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Labour ‘set to lose control of Birmingham Council over bin strike,' union boss warns
24 June 2025, 14:12 | Updated: 24 June 2025, 14:43
Labour’s hold on Birmingham City Council is in doubt ahead of next year’s local elections, according to new polling data shared with LBC by the Unite union.
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The independent survey, conducted by Find Out Now, asked 914 Birmingham residents how likely they were to vote Labour locally.
It found only 5% of respondents are likely or very likely to vote Labour in 2024.
Nearly half (47%) of those surveyed said they were very unlikely to vote for the party, while 12% indicated they were unlikely to do so.
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The survey, which was weighted to be representative of the population, also asked how the council’s handling of the bin strike had affected opinion.
The results were clear: 56% of residents said they were now less likely to vote Labour due to the dispute, while only 4% said it made them more likely to support the party.
The findings are particularly damning for Labour council leader John Cotton, who has been heavily criticised for his lack of involvement in negotiations to end the bin strikes.
When asked about his failure to attend any of the negotiations, 62% of those surveyed disapproved, with just 3% offering approval.
Speaking exclusively to LBC, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is little wonder that workers in Birmingham are now turning away from Labour in droves.”
“These polling results are absolutely woeful, absolutely woeful, and they show residents are not only disgusted by the way bin workers are being treated, but also how Birmingham City Council is being run.
“A Labour council leader and a Labour government expecting bin workers to take a pay cut of up to £8,000 is an untenable situation.
“For many workers, this is not just a pay cut – it’s a matter of keeping their homes.”
The survey also suggests that Birmingham residents are increasingly attributing blame to both the local Labour council and the national Labour government for the ongoing dispute.
The bin strike, which has caused significant disruption in the city, could drag on until December now workers have voted to extend industrial action.
Graham continued, “The shambles at Birmingham Council is the result of one bad decision after another.
“It should not be up to hardworking bin workers to pay for that.
“Unite will not stand by and let workers be treated in this way.”
