By Alexander Brock

Copyright birminghammail

The Liberal Democrats will ‘stand up to Reform and provide hope’ in Birmingham , the party’s leader is expected to say today. Sir Ed Davey is set to make a speech at the Chamber of Commerce in Brum on Thursday evening to outline how the party intends to make gains in the all-out council elections next year. The city council is currently run by the Labour Party but the Lib Dems are optimistic they can increase their number of councillors, which currently stands at 12. READ MORE: Birmingham bins strike has cost crisis-hit council at least £14m Both parties will be competing for seats in a political battleground where the Conservatives , independent candidates, Green Party , Your Party, Reform and more are expected to be a presence. The election will also be set against a backdrop of the council’s financial woes, which saw the authority declare itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023. Amid this turbulence, the Lib Dems said that Mr Davey will discuss how the party offers an alternative for voters “tired of the exhausted two-party system and eager to see progressive policies put into action”. “A proud Midlander, Ed will champion the Midlands as the powerhouse of British industry and exports, warning that local communities and businesses have been failed for too long,” the party said. In particular, the Lib Dems argued that people were being “squeezed by the Conservatives’ cost of living crisis” and “punished by Labour’s damaging National Insurance hike”. “Ed will also highlight the need to combat the politics of fear being spread by Reform and Nigel Farage’s Trump-inspired vision for Britain, arguing that the Liberal Democrats offer a positive, unifying alternative built on hope, fairness and opportunity,” it added. Mr Davey is expected to say later: “We are on the rise in Birmingham and I have no doubt that next May we can win seats from both Labour and the Conservatives, just as we’ve been doing across Britain. “The Liberal Democrats in Birmingham are working hard to provide an alternative vision to the division and opportunism of Reform. “People are rightly fed up with Labour, so it falls to us to stand up to Reform next May.” Roger Harmer, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the council, added: “When the Liberal Democrats took Hull City Council, we set about turning that city around, restoring competence, confidence, pride and ambition. READ MORE: Birmingham Council ‘confident’ of tackling equal pay woes amid ‘insolvency risk’ “We’re determined to bring that same approach to Birmingham in May 2026. “Our aim is to defeat Labour, stop Reform and bring renewal to the city after the May elections.” Coun John Cotton, leader of Labour-run Birmingham City Council , said earlier this year: “Going into the elections next May, I’m really excited to be working alongside such a diverse, talented and energetic team of local people who will be fighting every day for their communities. “We know the last few years haven’t been easy. After 14 years of Conservative government failure, the city has faced huge financial challenges. “Tough decisions have had to be made, but Labour is investing in Birmingham’s renewal and fixing the foundations.” But on the second anniversary of Birmingham Council declaring itself effectively bankrupt, the Local Conservatives argued that the city “cannot afford another year of Labour’s failure” and there was an alternative to slashing services. “Residents are still footing the bill for Labour’s financial incompetence,” Coun Robert Alden, leader of the opposition, said last month. “It’s time for change, it’s time to restore financial credibility, and it’s time for Conservatives to take control so we can deliver a city that works again for its residents.” Several issues contributed to the council’s financial crisis, including the equal pay debacle, inadequate budget setting, poor service management, demand led pressures and the disastrous implementation of a new IT system. The fallout from the financial crisis has seen local Labour politicians also highlight funding cuts from the previous Conservative government. Reform previously said it is preparing to fight for every seat in the Birmingham and Black Country local elections next year, with the party pledging last year to slash “wasteful” spending and introduce “strict limits on immigration”. West Midlands director Pete Durnell told Birmingham Live that the party would be seeking to show it would represent people of all backgrounds and faiths amid claims it promotes division. The Green Party has said it wants to challenge cuts and defend services locally while its leader Zack Polanski also said that leadership with “courage and compassion” can give Britain hope. “Our borders are being used as a distraction,” he said this week. “If the government taxed the super-rich and the extreme wealth properly, we could rebuild our NHS , invest in green jobs and give everyone the security they deserve. Your Party, launched this year by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, meanwhile says it is opposed to “neoliberalism, austerity and demonisation of refugees and marginalised communities”. Following a recent launch event in Birmingham, Mr Corbyn said: “We are a mass movement for real change – and we are not going away.”