Home Authors Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Parents in limbo over strike

PARENTS across Birmingham are in limbo as crippling strike action and mass school closures threaten chaos for households and business. Read

Taxpayers pick up bill for middle managers

BIRMINGHAM council taxpayers are paying 823 staff more than £50,000 per year - the largest number of high-earning middle managers of any authority in the country. Read

Tenants' happier new year

COUNCIL house tenants in Birmingham will enjoy a rent-free Christmas and New Year after being granted a two-week payment holiday. Read

Binmen

£8,000 pay offer to Birmingham binmen

BIRMINGHAM binmen have been offered an £8,000 take it or leave it deal in bid to head off damaging strike action. Read

Graffiti at Yardley Park

Birmingham graffiti zones for artistic youngsters

DESIGNATED graffiti zones are to be set up in a bid to combat the menace of unrestricted spray painting on Birmingham's streets. Read

Vote for the best Birmingham boozer, bar none

BIRMINGHAM'S boozers are battling it out in a bid to win new industry 'Oscars' launched today. Read

Countdown for strikers

BIRMINGHAM today faces the spectre of black rubbish bags piling up in the streets and a city services shutdown as a strike vote by council workers is confirmed. Read

Justify the junkets!

BIRMINGHAM'S opposition leader today called for foreign trips by council staff at taxpayers' expense to be more closely monitored. Read

New Birmingham central library plans ae scaled back

BIRMINGHAM'S landmark new library is a rapidly shrinking building, according to a city council watchdog committee. Read

Party row over pay dispute

SIX years of Labour Party inaction over equal pay has cost the Birmingham council taxpayer £100 million, it was claimed today. Read

No fears over MG at council

NANJING gave a cast-iron guarantee to Birmingham's council leader that full-scale production at Longbridge would launch by the end of March, it emerged today. Read

Green light for taxi fares rise

BLACK cab drivers have been given the go ahead to increase fares for late night revellers. Read

Tory anger at strike pledge

CITY housing staff have been sent an e-mail slamming Labour Party support for strike action over pay and grading. Read

Gym fee rise 'deters kids'

TEENAGERS could be priced out of keeping fit after city councillors backed a raft of inflation-busting price rises at gyms, it was claimed today. Read

Final glitch on station 'cleared'

CITY leader Mike Whitby today claimed the final hurdle holding up the £550 million rebuilding of New Street Station has been cleared. Read

Pay storm rivals in cash plea to Brown

UNION bosses and city human resources chief Alan Rudge, now locked in a bitter row over council salaries, are to join forces in a desperate plea to No.10. Read

Takeaway wins fight with hotels

BUFFALO Bills has won a showdown with two of the hotel world's big guns over late night opening. Read

We'll back you if you strike

THOUSANDS of Birmingham council workers threatening strike action have been told by the city's Labour boss: "We will support you." Read

Takeaway hours plan under fire

TWO smart city centre hotels are battling plans by a late night takeaway to extend its opening hours following complaints about noisy binge drinking yobs from guests. The new Radisson Hotel and Holiday Inn claim they losing trade due to rowdy crowds gathering outside the Buffalo Bills takeaway on Smallbrook Queensway. Read

Second reader scoops £1,000

DANIEL Thompson is used to dealing with large sums of cash but not usually his own. Read

Author Profile

A local news reporter in the Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and south Staffordshire area since 1995, Neil Elkes is the local government correspondent covering the activities of Birmingham CIty Council - Europe's largest local authority. An avid reader and collector of comics Neil is writing a column on this for the Birmingham Mail website.

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