"£171.1 million eye watering substantial financial breach"

Thanks, Chris.  I certainly don't understand high finance.  Way over my head!

However, I was there in person and stayed for the whole meeting and beyond, lobbying to get Cllr Mike Bird, Leader of Walsall and others to scrap Metro extensions immediately.  I was also giving out our 9 Action Points when I could.  Dan Essex has now sent out the smarter copy of Bob's via Royal Mail and internal delivery to members on the WMCA Board and Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  More to go but I've run out of Bob's copies!

Did I mishear this?:  "£171.1 million eye watering substantial financial breach"!  Who said that?

Ian Ward spoke of "a risk" but did not explain what that risk was.  Do you know, Chris?

From my rushed notes, I have:  Ian also spoke of £17.8 m immediate scheme funding re-allocated.  The E&S has £17.43 m though.  Will have to re-read, more carefully the Capital Pressures report later in the weekend.  I want to listen to the recording, too, to check what I thought I heard!

Discrepancy or dishonesty or my mishearing?

Have I got this right, please?

Yesterday 20 July 2022, Cllr Mike Bird, the Walsall Council leader, told me that they are short of £300 m but, would want the Metro coming to his Walsall, if given half the chance.

"No I said there is no benefit for Walsall from Metro now or in the near future"

Councillor Mike Bird

Leader of the Council

I'm very pleased to read that but it does mean you need to actively stop the Jan 2020 expansion plan, from Andy, of £15 billion to 2040 for 8 lines over 150 miles and 380 tram stops.

And it also, Mike raises the question as to why, throughout your long time of living in the West Midlands, why you have been so ineffective in stopping Metro taking over two mainline railways, many roads destroying our railway lines and homes, shops and offices being built on them too, including railway stations.  And, it has all cost many hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money being misspent and wasted.  It amounts to financial abuse and transport incompetence.

Or, have you only recently had a change of heart?