Title

FINANCE

Brum proposes £300m cuts

Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council will cut spending on services by £300m to balance its books.

Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council will cut spending on services by £300m to balance its books.

The UK's biggest local authority will also hike council tax by 21% over the next two years from April, according to its budget proposals for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Documents released by Birmingham alongside the budget proposals confirmed the Government has approved £1.25bn of exceptional financial support – in the form of loans that must be paid back partly through asset sales.

Council leader John Cotton apologised ‘unreservedly' for the spending reductions and council tax increase.

He said: ‘We have no alternative than to face these challenges head on and we will do whatever is necessary to put the council back on a sound financial footing.'

The local authority has warned that up to 600 posts may be axed.

Birmingham was forced to issue a section 114 notice in September.

The council is facing liabilities for equal pay claims of nearly £800m.

FINANCE

The Top 10 councils powering ahead on productivity

By Ann McGauran | 05 February 2026

Local government’s leadership may be dealing with a maelstrom of challenges, but the councils whose productivity performance has earned them a place in the I...

FINANCE

Lessons in tourism levies

By Martin Ford | 05 February 2026

Powers to implement visitor levies will soon be available in all corners of the country. Martin Ford looks at the story so far and what England can learn fro...

FINANCE

Why we need to support local leaders

By Steve Wilson | 05 February 2026

Councils are in danger of getting stuck in a cycle of short-term fixes and rising instability unless leadership is properly supported, as Steve Wilson explains.

FINANCE

Councillors urge minimum pension age hike amid cost fears

By Martin Ford | 04 February 2026

Councillors are pushing for the minimum pension age to be increased by two years for more officers amid fears about costs from local government reorganisatio...

Popular articles by William Eichler