Mike Whitby wins Birmingham City Council leadership contest
The 61-year-old owner of Black Country engineering firm Skeldings hinted that he would address the concerns of backbenchers.
He added: “We are very lucky to have such a wide range of talent in the group and we will be using that talent to its full potential.”
Coun Brew (Con, Northfield) promised greater consultation over policy issues with ordinary councillors if he became leader. He also offered a sharp swing to the right, pledging to cut 3,000 council jobs, sack costly consultants and review high-spending projects.
A 1,000-word manifesto published by Coun Brew last Friday was called Time for Change.
In the document, Coun Brew promised to show compassion as leader, but “steeliness as and when necessary”.
But Coun Whitby’s response to the challenge, effectively ignoring the Brew campaign by offering no public comment on the matter, paid off spectacularly.
Claims throughout the two-week campaign that Brew and Whitby were neck and neck among the 49-strong Tory group turned out to be wide of the mark.
Friends of Coun Whitby insisted the council leader was doing a good job and would not change his style.
He is said to be considering a reshuffle of scrutiny committee and regulatory committee chairmanships and membership of the police and fire authorities, with the expectation that close allies of Coun Brew may soon find themselves out of a job.
There will be no changes to the cabinet line-up.
Coun Whitby has been leader of the city council since June 2004, in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
