BIRMINGHAM City Council leader Mike Whitby has been handed a gold-plated guarantee of remaining in office until 2014.

His job is safe for four years under a government move to scrap the council’s annual leadership election.

The change means that Coun Whitby will enjoy the same benefits as elected mayors, who also serve for four years at a time.

Unlike mayors, however, the Birmingham council leader will not have to be chosen by the city’s 750,000 electors.

When the change comes into force next May, Coun Whitby could only be sacked for committing criminal activities, or if he ceased to be a councillor.

Elected mayors enjoy similar privileges.

But the idea could prove acutely embarrassing for Coun Whitby (Con, Harborne), who has campaigned against Birmingham being run by an elected mayor on the grounds that it is impossible to remove the successful candidate for four years.

At the moment, Coun Whitby is re-elected Conservative group leader each year and then, at the annual council meeting, submits himself to all 120 councillors for election as council leader.

The council is to adopt a clause in the Local Government Act and abandon the annual council leadership election by 2010.