Why Birmingham must turn a bleak month into a bright future

It has been a dreadful month for local politics in Birmingham.

First, an internal report by the Labour Party cited allegations of misogyny, toxic division and infighting at the heart of Birmingham Labour and made clear that change was desperately needed at the council.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) ordered senior leaders to re-apply for their own jobs via an NEC and regional panel. It also proposed appointed regional executive committee members from outside the region to interview and appoint the leader, deputy leader and group officers of the council.

The upshot was that the party’s NEC panel ultimately decided the next leader, without giving local councillors a say (undemocratic I know). Whilst Ian Ward, who had held the role since 2017, stood his ground with backing from some local MPs, he was swiftly ousted and replaced by Cllr John Cotton.

Pressure was mounting and just like London buses, two further issues immediately hit the city council.?

Reports were soon circulating that Oracle, a flagship IT system brought in to streamline Birmingham City Council’s (BCC) payments and HR systems, could now end up costing up to ￡100 million – five times its original budget.?Whilst leader John Cotton said no money would be cut from other services to pay for it and that officers must be held accountable for the cost (one wonders how?), the damage to the council’s public image was done.

In the midst of this chaos, a regulatory notice published by the Regulator of Social Housing watchdog revealed that 23,000 of the 60,000 properties owned by BCC breached consumer standards and failed to meet basic decency standards, leaving tenants at risk of serious harm.?Jonathan Walters, deputy chief executive at the Regulator of Social Housing, described the situation the most widescale breach of its kind he’d ever seen and Housing minister Michael Gove accused the city council of "inexcusably letting down its tenants."?

Reasons to be positive

Needless to say Cllr Cotton and his deputy, Cllr Sharon Thompson have got a seismic job on their hands to gain back public trust in local politics. However a number of recent developments across the city might just be the key to recovery.

The City council launched its ‘Our Future City: Central Birmingham 2040 Framework’ strategy at the UKREiiF property show in Leeds last month. The document, the result of two years public consultation, is aimed at making the city greener, improving public transport and attracting more investment. Whilst potentially groundbreaking on paper, the delivery of such masterplan will be no mean feat.

The West Midlands has now been handed new powers over housing, transport, employment and regeneration as part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget in a deal estimated to be worth more than ￡1.5bn. A positive sign from central government placing trust in a devolved institution - the region must now act as the forerunner for growth outside of the capital.

Recent findings from the West Midlands Growth Company and independent tourism research body Global Tourism Solutions have revealed that the West Midlands is leading the UK’s post-COVID recovery with record visitor numbers in 2022.?New figures have confirmed a 38% increase on tourist numbers in 2021, and a 5% rise compared to 2019 data, placing the region’s recovery 12 months ahead of schedule.

Cynics will argue that the Commonwealth Games was the sole reason for this growth and whilst there may be some hint of truth, the West Midlands showed that it can host global events and the region must apply for future event opportunities to reap both the societal and economic benefits that come as a result of playing host.

Time under the world’s spotlight has already paid off as the city’s Alexander Stadium will host the European Athletics Championships in 2026, with European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov referencing the full stands throughout Birmingham 2022 as a factor for their decision.

The city is increasingly becoming a hotspot for ￡1bn-plus investments. Last week construction began on the latest commercial building at the ￡1.2bn Paradise Birmingham development (Three Chamberlain Square) forming a key part of the overall Paradise masterplan and we should mention the ￡1.9bn Smithfield regeneration scheme a once in a generation opportunity to reshape Birmingham’s city centre which will go to the Planning Committee later this year.

Being a commuter myself it is positive to see the city council begin consulting on plans to enhance public spaces and connectivity in the city centre, notably the Snow Hill Public Realm?programme, with the Snow Hill and Moor Street stations long overdue a makeover.

What next

There will undoubtedly be opposition but the city needs to turn green and remodelling Queensway into a series of miniparks would be an appropriate start.

Whilst creating a more welcoming environment around Chinatown and the Gay Village needs to be part of any plans moving forward.

Amidst this month of turmoil at BCC, there does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel and things to be upbeat about.