Lord Mayor of Birmingham - Councillor Anita Ward

Lord Mayor of Birmingham

Councillor Anita Ward

Born in Birmingham, Councillor Anita Ward is the only daughter of Pamela and Phil Ward. She has three brothers.

Anita attended Yenton School, Erdington and Castle Vale Comprehensive, later returning to Sutton Coldfield College to study Sociology and English Literature. She also undertook courses at Birmingham Polytechnic, in her twin areas of interest, Housing and Politics. The latter is still a working process which Anita hopes to complete once her year as Lord Mayor is over.

On leaving school Anita worked at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel for four years before moving to Essex to start her family. Unfortunately, her eldest child, Karena, was born in 1981 extremely prematurely, as was her second child, Vincent. This has lead to a life-long interest and commitment to the welfare of premature babies.

Upon returning to Birmingham Anita went to work for the Organisation for Sickle Cell Anaemia (OSCAR).

Her commitment to social welfare causes led Anita to join the Labour Group in 1984 and ultimately to begin her political career when she started working for Erdington’s former MP, now Lord Corbett of Castle Vale in 1986. This was a job she thoroughly enjoyed. Anita has worked for the two subsequent MP’s, giving up the job this year to become Birmingham’s Lord Mayor.

Anita has been supported in pursuing her varied political career which has included such posts as Labour Group Chief Whip, Labour Group Secretary and Shadow Cabinet Member; by her husband, Mick, who took on much of the care and upbringing of Karena and Vincent.

Having raised two children, Anita and Mick, are now the proud grandparents of Ryan, Jamie and Jessica and love nothing more than spending time with them and supporting Aston Villa.

Although married, Anita has retained her maiden name for political purposes.

Term of Office

Each Lord Mayor completes a one year term of office and then another year as Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham. The new Lord Mayor is installed each May at the Annual General Meeting of the Council (also known as Mayormaking).