Democracy comes last with a system that’s gone to the dogs
answers but fears that, like the family of Stephen Lawrence and the families of the Birmingham pub bombing victims and Hillsborough 96, he could be waiting a very long time for an inquiry and justice.
But this fifth anniversary gives the authorities a chance to look again at the case and perhaps take a step towards giving the three families the closure they deserve. They should take that opportunity.
THE poor independent members of the fledgling Sutton Coldfield Town Council had high hopes of rising above the party political fray.
But after succumbing to a considerable Conservative majority in the first round of elections their number has been further weakened by a defection.
It is fairly common to see politicians resign from their party and to independent. But much rarer to go the other way.
So it was quite a coup for the Sutton Coldfield Conservatives to recruit independent Louise Passey to their group. And in her press release she explained she wants to achieve stuff and see positive action. She says independents suffer from “a clear lack of focus, structure, cohesiveness, strategy, leadership and lack of genuine independence”.
I guess that is why we have political parties.
AS the Greater Birmingham authorities consider the powers and scope of our soon-to-be-elected metro mayor, Labour Police Commissioner David Jamieson has weighed in with his strongest view yet. The ‘weak’ and ‘smothered’ mayor being proposed will be held back in their attempts to deliver the step change in regional economic fortunes that are being demanded, he argues.
Mr Jamieson is a former minister and is not in the running for the Labour nomination and so his view should be taken very seriously.
There will be an outcry if a mayor directly elected by the majority of voters find themselves hemmed in by or outvoted by council leaders and chief executives pushing their own bureaucratic and parochial interests.
The West Midlands Combined Authority is currently consulting over the role of the metro mayor and needs to be told that this figure should be given the power to deliver the jobs and growth.
The success of devolution and future of the region depends on it.