The West Midlands four scandals - all mayoral candidates and seven leaders must act:
After 46 yrs, there is still no justice for the 21 killed in the Brum pub bombings in 1974. And, this after W Mids Police within hours, got the first six Irishmen they could find and pinned the blame on them. There must be a public inquiry as Julie Hambleton is so insistent and the Home Secretary is prevaricating over - now, for five months.
After 40 years of efforts to destroy the UK’s last principal mainline railway for a “bus on rails” on roads and railways, tram extension, main works are now starting. So, on one side of Brum they destroy another mainline railway for a tramline, a test track and a proposed cycle-walkway and, on the other side, they build HS2. It is still much cheaper to pay the cancellation fees and finish the Derby, Dudley, Devon railway with the trains they have forgotten up to now. NOT DESTROY IT, AS THE COUNCIL LEADERS WANT!
Our Mayor and the seven leaders have allowed one of their own number to be suspended as Leader of Sandwell Council for mild criticism of the Israeli government in 2017/18. This is Cllr Yvonne Davies. Mayor candidate, Liam Byrne said there is no place for antisemitism and racism in the Labour Party and supported the suspension. I call on the Mayor and the council leaders to demand the immediate reinstatement of Cllr Davies as Leader - in a public statement.
Last decade, £62 m was given to Brum for only Brum cycling infrastructure. The similar size population in the four Black Country boroughs got nothing. This, even when the Black Country has the region’s longest, continuous, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway from Brierley Hill to NW Wolverhampton, via Wombourne. This is totally unacceptable. I call on Brum and the seven leaders to finally finish this major business and commuter route, for cyclists so we can use it - WITHOUT THE MUD.
Tim Weller 20 March 2021
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