Labour set to be SMASHED by Reform and pro-Gaza independents in Birmingham amid fury at council's bin chaos and financial crisis

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 09:53, 7 May 2026 | Updated: 09:54, 7 May 2026 Labour is facing the prospect of a near-wipe out in Birmingham at the local elections, according to a poll. Research by More in Common suggests the party's dominance of the city council will come to a shocking end after today's vote. Labour could lose 51 of its current tally of 65 seats, with Reform the biggest beneficiary. Nigel Farage's insurgents could make an extraordinary jump from zero councillors at the last contest in 2022 to 47 this time.  Meanwhile, the public could install 17 independents - including pro-Gaza candidates. Such an outcome would heap pressure on Keir Starmer, who is bracing for grim results across England, as well as in Scottish and Welsh Parliamentary elections.  The PM has been scrambling to put together a survival strategy to head off any coup attempt from angry MPs.  Your browser does not support iframes. The Birmingham authority has faced fury about the long-running bin strike causing misery for residents The Birmingham authority has faced fury about the long-running bin strike causing misery for residents. It has also been wrestling to fill a vast financial black hole fueled by a huge equal pay liability admission in 2023. That resulted in services cuts and a 17.5 per cent council tax hike over the past two years.  Labour's council leader John Cotton has insisted the financial crisis is now under control and claimed an end to the bin dispute is 'within sight', as he attempted to limit the electoral damage. The More in Common survey found 26 per cent support for Reform and 23 per cent for Labour. The Greens were seen as having the backing of 18 per cent, the Tories 15 per cent, independents 12 per cent and the Lib Dems 7 per cent. However, the study suggested that Labour's vote would not be efficiently distributed across council wards, meaning they will get a lower proportion of the 101 seats. It would be the lowest number of councillors the party has ever held in the city.  Labour's council leader John Cotton has insisted the financial crisis is now under control and claimed an end to the bin dispute is 'within sight' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.