Four Labour councillors resign from party

Councillor John Cotton said he was 'disappointed' by the decision

Four councillors from Birmingham have resigned their memberships from the Labour Party, citing concerns about its leadership both locally and nationally.

A joint statement from councillors Amar Khan, Mohammed Idrees, Chaman Lal and Rinkal Shergill also raised concerns about the direction of Birmingham City Council under Labour's leadership.

It said: "This has not been an easy decision. It comes after deep reflection and is made with clear consciences and a shared commitment to the people we serve."

Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said he was disappointed by the decision.

The statement on Monday said all four councillors will continue their roles as members of the Birmingham New Independent Group.

They said: "We entered politics to serve our communities with honesty, transparency and integrity.

"Under Labour's leadership, Birmingham City Council has suffered a series of serious, avoidable and deeply damaging failures."

The councillors referred to the city council's financial crisis and the millions of pounds owed in equal pay claims, claiming it was a result of "years of inaction, neglect and failure to resolve long-standing issues".

"These repeated cases of financial mismanagement have wasted public money and eroded public trust", the statement continued.

Speaking about the ongoing bin strikes and council tax increases, they called it a "pattern of poor decision-making" and "misplaced" priorities.

What is Labour's response?

The councillors also called out the Labour Party on their stance on "critical issues", referencing the Israel Gaza war and the UK supplying arms to Israel.

The statement said: "Thousands of civilians have been killed, including children, medics and aid workers.

"Moral leadership means clearly standing up for peace, justice and accountability, even when it is politically inconvenient to do so.

"We are deeply saddened by Labour's consistent failure to provide this."

After the Labour Party came to power last year, it suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licences, affecting equipment such as parts for fighter jets, helicopters and drones.

A Labour source said: "Let's be clear - these councillors failed to meet the high standards Labour expects for reselection.

"This is about settling scores with Labour, not serving their residents."

'Disillusioned by internal culture'

The councillors went on to say in their statement: "We are disillusioned by the internal culture of the Labour Party. It no longer reflects the values of a democratic, grassroots movement.

"Despite these challenges, our commitment to our communities remains stronger than ever.

"We are incredibly grateful to our constituents for the trust they have placed in us, and we remain focused on delivering for the people of Birmingham."

Cotton told the BBC he was "disappointed" with the decision and the council remains "firmly" focused on delivering for the people of Birmingham.

He said: "Working hand in hand with our Labour mayor and Labour government, we're already turning the tide after 14 years of Tory decline.

"Labour is ambitious for Birmingham, and I look forward to working with our fantastic fresh team of Labour candidates to win in 2026 and secure a fairer future for our city."