Last month, in the heart of Birmingham’s Grand Central station, a mechanical bull called Ozzy was unveiled to great fanfare, led by local politicians. With nostrils flared and red eyes shining, the bull had been transformed from a 2022 Commonwealth Games prop into a lasting, virulent symbol of this vital, diverse, brilliant city.
Among those lined up for the photo op were West Midlands mayor Andy Street and Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton, recently promoted to the top job after a Labour party coup. ‘Brand perception of Birmingham has moved forward dramatically since the Games,’ boomed Street, the Conservatives’ local poster boy.
The reality is that everywhere you look there is culpability, all of it manmade, all of it avoidable
Today, the city is finally facing up to the financial reality that was masked by the Games. Bold, Brilliant Birmingham is now Broke Birmingham.
Yesterday it was announced that Birmingham City Council, the biggest unitary authority in the country, was in such financial distress that it needs extraordinary financial support.
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