Two senior members of Birmingham City Council’s Labour group have withdrawn from the imminent local elections, citing personal reasons.

Councillor Jamie Tennant, currently cabinet member for social justice, community safety and equalities, represents Weoley and Selly Oak ward. He has also separately left his job as an advisor to Tamworth MP Sarah Edwards.

He said he had made the decision to leave the local politics arena for now to seek a better work life balance.

READ MORE: New baby of Waseem Zaffar born days after councillor’s sudden death as family pay tribute

Also quitting as a councillor is Jayne Francis, who represents the Harborne ward.

Their decisions to quit comes just weeks before candidate lists close for the May 2026 all out elections for the city council, with Labour widely predicted to lose its majority on the 101-strong local authority.

In a short statement the party confirmed their candidates’ decisions to stand down in May and said they would continue to represent their areas until then. New Labour candidates would be sought in the meantime.

Long serving Cllr Francis was first elected in 2016 and has served in several cabinet teams, particularly thriving in a role promoting the city’s arts and culture.

Cllr Tennant was promoted to the cabinet last year by leader John Cotton. He told BirminghamLive he was seeking work that was better suited to his need for a work life balance and time with his partner Nathan.

He also confirmed that separately he had ‘parted ways’ from his job working in the office of Labour MP Sarah Edwards, Tamworth, and that he had left voluntarily.

The decisions of the two councillors to rescind their intentions to stand comes at a difficult time for the Labour group, which has seen its majority slashed to five (assuming all other parties vote together) just ahead of a crucial budget vote. There are now 52 Labour members and 47 members in opposition.

The premature deaths of Lozells councillor Waseem Zaffar earlier this month and Moseley councillor Kerry Jenkins last year diminished their number, which was already decimated by a series of defections.

One of the party’s leading councillors, Majid Mahmood, only survived a vote of no confidence last week because of absences on the opposition benches.

The departing pair will remain voting members of the Labour group until May.