Cllr John Cotton

Councillor John Cotton was elected as the Leader of Birmingham City Council in May 2023, alongside Cllr Sharon Thompson as Deputy Leader, pledging to “work with and for every single community to deliver the service improvements our citizens deserve.”

Cllr Cotton previously served as the Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety & Equalities, and was responsible for leading the city’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, tackling social and economic injustice and building stronger safer communities.

John has previously held Cabinet portfolios covering adult social care, public health and housing, which also reflect his passionate interest in tackling the root causes of poverty and disadvantage.

As Leader, John has pledged to continue his to improve the lives and life chances of the people of Birmingham and help our communities through the continuing cost-of-living crisis. 

A member of both the Labour and Co-operative parties, he was first elected to Birmingham City Council in 1999 and represents the Glebe Farm and Tile Cross Ward in the east of the city. John was born and raised in Birmingham.

Over the course of a varied career, he has worked in private industry, in the office of a Labour MP, in the voluntary sector and as a freelance public affairs consultant. John is also National Chair of Labour Housing Group, the Labour Party’s official affiliated organisation dedicated to developing housing policy to addresses the shortage of decent affordable housing across the UK.