Solihull appoints new deputy mayor after Reform councillors quit

Councillor Annette Mackenzie has returned to the civic leadership team after an extraordinary meeting was called in the wake of the Castle Bromwich resignations

NEWSCOUNCIL & PLANNING

Katie Thompson

10/20/20261 min read

group of people sitting beside rectangular wooden table with laptops
group of people sitting beside rectangular wooden table with laptops

Solihull Council has appointed a former mayor as its new deputy mayor following the resignations of three Reform UK councillors who became embroiled in a racism scandal.

Councillor Annette Mackenzie was appointed to the position at an extraordinary meeting of Full Council on Monday, October 19. She will serve for the remainder of the civic year, which runs until May 2027.

The appointment follows the resignations of Alan Feeney, Chris Whelan and Jamie Campbell, who had represented Castle Bromwich on the borough council.

Their departures prompted an emergency meeting to fill the civic and committee positions left vacant, after an ITV investigation exposed racist, misogynistic and otherwise offensive comments made during the election campaign.

Who is Solihull’s new deputy mayor?

Mackenzie represents Shirley East and Sharmans Cross and previously served as Solihull’s mayor from 2025 to 2026.

Her appointment restores the deputy mayor position following Feeney’s resignation. The role supports the mayor in civic duties and provides cover when the mayor is unable to preside over council meetings.

The extraordinary meeting had originally been called to consider a cross-party motion about the former councillors’ civic roles and external appointments. With all three having resigned, councillors needed to consider replacements rather than remove them from positions they no longer held.

What happens next in Castle Bromwich?

The three resignations have left vacancies in Castle Bromwich, with by-elections expected to give residents the opportunity to elect new representatives.

The council had said the elections would be held at the earliest possible opportunity. Notices of vacancy were issued after the resignations, with a formal request for an election required to trigger the timetable.

The meeting marks the first stage in restoring the council’s civic arrangements after the controversy. The vacant ward seats, however, will remain a key issue until new councillors are elected.