THE Tory leader of Birmingham City Council has been forced into an embarrassing climb-down after appearing to suggest that the National Exhibition Centre and other prized civic assets could be sold to wealthy Arab investors.

Mike Whitby said his remarks had been “misinterpreted” and insisted that although the council has to make spending cuts of £330 million it was not so hard up that it had to dispose of the International Convention Centre, Symphony Hall and its shareholding in Birmingham Airport. Confusion arose after Coun Whitby gave an interview to Reuters news agency.

He was said to be talking to the Abu Dhabi government as he tried to forge closer links with oil-rich Middle East investors, and was quoted as saying: “We would allow them to be in partnership with our assets.”

Publicity caused by his remarks, with headlines in national newspapers stating that Conservative-led Birmingham is so short of cash it is planning to sell its “cherished assets”, prompted the council leader to issue a statement claiming his comments had been misinterpreted.