Birmingham finance member quits | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for finance is stepping down “for personal reasons” after a “hugely challenging period,” she announced yesterday evening.
Brigid Jones (Lab) became cabinet member for finance last spring, having previously been deputy leader.
Birmingham is currently subject to formal intervention, with a team of commissioners led by Max Caller scrutinising decisions made by councillors as they attempt to resolve the financial issues that led the council to declare a section 114 last year.
Leader John Cotton (Lab) will take on the finance portfolio until May.
In a statement on Twitter/X, Cllr Jones said: “I’m stepping down from the council to take up new challenges outside of politics.”
She said increasing abuse faced by people in public life was a contributing factor to her decision.
“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.
Cllr Jones has represented the Selly Oak ward since 2011 and said “at the grand age of 36, it’s time to retire from politics (for now!) to take on new adventures elsewhere in life”.
She offered her “full support” to Cllr Cotton and said: “The council and this brilliant city will come through this difficult period, as we always have done.”
On Twitter/X Cllr Cotton thanked Cllr Jones who “has served the people of Birmingham tirelessly”.
He credited her for playing a “key role in transforming children’s services in Birmingham for the better,” as well as her involvement in “the delivery of a difficult budget”.
Cllr Cotton said he would appoint a new cabinet member for finance at the annual general meeting in May.
Cllr Jones had been involved in overseeing the introduction of the Oracle IT system. It could cost up to £100m to correct problems with the implementation.
The Conservative opposition in Birmingham has previously called on Cllr Jones to resign. Yesterday Ewan Mackey (Con), deputy opposition leader, said: “Public life is always difficult, and right now public life in Birmingham is particularly difficult. I think Cllr Jones has done the right thing here though, and I really do wish her well in future.”
Cllr Mackey went on to call for Cllr Cotton to also “think about whether he shouldn’t be joining her”.
Last week Birmingham’s chief executive Deborah Cadman announced her departure. She is the third member of the senior management team to leave within one year.
Becky Hellard, the city’s section 151 officer, resigned last May. And monitoring officer Janie Berry, who issued a section 5 notice about the legal risk of continued failure to act to address the council’s equal pay liability, left the city last November.
