TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND POLITICAL ADVISORS

TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND POLITICAL ADVISORS: Max Caller CBE (Lead Commissioner)  John Coughlan CBE  Chris Tambini  Pam Parkes FCIPD  Myron Hrycyk  Jackie Belton  Lord John Hutton  John Biggs   REPLY EXPECTED

1. The failure of regional government to condemn the region's armaments industry, for nearly six months, fueling acts of genocide in Gaza by persistent selling of armaments to kill non-combatants and to deny humanitarian aid to wholly innocent civilians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.  This criminality is breaking international law.
2. The failure of regional government to condemn but, in fact, has gladly accepted £6.1 billion for mainly Metro and Sprint extensions to replace buses and trains with trams when Birmingham City Council, their major and largest member, is bankrupt and its low income population is suffering from bills they cannot pay.
3. The failure of regional government to tell the truth.  On the 25 July 2023, on Radio WM, their top officer, Mayor Andy Street told me that the Dudley Tram (aka WBHE) construction to Merry Hill/Brierley Hill is continuing "full steam ahead".  In fact, such was the financial crisis in the previous year, 2022, three major transport projects were put on hold.  One was the Dudley Tram that had to be re-programmed into four phases.  Work could only be finished as far as Flood Street in Dudley town centre that was named in 2022 as Phase One.  The other three phases were called 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) to take the tram to Cottage Street, yet still not connected to the national railway network at Stourbridge Jct, over four Kms away.  This has now gone on since 1981 when the Metro tram network of 200 Kms was launched.  All of which was to be completed by the year 2000, 24 years ago!  23 Kms is the tally, so far in 40 years of endeavour.  3 Kms, out 23 Kms, are on roads.  So 20 Kms on the first mainline railway!
4. Andy misled me and the Radio WM listeners into thinking that Dudley Tram Phase 2 had never been put on hold, let alone for  serious over-spending.  That makes it even worse!  Nearly two years on, WBHE has still not re-started to Merry Hill.  And a good thing, too.  Forget it, now.  Or, keep the tram on the railway to meet the trains at Stourbridge!
5. WMCA failure of competence.  Two mainline railways (HR) have been turned into light rail (LR) and very light rail (VLR), costing hundreds of millions of pounds and in weight of deadly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
6. WMCA failure of justice.  I've had free regional bus, train and tram travel by virtue of my old age for 16 years, but not for other age groups.  The billions, over forty years, wasted on rebuilding the tram network on the railway and bus networks could have gone into bribing car commuters on to public transport with Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT), to help free up rush hour road space for truly essential vehicles.
7. WMCA failure of priority selection.  A major report is being prepared on bus franchising for the 19 July WMCA Board meeting, when it is blindingly obvious that this will cost yet more public money to implement and, therefore, should be avoided at this time.  The money must go to the poor in our midst.  FFPT before franchising.