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The West Midlands County Council (WMCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county
West Midlands (county)

The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in West Midlands England with a population of 2,591,300. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, a metropolitan county
Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
 in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
.

The WMCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on April 1, 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in the United Kingdom in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974....
 and was abolished on the 31 March 1986. It was abolished along with five other metropolitan county
Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
 councils and the Greater London Council
Greater London Council

The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area....
 by the government of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher Order of the Garter, Order of Merit, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Fellow of the Royal Society was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990....
 by the Local Government Act 1985
Local Government Act 1985

The Local Government Act 1985 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Its main effect was to abolish the county councils of the metropolitan county that had been set up in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, along with the Greater London Council that had been established in 1965....
.

The WMCC was a strategic authority running regional services such as transport, emergency services, and strategic planning.






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The West Midlands County Council (WMCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county
West Midlands (county)

The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in West Midlands England with a population of 2,591,300. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, a metropolitan county
Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
 in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
.

The WMCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on April 1, 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in the United Kingdom in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974....
 and was abolished on the 31 March 1986. It was abolished along with five other metropolitan county
Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
 councils and the Greater London Council
Greater London Council

The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area....
 by the government of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher Order of the Garter, Order of Merit, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Fellow of the Royal Society was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990....
 by the Local Government Act 1985
Local Government Act 1985

The Local Government Act 1985 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Its main effect was to abolish the county councils of the metropolitan county that had been set up in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, along with the Greater London Council that had been established in 1965....
.

The WMCC was a strategic authority running regional services such as transport, emergency services, and strategic planning. Elections were held to the council in 1973, 1977 and 1981. Elections were due to be held in 1985 but were cancelled due to the council's abolition.

The Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
 controlled the council from 1974-77, with the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
 controlling it 1977-81. It reverted to Labour control for the last term 1981-1986.

When it existed the council's headquarters (County Hall) were based at Lancaster Circus in central Birmingham
Birmingham

Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 ....
, in a building that is now occupied, but not as its headquarters, by Birmingham City Council.

Upon its abolition, most of the functions of the council such as planning were devolved to the metropolitan district councils of Birmingham
Birmingham

Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 ....
, Coventry
Coventry

Coventry is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. With a population of 303,475 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom....
, Dudley, Sandwell
Sandwell

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is made up of the towns of Oldbury, West Midlands, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury, Cradley Heath, Tividale and West Bromwich....
, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands , England. In 2004, the local government district had an estimated population of 239,100; the wider Urban Area had a population of List of English cities by population, which makes it the 13th most populous city in England....
. Some of its functions were taken over by joint-boards
Local government in the United Kingdom

The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved English parliament....
 and continued to be run on a county-wide basis, these included policing, fire and rescue and public transport.

Its assets were split between the West Midlands Residuary Body and the West Midlands boroughs councils.

Leaders of the WMCC

YearMemberParty
1974 to 1977 Stan Yapp Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
1977 to 1981 John Mark Taylor
John Mark Taylor

John Mark Taylor is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Solihull from 1983 to 2005, before losing his seat to Lorely Burt of the Liberal Democrats by a margin of 279 votes in the United Kingdom general election, 2005....
 		 Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
1981 to 1986 Gordon Morgan Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....


See also


  • West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
    West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

    The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for developing public transport services in the West Midlands in England....