As Dudley Council looks toward a pivotal 2026, it faces ongoing challenges including financial pressures, political upheaval, immigration unrest, and stalled regeneration projects. Reflecting on 2025, several key moments defined a year of intense scrutiny and change.
The year began with Dudley Council grappling with a severe fiscal crisis, facing stark warnings that failure to act decisively could leave it unable to meet financial obligations. The minority Conservative administration proposed £42 million in spending cuts, triggering days of rigorous debate before a critical budget vote.
On February 24, the budget narrowly passed, supported only by three Liberal Democrat councillors and independent Andrew Tromans, who later joined the Liberal Democrats. Their backing came with conditions, including funding for a feasibility study on a parish council in Cradley, halting closures of two public toilets, and delaying cuts to the Welfare Rights Team.
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Labour group leader Cllr Pete Lowe condemned the deal, accusing the Liberal Democrats of “playing politics with people’s lives” and labeling the move an appalling misuse of democracy.
Throughout the year, the political landscape shifted considerably. Labour suffered significant setbacks, with Cllr Steve Edwards expelled for criticizing party leader Keir Starmer, and Cllr Pete Lowe resigning over welfare cut proposals from Westminster. Several Labour councillors joined Edwards and Lowe to form the Black Country Party, which now holds six seats.
Reform UK also gained influence as independent Cllr Shaun Keasey joined the party, later joined by Conservative defectors Cllrs James Clinton and Jason Thorne.
Summer protests intensified after the announcement of housing for asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants in local hotels. In September, demonstrators gathered outside Dudley Council House, where discussions were held with the borough leader. An unsettling incident unfolded when protestors gained unauthorized access to the council building, prompting the council to employ security guards.
Campaigners later packed the public gallery for an asylum debate sparked by a Reform UK-organized petition with 3,000 signatures led by campaigner Marco Longhi.
The council chamber also hosted heated debates about the Midlands Metro tram line extension to Dudley, originally scheduled for completion in 2022 but repeatedly delayed. The latest setback pushed passenger service start to early 2026, drawing sharp criticism from Conservative Cllr Ian Kettle, who described the project as “one debacle after another.”
As Dudley confronts these multifaceted challenges, 2025 proved to be a year of political realignment, public activism, and ongoing struggles to balance fiscal responsibility with community needs.