Birmingham councillor in charge of finance resigns

Councillor Brigid Jones has served on Birmingham City Council since 2011

The cabinet member for finance at "bankrupt" Birmingham City Council has announced she is stepping down.

In a thread on X, Brigid Jones said she was leaving politics for personal reasons but the "rising tide of hatred" against politicians had played a part.

Earlier this month, the authority signed off a raft of cuts to services and agreed a 21% council tax rise to make £300m savings.

Council leader John Cotton responded by thanking her for "serving the people of Birmingham tirelessly".

Ms Jones, 36, was previously deputy leader of the Labour-run authority and has served as the member for Bournbrook and Selly Park for 13 years.

As councillor in charge of finance and resources, she is responsible for the council's overall financial strategy as well accounting and audit controls and procedures.

Councillor Jones wrote on X: "It has been an absolute honour to have served for more than a third of my life in the city I came to aged 18, knowing no-one, and fell in love with."

She said it had been a "hugely challenging period" to be a councillor, but she was most proud of leading a turnaround in children's services, seeing its Ofsted rating rise from "inadequate" to "good".

"Whilst this is a decision I'm taking for purely personal reasons, I can’t pretend that the rising tide of hatred against politicians hasn’t been a small part of it, as has the silence from some who should have acted," she said.

She added the council and "brilliant city" would come through "this difficult period" and challenges to come.

The ruling Labour group wrote on X Ms Jones had been "a tireless public servant" who helped steer the city through various challenges.

Birmingham Local Conservative group wished Ms Jones well but said she had "done the right thing" following the council's financial crisis.

The council has been left effectively bankrupt following £760m of equal pay claims and an £80m overspend on an IT system.

Deputy leader Ewan Mackey said responsibility for the "administration’s failings" should be shared across the cabinet.

"Now that Brigid has done the right thing, it’s time for Councillor Cotton to seriously think about whether he shouldn’t be joining her," he added.

The council's chief executive Deborah Cadman announced last week she would leave at the end of the month, telling staff she was "incredibly disappointed with the council’s current financial position".