I am writing this knowing it will be controversial with some of my colleagues, as well as it will be controversial with Express and Star bosses.
I must admit I read this article from the Birmingham Mail and thought “wouldn’t this be great if the Express and Star did something similar and positive with Wolverhampton City Council!” After all we have seen £140m stripped from Wolverhampton City budgets, 2,000 workers made redundant, and still yet more £millions to be ripped from City budgets over this year and next year by this Government.
I found myself thinking – Wouldn’t it be great that the Express and Star helped set a campaign that was as positive for the City and its inhabitants, just as the Birmingham Mail currently is. Here is what the Birmingham Mail told its readers today –
“The Birmingham Mail today joins MPs in a last-ditch appeal to save public services in the city – warning the Government: “Birmingham can’t cope”.
City MPs met Local Government Secretary Greg Clark at Westminster yesterday to tell him that looming £258 million cuts would devastate the authority.
They would seriously damage health, education and social care, and hit the most vulnerable members of society.
With just a matter of weeks to go before the cuts – which come on top of the £567 million already wiped from the council budget – are rubber-stamped, the Mail today joins with community leaders calling for the Government to reverse its plans.”