Birmingham Royal Ballet announces 2024-25 Season

Jessica Harris attended the launch of BRB’s new season.

Inspirational Conservatoire now in print

First illustrated history of one of Britain’s finest performing arts schools.

West Midlands Mayor hopeful establishes West Midlands Fiscal Commission

Aim to boost central government help for devolved region.

Mayoral candidate pledges expansion in homebuilding

Labour’s West Midlands Mayor candidate pledges to build 3,000 new affordable homes per year.

Votey McVotefarce

Why vote? They’ll just ignore you says Steve Beauchampé.

Decline of the invisible city

Part 2: A Surfeit of Leadership.

Not at all like local democracy

Allowing local authorities to retain business rates only rights one of many wrongs imposed on them by central government writes Steve Beauchampé

Assembly point

What do we want? A Greater Birmingham Regional Assembly! When do we want it? Now! So says Steve Beauchampé.

Birmingham said no!

Exactly what part of the word ‘No’ doesn’t George Osborne understand, asks Steve Beauchampé.

It Was the Press Wot Wun It

Dave Woodhall on the mayoral verdict and the headline we’ve been dying to use since we started.

Birmingham mayor: The Candidates

If Birmingham votes YES – the bottom option on the ballot paper

Birmingham mayor: Too Much Like Hit and Hope

Salma Yaqoob’s heroic idealism seems more like an act of desperation

The third question for the mayoral referendum

Birmingham Green Party coordinator Phil Simpson explains the question missing from Thursday’s referendum.

Birmingham mayor: Yes, but No

So yes to a mayor, but no to this mayor.

Learning more about elected mayor issues and an alternative at ORT café in Balsall Heath

The Birmingham Press’s Mayoral debate at the Ort Café last Thursday was a thought-provoking event.

Mayors – New Labour/Con Trick

Elected Mayors – a New Labour/Cameron fix, with precious little support from Birmingham councillors, reckons Steve Beauchampé

Birmingham mayor: No To A Mayor, No To The Status Quo

Voting ‘yes’ to an elected mayor on May 3rd isn’t the only way to bring about change.

Birmingham mayor: Alan Clawley on rhetoric

Alan Clawley reports back from the mayoral debate at Ort Cafe last night

Birmingham mayor: …And Further Down the Slippery Slope?

Birmingham currently has 120 directly elected councillors. But for how long, asks Steve Beauchampé.

A mayor for Birmingham? Read our fact sheet

Localise West Midlands and The Birmingham Press have collaborated on a fact sheet

Are the cameras here yet?

Steve Beauchampé explores the ‘interests’ involved with the mayoral referendum.

Brummie author WH Fordham on the mayoral referendum

“Unless we get a lot more answers and assurances I’ll be voting No on May 3rd.”

Mayoral referenda: More doubts about validity

Channel 4 political correspondent Michael Crick, raises further doubts as to the wording (or lack of) on the ballot paper

Mayoral Referendum; The Birmingham Press debate

Debra Davis announced as speaker at Mayoral Referendum debate

Mayoral Referenda – The View From Other Cities

Ken Livingston: “It concentrates too much power in one person’s hands”

God: ‘I Will Run for Brum Mayor’

The Birmingham mayoral election battle has been rocked to its very foundations with exclusive news that Our Lord- aka The Eternal One- will run for the city’s top job, writes Howard Elston (OBE).

Mayors: Referendum question contains crucial inaccuracies

Wording on ballot paper flawed.

Mayoral referendum: Observations from Sunday’s Mayoral Debate

Dave Woodhall reports back on yesterday’s Mayoral ‘debate’.

So much for the Mayoral Mandate

An argument regularly used to support the call for directly elected mayors is that whoever wins will thus have a mandate from the public to carry out their programme or manifesto….. the reality is not so straightforward.

Mayors: Blind Faith

Dave Woodhall continues the mayoral debate