Coun Sharon Thompson has announced she will not be standing at the 2026 local electionsCouncillor and deputy mayor Sharon Thompson
Birmingham housing campaigner Sharon Thompson has announced she is quitting local politics after 11 years, including seven at the heart of the city council leadership.
Coun Thompson, currently the council’s deputy leader, was also made deputy mayor of the West Midlands by Richard Parker last year when he was elected.
But she has announced she does not intend to stand again next year, ahead of what is likely to be a bruising local election campaign. The deputy mayorship will go at the same time as it is linked to her council role. She will retain both roles until next May.
Coun Thompson has been an integral part of Labour administrations since she was first elected to serve North Edgbaston in 2014. She made her mark particularly while holding the housing and neighbourhoods portfolios under Ian Ward’s tenure, where her personal experiences of homelessness and hardship shaped her campaigning zeal.
She was homeless at 16 and became a mum at 19. She has also overcome the challenge of dyslexia to rise through the ranks of local politics, becoming a strong advocate for women in leadership and a powerful voice for black women in particular. She has described her son Elijah as her greatest inspiration.
She was a community worker before becoming a magistrate through the Operation Black Vote initiative, while her union activism led her into politics, initially shadowing Shard End councillor Ward before striking out in her own right.
In a statement she said that “after much thought and reflection I have made the incredibly difficult decision to stand down as a councillor at the next local elections in May 2026”.
Of her role in local politics, she said: “It has been the honour of my life to serve the people of Birmingham, especially the residents of North Edgbaston, and Soho, who first placed their trust in me over a decade ago. I want to express my heartfelt thanks for their support.“As someone who has faced homelessness and hardship, stepping into public service was never a path I expected. Yet it was the people of our great city that inspired me.
“I’ve had the privilege of serving as a Labour councillor, cabinet member, and now as deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, and deputy mayor of the West Midlands.
“At each stage, I have worked with brilliant colleagues, partners, community leaders, and residents to champion Birmingham, and to bring real change to our city.
“Together, we’ve worked to tackle homelessness head-on, challenged rogue landlords, improved supported housing standards, influenced national policy on exempt accommodation, continued to put our children’s services back on track, and made real strides to support our most vulnerable residents.”
Council leader John Cotton described her as ‘a trailblazer’.
Councillor John Cotton (left) and councillor Sharon Thompson (right) in the council chamber at Birmingham City Council(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
“Sharon is a passionate advocate for Birmingham and its communities, for social justice, and equality. I have been very lucky to have had Sharon at my side as deputy leader.
“I know people of all political stripes respect Sharon for her energy, commitment and determination to make our city a better place and rightly so.
“I am also very grateful to Sharon for her wise advice, support and friendship – something that I know will endure beyond our time on the council. I also have no doubt she will continue to deliver for Birmingham over the next year and for many to come.”
Mr Parker described her as an ‘outstanding’ deputy mayor and tireless champion of the city and region. He said: “Her leadership has made a real difference, from tackling inequality and homelessness to driving forward regeneration and standing up for communities across our region.”
Thompson has not revealed her future career intentions though she has recently launched a new website promoting her skills as a public speaker and executive coach and experience as a non executive director.
She is quitting ahead of what is expected to be a highly-personalised local election campaign for Labour, under fire over its handling of the city’s finances and its failed oversight of major projects.
Reform, Independents and the Liberal Democrats are expected to mount particularly strong campaigns across the city, challenging the current leadership over how the council ended up facing bankruptcy and under the intervention of government commissioners because of financial and governance mismanagement on their watch.
They will also attack the council’s record as one of the country’s biggest landlords and its equal pay crisis. Coun Thompson added in her statement: “I have seen first-hand the damage inflicted by 14 years of Conservative government, slashing over £1 billion from Birmingham’s budget. Rebuilding has not been easy.
“But as part of a new leadership team, under Coun John Cotton, I have been proud to have successfully helped to tackle the council’s challenges head-on and steer the council back on track.”
And she proclaimed: “Only Labour has the vision and commitment to rebuild our communities and transform the lives of everyday Brummies…I know that under Labour, Birmingham’s best days are not behind us — they are still to come.”