Hall Green councillor to be new Lord Mayor of Birmingham
Feb 25 2009 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Post
A Lord of the Rings enthusiast, successful academic and thorn in the side of the council leadership is to be the next Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Coun Michael Wilkes, who was first elected to Birmingham City Council in 1984, will be the First Citizen from May when current Lord Mayor Chauhdry Rashid stands down.
Coun Wilkes said: “It’s an unbelievable honour to become the First Citizen of this great city.”
He added that he will relish the opportunity to get out and about meeting people in his official role. “We will enjoy finding out more about Birmingham,” he added.
His wife of 39 years Vivienne, who will be Lady Mayoress, shares his passion for Lord of the Rings creator JRR Tolkien.
As key members of the Birmingham Tolkien Group, they been heavily involved in celebrating the fantasy author’s work and his close links to Birmingham. This includes organising the Middle Earth Weekend at Sarehole Mill every May and the campaign to set up a Tolkien Centre at Shire Country Park.
The Liberal Democrat councillor for Hall Green has hit the headlines in recent years for his ruthless analysis of high-profile city council projects such as the new Library of Birmingham, the private finance highways bid, and most recently plans to bring back the Municipal Bank.
His forensic examination of policy, despite being a member of the ruling Conservative-Liberal Democrat group on the city council, has led to some describing him as the ‘unofficial opposition’ although Coun Wilkes prefers the term ‘critical friend’.
His selection as Lord Mayor will of course require him to take a step back from the cut and thrust of party politics and avoid controversy for 12 months, giving some relief to the Council’s senior politicians and officers.
Coun Wilkes hails from Brierley Hill and came to Birmingham to attend St Philip’s Grammar School on Hagley Road. He married Vivienne in 1970 and they have three sons. He is a professor at the University of Birmingham business school.
First elected to the Hall Green ward in 1984, he served until 1992, and returned in 2000 and has remained ever since.
