shock resignation of a councillor. Rick Payne previously quit his post following suspension by the City Council’s conservative group over allegations he tweeted “offensive content” from an anonymously used social media account.

As a result of the resignation, a by-election was triggered for a seat in the Kingstanding ward, an area in the north of the city. In recent weeks, local Tories have been fighting to keep this special seat, as they face opposition from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, the Workers’ Party and the Unionist and Socialist Coalition.

In the end, they were successful, with their candidate Clifton Welch winning this week’s by-election with 829 votes, after previously raising awareness of issues such as litter on the streets and the future of the area’s libraries. The Birmingham Conservative Group reacted by posting on X, formerly Twitter: “The people of Kingstanding have sent a clear message to working people in Birmingham about their double whammy of higher taxes and fewer services!”

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Conservative councilor Alex Yip added: “The right result for a hard-working local candidate and campaigner.” Full results can be found below:

• Lucy Hayward – Liberal Democrats – 82
• Pete Higgins – Birmingham Labor Party – 46
• Patrick Christopher Lee – Green Party – 72
• Kris O’Sullivan – Unionist and Socialist Coalition – 20
• Naz Rasheed – Labor Party – 680
• Clifton Frederick Welch – Local Conservatives – 829
• Rejected ballots – 10

This by-election was the second to be held in Birmingham since the city council approved a wave of cuts to local services, as well as a 10% rise in council tax, amid its dire financial position. A separate by-election held in Birmingham’s Bournbrook and Selly Park borough earlier this month saw Jamie Scott retain a vacant seat for the Labor Party.

The council’s predicament is due to issues specific to Birmingham, such as an equal pay fiasco and the disastrous implementation of a new IT and finance system, as well as increasing demand for services and funding cuts. Council leader John Cotton has previously criticized the Conservative government and claimed councils across the country are facing a perfect storm of smaller budgets and higher costs.

Meanwhile, Tory politicians have pointed the finger at the mistakes made by the Labor council’s administration, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisting earlier this month that the council’s dire situation was down to poor management.

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