http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/ Read our leader comment for Birmingham Post comment on national and local West Midlands news. en-gb Birmingham Post http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/09/04/city-is-eclipsed-by-rising-star-of-manchester-65233-21675229/ Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:48:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/09/04/city-is-eclipsed-by-rising-star-of-manchester-65233-21675229/ Any rational examination of the UK Competitiveness Index 2008 would suggest that Birmingham should certainly be concerned, although not desperately worried, by its relatively low ranking as an attractive business destination. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/09/02/city-s-jewel-must-retain-its-unique-lustre-65233-21657052/ Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:51:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/09/02/city-s-jewel-must-retain-its-unique-lustre-65233-21657052/ The possibility that about a dozen small traders may quit Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in protest at high rents could easily be dismissed as inconsequential. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/29/eco-town-may-go-through-despite-protests-65233-21634237/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:35:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/29/eco-town-may-go-through-despite-protests-65233-21634237/ After a slow start on the public relations front, developers behind a planned 6,000-home eco-town at Middle Quinton near Stratford-upon-Avon are beginning to see the necessity of being more open about the type of community they wish to build. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/28/past-can-give-us-a-platform-for-the-future-65233-21626061/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:01:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/28/past-can-give-us-a-platform-for-the-future-65233-21626061/ It is excellent news that Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has received a £300,000 award to create a new gallery devoted to the city’s history. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/22/end-of-school-era-as-diplomas-take-a-bow-65233-21587180/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:19:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/22/end-of-school-era-as-diplomas-take-a-bow-65233-21587180/ It comes as something of a breath of fresh air to see an absence of the annual debate over grade inflation with this year’s GCSE results. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/15/celebrate-the-diploma-differences-65233-21540791/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:22:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/15/celebrate-the-diploma-differences-65233-21540791/ In some ways the new diploma to be introduced in the new academic year is a return to the past. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/14/weird-and-wonderful-policies-65233-21532722/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:22:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/14/weird-and-wonderful-policies-65233-21532722/ It has come as no surprise that Conservatives have been falling over themselves to denounce a report calling for a major population shift from the North of England to London and the South. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/13/bank-has-to-wait-for-its-best-chance-65233-21525458/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:43:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/13/bank-has-to-wait-for-its-best-chance-65233-21525458/ Independence for the Bank of England was seen as a masterstroke when Labour first came to power. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/12/we-re-the-centre-of-attention-once-again-65233-21516915/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:35:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/12/we-re-the-centre-of-attention-once-again-65233-21516915/ The days when party conferences were solely for politicians and activists have come to an end. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/11/investment-in-city-welcome-in-current-climate-65233-21511017/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:12:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/11/investment-in-city-welcome-in-current-climate-65233-21511017/ As the property crisis mutates and deepens, policymakers should be thinking hard about how to help get people out of this mess. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/08/plans-to-boost-power-of-rdas-no-cause-for-joy-65233-21493092/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:14:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/08/plans-to-boost-power-of-rdas-no-cause-for-joy-65233-21493092/ The TaxPayers’ Alliance report into the performance of regional development agencies was always going to be a brutal condemnation of what is termed “wasteful bureaucratic excess by unaccountable quangos”. Given the TPA’s mission to act as self-appointed scrutineers of the finances, an investigation into RDAs would have been akin to hitting a barn door from five paces. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/01/behind-veneer-of-crime-and-punishment-65233-21449644/ Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:57:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/08/01/behind-veneer-of-crime-and-punishment-65233-21449644/ The Government says it is keen to promote enterprise, but helping criminals to profit from their activities is probably not what ministers had in mind when they promised to support British business. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/30/there-s-nothing-labour-can-do-about-its-crisis-65233-21434732/ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:48:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/30/there-s-nothing-labour-can-do-about-its-crisis-65233-21434732/ The what-to-do-about-Gordon problem will become much easier for Labour to solve once the party accepts there is almost certainly nothing it can do now to win the next General Election. No Government in history has recovered sufficiently from such disastrous opinion poll ratings, and by-election defeats on the scale of Crewe and Glasgow East, in time to win the confidence of voters at the polls – especially not when the economy is on the rocks. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/29/exactly-what-will-the-tories-do-about-poor-65233-21424364/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:27:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/29/exactly-what-will-the-tories-do-about-poor-65233-21424364/ It is always tempting for politicians to paint a bleaker picture of social decay than is really necessary in order to score points against their opponents. And it is a pity that shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Chris Grayling somewhat over-eggs his message today by suggesting that the gap between rich and poor in Birmingham is as bad now as it was in Victorian times. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/28/energy-chiefs-must-keep-their-house-in-order-65233-21418117/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:45:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/28/energy-chiefs-must-keep-their-house-in-order-65233-21418117/ The Commons Trade and Industry Committee has just about steered clear of accusing six major energy companies of operating a cartel in respect of gas and electricity prices, although the MPs are making it clear they regard the marketplace as far from fair. In a worrying report published today, the committee says it has uncovered evidence that the big players are “abusing their market position” in order to prevent smaller companies from gaining a toe-hold in Britain, while in Europe Governments have conspired to make sure energy prices are lower for consumers and industry. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/23/now-the-brick-s-unlikely-to-stop-at-green-belt-65233-21390092/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:16:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/23/now-the-brick-s-unlikely-to-stop-at-green-belt-65233-21390092/ If a week in politics is a long time then a year must be an eternity, but it is now almost 12 months since West Midlands council leaders reluctantly offered Whitehall a compromise by agreeing to plan for 362,000 new homes to be built across the region by 2026. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/22/a-divided-flock-65233-21382691/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:44:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/22/a-divided-flock-65233-21382691/ If taken at face value, the suggestion by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols that Catholics across the West Midlands should pray for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and for the success of the Lambeth conference must be seen as a positive intervention. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/22/we-need-india-to-be-a-partner-not-a-challenge-65233-21382645/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:33:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/22/we-need-india-to-be-a-partner-not-a-challenge-65233-21382645/ The prediction that India is expected to become the second largest economy in the world is not new, but it is worth considering. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/18/no-complacency-and-no-exaggeration-65233-21365734/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:37:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/18/no-complacency-and-no-exaggeration-65233-21365734/ Knife crime has been top of the agenda in recent days, for understandable reasons. http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/17/restore-our-faith-in-pensions-to-control-housing-65233-21358743/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:37:00 GMT http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/post-comment/2008/07/17/restore-our-faith-in-pensions-to-control-housing-65233-21358743/ The contradiction between Government housing policy and the reality on the ground has been clear for some time.