Editing Coventry (section)

== Government and politics ==
===Local and national government===
[[File:The Council House, Coventry.jpg|thumb|right|[[Council House, Coventry|The Council House, Coventry]]]]
[[File:Coventry Council House coat of arms over entrance.jpg|thumb|Coat of Arms of Coventry above the Council House.]]

Traditionally a part of [[Warwickshire]] (although it was [[County of the City of Coventry|a county in its own right]] for 400 years), Coventry became an independent [[county borough]] in 1889. It later became a [[metropolitan district]] of the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands county]] under the [[Local Government Act 1974 (United Kingdom)|Local Government Act 1974]] (c. 7), even though it was entirely separate to the Birmingham conurbation area (this is why Coventry appears to unnaturally "jut out" into Warwickshire on political maps of the UK). In 1986, the [[West Midlands County Council]] was abolished and Coventry became administered as an effective [[unitary authority]] in its own right.

Coventry is administered by [[Coventry City Council]], controlled since 2010 by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], and led since May 2016 by George Duggins.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-council-leader-ann-11297241|title=Coventry City Council leader Ann Lucas ousted in Labour Party coup|date=6 May 2016|work=Coventry Telegraph|access-date=10 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509013848/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-council-leader-ann-11297241|archive-date=9 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The city is divided up into 18 [[ward (politics)|Wards]] each with three [[councillor]]s. The chairman of the [[Coventry City Council|council]] is the [[Lord Mayor of Coventry|Lord Mayor]], who has a casting vote.

Certain local services are provided by West Midlands wide agencies including the [[West Midlands Police]], the [[West Midlands Fire Service]] and [[Transport for West Midlands]] (Centro) which is responsible for [[public transport]].

In 2006, Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance Service was merged with the [[West Midlands Ambulance Service]]. The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire [[Air Ambulance]] service is based at [[Coventry Airport]] in Baginton.

Coventry is represented in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] by three [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs). They are:
* [[Mary Creagh]] – ([[Coventry East (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry East]])
* [[Zarah Sultana]] – ([[Coventry South (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry South]])
* [[Taiwo Owatemi]] – ([[Coventry North West (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry North West]])

Up until 1997, Coventry was represented by four Members of Parliament, whereupon the Coventry South West and Coventry South East constituencies were merged to form Coventry South.

On Tuesday, 10 September 2024, Zarah Sultana, the Member of Parliament for Coventry South, was suspended from the Labour Party for voting in favour of a [[Scottish National Party]] amendment to end the [[Benefit cap|two child benefit cap]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-11 |title=Coventry MP warns winter fuel cuts could have fatal consequences |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y51zzpd6po |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Lindsley Harvard was inaugurated Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17 as Coventry's 65th Lord Mayor. Councillor Lindsley Harvard has been a Labour Councillor serving on the council for fourteen years, for Earlsdon Ward (1996–2000) and for Longford Ward since 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/130/lord_mayor/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry|title=Lord Mayor of Coventry|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120121154/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/130/lord_mayor/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry|archive-date=20 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Tony Skipper was inaugurated as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17. He has been a Labour councillor since 1995; representing Earlsdon Ward between 1995 and 2001, and then Radford Ward since 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/1001/lord_mayor-general_information/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry/2|title=Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419201256/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/1001/lord_mayor-general_information/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry/2|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Bishop of Coventry]] is [[Christopher Cocksworth|Christopher John Cocksworth]], who was consecrated on 3 July 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/Bishop_of_Coventry|title=Diocese of Coventry – The Bishop of Coventry|website=www.dioceseofcoventry.org|access-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426154955/http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/Bishop_of_Coventry|archive-date=26 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Council affiliation===
In May 2016, it was as follows<ref>[http://www.coventry.gov.uk/councillors Councillors – Coventry City Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514183341/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/councillors |date=14 May 2011 }}. Coventry.gov.uk (1 November 2016). Retrieved on 17 November 2016.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |[[File:Coventry Council Composition.svg|center]]
|-
! colspan="2" |Party
! Councillors
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
| 39
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 14
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Independent}}" |
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!54
|}

===Twinning with other cities; "city of peace and reconciliation"===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}

