Birmingham local election 2022: how many councillors are there, number of seats being voted on, party in power

The day of the 2022 local elections is here, and several of the deadlines (such as the cut off to register to vote and signing up for a proxy vote) have now passed.

Three of the councils in and around Birmingham which are holding elections, these being Birmingham City, Solihull, and Sandwell Councils, each have a large number of candidates vying for a place within the council chambers.

To break down what is at stake in each of the three councils, here’s a rundown of what is at stake at the election, including how many seats are being contested and which party controls each council.

When are the 2022 local elections?

The local elections are due to take place on Thursday, 5 May. polling stations in Birmingham, Sandwell, and Solihull areas will be open from 7am-10pm on polling day.

Birmingham City Council

Within Birmingham City Council, there are 101 councillors who represent 69 awards across the city.

The party with the majority of the seats on the council is The Labour Party, which has 62 councillors

The main opposition on the council is The Conservative Party, which has 28 councillors.

Other parties which have seats on Birmingham City Council are the Liberal Democrats with eight councillors and the Green Party which has one councillor.

In the 2022 local elections, all seats will be contested, which means councillors at all levels (including the chair of the council and cabinet members) will be out on the campaign trail hoping to be re-elected.

In total, there are nearly 400 candidates involved with the Birmingham City Council election this year.

Sandwell Council

On Sandwell Council there are 72 councillors who represent 24 wards.

Heading into the 2022 election, the council is one that is controlled by the Labour Party.

The 72 councillors are divided politically with 59 representing Labour, nine Conservative councillors, two Sandwell Together councillors and two seats that are currently vacant.

A councillor will be elected in each of the wards within Sandwell Council, and votes for the whole council will be counted at Tipton Sports Academy with a result expected on the afternoon of Friday, 6 May.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

A third of the seats on Solihull Metropolitan Council are being contested on 5 May, this equates to one councillor in each of the council’s 17 wards.

In total, 58 candidates will be in the running for the 17 seats across the Solihull area.

The controlling party of the council is the Conservatives, going into the 2022 local elections the party holds 30 of the 51 available seats.

The party with the next highest number of councillors and therefore the main opposition to the Conservatives in Solihull is the Green Party, with 12 seats.

The Liberal Democrats have three seats and there are five Independent councillors.

The Labour Party had two councillors following the 2021 elections, but both of these defected from the party at the end of last year.

One councillor joined the Conservatives whilst the other joined the Green Party.

The count for Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is set to take place at North Solihull Sports Centre in Chelmsley Wood.

The results are expected in the early afternoon on Friday, 6 May.