Coun Robert Alden
Councillor Robert Alden, representing Erdington, leads the Conservative opposition on Birmingham City Council. Both his father, former Lord Mayor John Alden and mother Deidre, are Birmingham City Council stalwarts. Mr Alden was unopposed when he became leader of the city's Conservatives in 2014, after spending two years as deputy leader. He unsuccessfully challenged Jack Dromey for his Erdington parliamentary seat in the 2015 General Election, but polled close to 11,000 votes. He serves on several council committees including the business management committee and the standards committee.
Sir Tim Barrow, 海角视频 Permanent Representative to the EU
Sir Tim Barrow is the 海角视频's permanent representative to the European Union, a post he took up in January. He was born and brought up in Leamington Spa and joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1986 and has held diplomatic post in Moscow and Brussels. He was British Ambassador to Russia between 2011 and 2016. In his current post, he has overall responsibility for the work of the 海角视频 mission in Europe and represents the 海角视频 in the Council of the European Union.
Liam Byrne MP
Liam Byrne has been the Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004. He was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon Brown's government and will be best remembered for leaving a note for his Coalition successor saying "I'm afraid there is no money". Before entering Parliament, he worked for merchant bankers Rothschild before co-founding a venture capital-backed technology company. He was Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Blair government and held several government posts under Gordon Brown. He is currently shadow minister for the digital economy.
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Jack Dromey MP
Erdington MP Jack Dromey was elected to Parliament in 2010 having previously been deputy general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union and treasurer of the Labour Party. He was re-elected to parliament with an increased majority in June. He served for ten years on the executive of the National Council for Civil Liberties and is currently shadow minister for labour. He is married to former interim Labour leader Harriet Harmon.
Coun Steve Eling, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Councillor Steve Eling was elected as the Labour leader of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council last year, replacing Councillor Darren Cooper who died in office. His election was not without controversy as some councillors were told they could not vote because they owed subscriptions to the Labour Party. Councillor Eling had previously been acting leader and was confirmed in the post by 36 votes to 23. He was first elected to the council in 1986 and represents Abbey Ward. He is chairman of Warley Woods Community Trust and was instrumental in negotiating the transfer of the woods from Birmingham to the new trust as well as being a governor of Bearwood Primary School.
Sajid Javid MP
Conservative MP Sajid Javid is the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, having previously been Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Bromsgrove MP has also served as culture minister and has held office in the Treasury.Famously the son of a Rochdale bus driver, he won the Politician of the Year award at the 2015 British Muslim Awards. He has also been described as "the most robust right-winger in the cabinet". Mr Javid is a former banker who has held senior positions with Chase Manhattan in New York and South America and Deutsche Bank in London and Singapore.
Coun Brigid Jones, Birmingham City Council
Councillor Brigid Jones was elected as Birmingham City Council's new deputy leader earlier this year. She beat three rivals for the job and one of her primary tasks is to restore budget discipline after previous massive overspending. She is cabinet member for children's services on the council, responsible for children's care and education services. She represents Selly Oak on the council and, since her election in 2011, she has served on the Vulnerable Children Overview and Scrutiny committee. She has a Masters degree in physics from the University of Birmingham.
Coun Roger Lawrence, City of Wolverhampton Council
Councillor Roger Lawrence is leader of Wolverhampton City Council and chairman of the cabinet. He is also the lead for transport for the West Midlands on the WMCA and is overseeing £4 billion of transport infrastructure improvements in the region. He represents St Peters ward and was first elected in 1983. He was educated at Millbrook School, New York, University of Bristol and St Catharine's College Cambridge. He received a doctorate from Bristol for a study of cross-border collaboration in central and eastern Europe. His main political interests are urban regeneration, regional development and local democracy.
Steve McCabe MP
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Glasgow-born Steve McCabe has been a Birmingham MP since 1997, representing Selly Oak since 2010. He is a trained social worker and throughout his political career has taken a keen interest in social care, alongside his other passion of police and community safety. He was Charles Clarke's PPS at the Department of Education and the Home Office and spent several years as a government whip. He serves on the Home Affairs select committee and Labour's Parliamentary Committee. Following the Grenfell Tower fire, he has called for a moratorium on the conversion of family homes to houses of multiple occupation in his constituency.
Jess Phillips MP
In her short time in office as Labour MP for Yardley, Jess Phillips has made a big impression. Her straight-talking appearances on BBC Question Time, her championing of women in the political process and her frank views on Jeremy Corbyn have won her many admirers. They have also brought her abuse from Twitter trolls which she has responded to robustly. Before being elected, she was the manager of a charity supporting victims of domestic violence - a theme she has carried on as an MP. Yardley born and bred, she is an equalities campaigner and a community activist. In 2013, she received a Big Lunch Community Award and was named as Birmingham's first Victims Champion, working to improve services for victims of crime.
Coun Bob Sleigh OBE, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Councillor Bob Sleigh is Conservative leader of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Andy Street appointed Councillor Sleigh as his deputy within days of being elected West Midlands Mayor. Councillor Sleigh had previously been chairman of the West Midlands Combined Authority where he now leads on HS2 and Wellbeing. He was first elected onto Solihull MBC 17 years ago, representing Bickenhill ward. He is a supporter of HS2 and chaired a fringe event on the benefits of high-speed rail at this year's Conservative Party conference.
Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor
Andy Street was elected as the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands in May. For almost a decade, he was chief executive of successful retail group John Lewis - probably the most widely recognised example of a workers' co-operative in the 海角视频. Oxfordshire born, Birmingham raised, and an Oxford graduate in politics, philosophy and economics, he rose through the ranks of John Lewis from shopfloor to boardroom. He received the CBE for services to the economy in 2015. One of his priorities as mayor has been to negotiate with the Government over the transfer of powers and funding to the West Midlands. His other stated priorities include homelessness, infrastructure and the development of the West Midlands' scientific and industrial base.
Coun Ian Ward, Birmingham City Council
Shard End Councillor Ian Ward became leader of Birmingham City Council - Europe's biggest local authority - after the demise of John Clancy in the bin strike debacle. He was previously deputy leader of the Labour group on the council, a post he had held since 2005. He has been a councillor since 1995. He is a member of the general assembly of the Local Government Association and a director of the Millennium Point Trust and the West Midlands Arts Trust. Councillor Ward is also a member of the Library of Birmingham strategic board. He has a keen interest in the arts and sport and is a member of Moseley Rugby Club.
Tom Watson MP
Campaigning West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson is deputy leader of the Labour Party and has often found himself tasked with the job of mediating between his leader Jeremy Corbyn and his less left-leaning party colleagues. The Sheffield-born MP achieved prominence following his high-profile campaigns on phone-hacking and high-level paedophile rings. He launched Labour's Remain campaign in EU referendum and was a minister in Tony Blair's government and a cabinet office minister under Gordon Brown. He likes alternative rock music and gaming.