James McKay
Councillor James McKay has represented Harborne ward on Birmingham City Council since May 2011, joined the Council’s Cabinet in May 2012, and serves as a Cabinet Member for a Green, Safe and Smart City.
James first came to Birmingham in 1997, to study at the University of Birmingham. Graduating with First Class Honours in 2000, he subsequently undertook Masters and Doctoral research at the same institution, and was awarded his PhD in Modern History in 2006.
Between 2005 and 2011, James worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, on a series of projects examining the political and social role of pressure groups in Britain since 1945. His co-authored monograph, The Politics of Expertise: How NGOs Changed Modern Britain, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2012.
As a result of his Cabinet position, James represents the City Council on a number of bodies, including: Broad Street Business Improvement District (BID), West Midlands Road Safety Partnership Board, Birmingham Science Park Aston, Birmingham Water Group, the Birmingham Smart City Commission (Chair), and the Birmingham Green Commission (Chair). He is also Chair of Harborne Ward Committee.
