Birmingham & Black Country

Local elections 2026
Local elections 2026

Labour council leader's defeat confirmed

John Cotton loses his seat after three years as the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council.
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  1. A grassy field seen from a road. It is a slope, with trees in the distance. The sky is blue.

  2. A man stands in a city square. He is wearing a navy jacket, grey shirt and maroon tie. He has spiky brown hair and manicured beard. He is looking to the right of the camera at something. Passers-by can be seen in the square behind him, the Bank pub, a Caffe Nero and grassy areas. It is a sunny day.

  3. A block of brown chocolate with a purple sign behind which reads Cadbury in gold writing

  4. Sir Keir Starmer has a serious expression and is looking at the camera. He has short grey hair and is wearing black-framed glasses, a black suit and white shirt.

  5. A balding man with a beard sat in a white armchair chatting to other men. He is wearing a blue blazer, grey trousers, blue shirt and claret tie

  6. A man with a bald head and a faint beard with a grey jacket and white shirt in front of a blurred background

  7. A WMR Class 730 train can be seen on tracks. It has several carriages with orange and maroon livery and black front end.

  8. A woman in a hospital bed. She is wearing a head scarf and glasses and a stripe white and brown t-shirt.

  9. A man with ginger hair looking solemn, wearing a red and yellow 'Vote Labour' rosette.

  10. A woman with blonde hair wearing a long dress and light jacket stands near the prince who is wearing a suit and red tie and talking. Between them is a photo of a young man. There is also a gold plaque which says James' Place.

  11. A police car is parked partly on a kerb outside a building in a street. There are dark benches outside, with blue and white police tape in front of them. Two officers are standing outside brown doors.

  12. Paulette Hamilton pictured against a grey background. She is wearing a green pattered shirt underneath a blue blazer and dark-framed glasses. Her dreadlocks are pinned in a high-side bun.

  13. Noel Kelly pictured with a neutral expression on his face. He is wearing a black body warmer on top of a long sleeved blue shirt.

  14. A brick wall painted with turquoise murals with the words Stay Wild in black lettering on a turquoise background on either side of a shuttered metal door covered in graffiti

  15. The image appears to be an older photograph of two people at a wedding. One person is wearing a bridal veil and headpiece, while the other is dressed in a suit with a wide-collared shirt and tie. Both are holding small glasses, possibly for a toast. The style of clothing and photo quality suggest it may have been taken several decades ago.

  16. A blonde woman in a denim jacket and a teenage girl with glasses stand on either side of a young boy, both holding him up between them. The boy is wearing a red protective helmet and a navy top, and is holding something to his mouth. They are inside what appears to be a restaurant or function room.

  17. A browny/grey building with five columns at the front which are lit up. there are numerous windows on either side of the columns which go to three floors up. The building is ornate with stone arches above the columns. The sky is grey.

  18. A woman wearing a black and white patterned top and a light blue suit jacket is sitting on a red sofa. She is looking to the left of the shot.

  19. A grey metal shutter with orange graffiti is pulled over the entrance to Luna Springs. Murals are painted on the red brick wall around its entrance. Signs either side of the entrance say 'Stay Wild' in blue, with a white 'Luna Springs' sign above.

  20. A woman with blonde tied back hair is wearing a hospital gown and lying down in a hospital bed. Nestled in her armpit is a newborn baby girl in pink knitted hat and outfit

  21. Kate Igbinigie is a black woman with curly hair cut into a bob. She's wearing black, square framed glasses and gold hoop earrings.

  22. A screen on an arena floor showing a rainbow of circular dots, each representing a seat on Birmingham City Council. There are fairly equal shares of dark blue, green, light blue, red, orange and grey.

  23. Two police officers talk in the street next to a police van in a residential street in Birmingham.

  24. A group of young people indoors holding up long dresses on hangers, with clothing racks and costumes in the background.