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
Mayors: An invitation to hear the pros and cons
The Birmingham Press invites you to a public debate on the city’s forthcoming mayoral referendum, due to be held on May 3rd.