Coventry and [[Stalingrad]] (now [[Volgograd]]) were the world's first [[Sister city|'twin' cities]] when they established a twinning relationship during the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|date=4 March 2016|title=A tale of twin cities: how Coventry and Stalingrad invented the concept|url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/04/twin-cities-coventry-stalingrad-war|access-date=20 May 2021|website=The Guardian|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520074618/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/04/twin-cities-coventry-stalingrad-war|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Danks|first=Catherine|title=I love Volgograd: the enduring wartime relationship with one British city|url=http://theconversation.com/i-love-volgograd-the-enduring-wartime-relationship-with-one-british-city-98509|access-date=20 May 2021|website=The Conversation|date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520105044/https://theconversation.com/i-love-volgograd-the-enduring-wartime-relationship-with-one-british-city-98509|url-status=live}}</ref> The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet [[Red Army]] during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]].<ref name="coventry.gov.uk2">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory_record/6224/volgograd_russia|title=Twin towns and cities:Volgograd, Russia|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=21 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008221749/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory_record/6224/volgograd_russia|archive-date=8 October 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The city was also subsequently twinned with [[Dresden]], as a gesture of peace and reconciliation following the Second World War. Each twin city country is represented in a specific ward of the city and in each ward has a peace garden dedicated to that twin city. Coventry is now twinned with 26 places across the world:<ref name="Coventry twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/what-point-coventrys-twin-towns-3038605 |title=Coventry's twin towns |access-date=6 August 2013 |last=Griffin |first=Mary |date=2 August 2011 |work=Coventry Telegraph |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806032050/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/what-point-coventrys-twin-towns-3038605 |archive-date=6 August 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Coventry twins">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/25/twin_towns_and_cities|title=Coventry – Twin towns and cities|access-date = 6 August 2013|work = Coventry City Council.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412062545/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/25/twin_towns_and_cities|archive-date=12 April 2013 }}</ref> On 22 March 2022, Coventry City Council voted unanimously to suspend the twinning arrangement with [[Volgograd]] in light of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="suspension-of-twinning-bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-60841684|title=Coventry suspends 80-year twinning link with Volgograd over Ukraine invasion|date=22 March 2022|work=BBC News|access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! City !! Country !! Year twinned !! Ward
|-
|-
| [[Graz]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Graz">{{cite web|url=http://www.graz.at/cms/beitrag/10045157/606819/ |title=Twin Towns – Graz Online – English Version |publisher=www.graz.at |access-date=5 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108153010/http://www.graz.at/cms/beitrag/10045157/606819/ |archive-date=8 November 2009 }}</ref> || {{flag|Austria}} || 1957 || Binley & Willenhall
|-
| [[Sarajevo]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} || 1957 || Cheylesmore
|-
| [[Cornwall, Ontario]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=3| {{flag|Canada}} || 1972 || rowspan=3| Earlsdon
|-
| [[Granby, Quebec]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1963
|-
| [[Windsor, Ontario]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1963
|-
| [[Jinan]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|China}} || 1983 || Foleshill
|-
| [[Lidice]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || 1947 || rowspan=2| Henley
|-
| [[Ostrava]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1959
|-
| [[Caen]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |title=British towns twinned with French towns |access-date=11 July 2013 |work=Archant Community Media Ltd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |archive-date=5 July 2013 }}</ref> || rowspan=2| {{flag|France}} || 1957 || rowspan=2| Longford
|-
| [[Saint-Étienne]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Archant twinning"/> || 1955
|-
| [[Dresden]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| {{flag|Germany}} || 1959 || rowspan=2| Lower Stoke
|-
| [[Kiel]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1947
|-
| [[Dunaújváros]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| {{flag|Hungary}} || 1962 || rowspan=2| Radford
|-
| [[Kecskemét]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1962
|-
| [[Bologna]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Italy}} || 1960 || Sherbourne
|-
|[[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Jamaica}} || 1962 || St Michael's
|-
|[[Arnhem]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Netherlands}} || 1958 || Upper Stoke
|-
|[[Warsaw]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Poland}} || 1957 || Wainbody
|-
|[[Cork (city)|Cork]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Cork twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.corkcity.ie/services/corporateaffairs/internationalrelations/|title= Cork – International Relations|access-date=28 August 2013|last=Mulcahy|first=Noreen|work=Cork City Council|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121101053320/http://www.corkcity.ie/services/corporateaffairs/internationalrelations/| archive-date=1 November 2012}}</ref> || {{flag|Ireland}} || 1958 || Holbrooks
|-
|[[Galați]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Romania}} || 1962 || Westwood
|-
|[[Volgograd]]/Stalingrad<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> (suspended)<ref name="suspension-of-twinning-bbc"/> || {{flag|Russia}} || 1944 || Whoberley
|-
| [[Belgrade]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || {{flag|Serbia}} || 1957 || Woodlands
|-
| [[Coventry, Connecticut]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=3| {{flag|United States}} || 1962 || rowspan=3| Wyken
|-
| [[Coventry, New York]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1972
|-
| [[Coventry, Rhode Island]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1971
|}