Blue Plaque: Theresa Stewart

Theresa Stewart was a pioneering Labour Party politician, best known for being the first, and as of July 2025 only, female leader of Birmingham City Council. 

Breaking barriers
Born in Leeds in 1930, Theresa Stewart moved to Birmingham in 1966, where she would go on to leave an indelible mark on the city’s political landscape.  Stewart’s career in local government began when she was elected as a councillor for the Billesley ward in 1970, a seat she held for 32 years until her retirement in 2002. From the outset, she was a fierce advocate for social justice, famously stating that her role as a Labour Councillor was “doing for poor people what lawyers did for rich people.” She chaired the Social Services committee in the 1970s and 1980s, demonstrating her commitment to welfare and public services.

People before projects
In October 1993, when she was elected the first female leader of Birmingham City Council, Theresa Stewart shifted the council’s focus away from major infrastructure projects and towards social services, education, and early years provision. In 1998, under her leadership, Birmingham was recognised as Britain’s best local authority. She also had the distinction of hosting the G8 summit in Birmingham in 1998, welcoming world leaders including Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, and Boris Yeltsin. 

Champion for equality
Beyond her role as council leader, Stewart was a passionate campaigner for women’s rights, playing a key role in founding the Birmingham Pregnancy Advisory Service (now BPAS) and campaigning for family allowance payments to be paid directly to mothers. She was also an early supporter of gay rights in the city. After stepping down as council leader, she served as Lord Mayor of Birmingham from May 2000 to May 2001, becoming only the sixth woman to hold that esteemed position.

Theresa Stewart passed away in Birmingham on 11 November 2020, at the age of 90, after a long illness. She remained politically active into her late eighties, continuing to campaign for the Labour Party and caring for Birmingham’s people.