Media Watch - Sept 17
Top Birmingham City Council Stories
Council leader warns of future cuts timebomb (The Guardian, Independent, Birmingham Mail, BBC, FREE Radio) The leader of the UK’s biggest local authority has said it faces a “ticking timebomb” of financial cuts over the next four years that will result in the loss of thousands more jobs and leave it unable to fulfil many of its traditional roles.
Government system ‘fails to address conflicts of interest’ at academy schools (BBC, Guardian, Telegraph) The government was on Wednesday accused of failing to maintain proper oversight of its academy schools after a report highlighted flaws in the system for dealing with potential conflicts of interest, amid evidence of academy trusts paying their own trustees and executives large sums of public money for goods and services. In addition, the ability of the system to pick up on “intangible conflicts that do not involve money”, like those that emerged in the case of the Trojan horse schools in Birmingham, seemed “almost nonexistent”.
‘Neighbours from Hell’ star offers to help couple whose detached home turned into semi by giant extension (Mirror) A one-time ‘Neighbours from Hell’ star has come to the aid of help a couple whose home was blighted by a gigantic extension.
Eight-year-old excluded from Birmingham primary school after ‘knife threat’ (Birmingham Mail) An eight-year-old pupil has been excluded from a Birmingham primary school (Wheelers Lane Primary School) after allegedly threatening another classmate with a knife in the toilets.
Turn on your central heating now, Birmingham urges council tenants (24Dash) It might only be September but council tenants in Birmingham are being urged to switch on their central heating so that any problems can be dealt with swiftly.
Regional Headlines
Son detained for killing mother, 86
A mentally-ill man who struggled to care for his elderly mother at their Walsall home is given a hospital order after admitting killing her.
Six regions hit new house price peak, says ONS
Six regions of the UK (including the West Midlands) now have average house prices higher than their pre-financial crisis peak after values rose again in July, figures show.
National Headlines
Referendum campaigns make final push
Both sides in the Scottish referendum campaign make their final pitches to voters as the latest polls suggest the result remains too close to call.
Ebola vaccine trial begins
A trial of an experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus is to begin in Oxford.
