Birmingham was meant to be a model of levelling up. But behind the Commonwealth glow, chaos was brewing. With bins overflowing and financial failings laid bare, Richard Gullick investigates what went wrong—and what it reveals about the system itself.
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00:00The city that once claimed a comeback is now facing crisis.
00:06The bin strike isn't just about waste.
00:08It's the fallout of years of poor decisions and broken systems.
00:12Behind the headlines, there's a deeper story of how we got here
00:16and what it means for the city's future.
00:18To understand the broader impact, I spoke to Lyle Binion,
00:22a key figure in Birmingham's cultural economy.
00:25Birmingham as a city has always faced challenges over its history
00:30and the current situation is no more challenging than the recession post-Rover collapse
00:38or changes in the city's political administration.
00:42We've got to look at the bigger picture here
00:45and Birmingham still is a city on the rise with lots of promise,
00:49a hugely exciting and younger demographic
00:52and lots of investment flowing into not just the city but the region.
00:57This isn't just Birmingham's mess, it's a warning to the nation.
01:01Across the country, people are watching Birmingham's decline
01:05and asking if they'll be next.
01:07Investment buzz regeneration schemes, many have heard the hype,
01:11now they're seeing the reality.
01:13So what do people outside of the city really think about what's happening here?
01:18I can understand why they're striking to be quite fair pay and things like that.
01:22I don't think, I think something, I don't know whether it's unions
01:26or whatever it is should get that together
01:28because that rat situation in Birmingham is just disgusting.
01:32Well I think it's fair for business, for bin workers to strike if they really have to.
01:39But do you have to set that against the backdrop of the cuts in money
01:44from central government to local government?
01:47Obviously people want their home to be kind of clean and tidy and hygienic as well.
01:54So it's obviously got to be a tricky position.
01:58This mess didn't appear overnight.
02:00Huge payouts were ignored.
02:02Projects ran over budget and oversight fell apart.
02:05A billion pound hole, a failed IT system and now the bins aren't being emptied.
02:10People were promised to progress.
02:12What they got was this.
02:14So what does that say about where we go from here?
02:18Look, we can't sugarcoat it.
02:20The current situation, particularly regarding the city council's finances,
02:26has had a serious impact on the ambition and the development of prospective cultural businesses,
02:34whether they're established or emerging.
02:36I do think though that there is a definite passion and a hunger and a desire to drive this city forward.
02:43And we'll always have a creative community here doing great things with the city,
02:48a powerful and attractive visitor economy.
02:51So I'm pretty confident that once we've weathered the current challenges,
02:55we'll move to a better situation.
02:57Birmingham was sold as a success story.
03:01Now the shine's worn off and the cracks are showing.
03:04This isn't just about bin bags.
03:06It's about trust and truth.
03:08What we're told, what we sold and what we're left with.
03:11And whether this kind of failure is the exception or the new normal.
03:16I think over the past couple of years, we've seen a discrepancy between what is promised to us through political rhetoric
03:24and the actual delivery on the ground.
03:26And Birmingham, with all of its challenges being one of the largest local authorities in Europe,
03:30certainly is a microcosm or indicative of that difference in what politicians say and what politicians deliver.
03:40So I certainly think that with all of its promise, with its rich history, with its rich culture and many communities,
03:48that if Birmingham can survive and thrive in such challenging climates,
03:56then certainly there's hope for cities across the UK.
04:00But certainly, given the recent political shifts in the UK, I would expect to see more hope and change on the horizon.
04:09Birmingham's bin strike isn't just a mess on the streets, it's a reckoning for a city when sold as the future.
04:16Whether it marks a turning point or just another chapter in decline depends on what comes next.
04:22One thing's for certain, the world is watching again.