The claim
“Labour leaders have run Birmingham for 38 of the past 50 years.”
Background in coverage before Birmingham's May 2026 council election.
Our verdict
Mostly True
Labour has controlled Birmingham for most of the past 50 years, roughly 36 to 38 depending on how the years are counted.
What we found
Labour controlled the council in 1980-82, 1984-2004 and 2012-2026, with shorter earlier spells; a Conservative-Lib Dem administration ran it from 2004 to 2012. Depending on start and end dates, that is about 36 to 38 years. Labour lost control in the 7 May 2026 election.
The evidence
1 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
How we checked
We checked the claim against Wikipedia. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.
Sources
Have evidence we missed?
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Measured Take updates fact checks when new evidence emerges. Corrections are noted on the page.
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