Brummies ready to take baton

THE English might not have showed up on the podiums, but their politicians have hit the ground running as the Gold Coast prepares to hand host city status to Birmingham on Sunday.

Mayor Tom Tate will meet West Midlands County Mayor Andy Street as part of the Trade 2018 Major Event Business Forum at Broadbeach.

Birmingham City Lord Mayor Anne Harding has also arrived in Queensland and will accept the Commonwealth Games flag at the closing ceremony handover on Sunday.

Mr Street said he had a particular interest in seeing how the Gold Coast used the Games as a trade and business forum, which has seen big business delegates from more than 50 countries connect at the purpose-built Commonwealth House.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate plans to urge his counterparts to follow the lead of the 2014 Games host and harness people power in 2022.

“I was in Glasgow and what I took away from that was ‘people made Glasgow’,” he said.

“With that, our volunteers and our people have made the Gold Coast Games.

“My advice to Andy would be to have a look at that.

“It’s the best. It’s not what you see, the infrastructure and all that, it’s what you feel and that’s what we’ve done.”