Birmingham residents make demand amid ‘outrageous’ update on council crisis inquiry Birmingham City Council's unprecedented financial crisis previously triggered calls for a public inquiry Demonstrators outside Birmingham Council House in 2024 (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) Birmingham residents have issued a demand as hopes for a public inquiry into the city council’s financial turmoil seemingly fade. Since the council effectively declared itself bankrupt in September 2023, there have been calls from opposition councillors for an inquiry to establish the mistakes which led to the disastrous situation. ‌ The impacts of the turmoil at the Labour-run council have been alarming and far-reaching, triggering a huge wave of cuts to services and hikes in council tax. ‌ READ MORE: Massive Birmingham bin strike update as 200 more waste workers told they face huge pay cuts External auditors recently highlighted several issues and missteps which contributed to this crisis including the equal pay debacle, inadequate budget setting, poor service management, demand led pressures and the disastrous implementation of a new IT system. Council leader John Cotton previously suggested in 2023 that a judge-led inquiry would also “ensure there is proper accountability” - but that appears to have been ruled out. Article continues below “Given how much information is now in the public domain, and the reports of the auditor, it is questionable whether the significant costs associated with a public inquiry would represent a good use of resources,” he said recently. Local government minister and Labour MP Jim McMahon told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) this month : “The issues Birmingham faced, whether it’s about the modernisation programme, equal pay or the IT system, are honestly all well-rehearsed. “It’s in all of our interest to look to the future now and rebuild that together.” ‌ Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, local government minister Jim McMahon and Birmingham council leader John Cotton in Birmingham on April 10 But several readers have been left angered by the lack of public inquiry, with one writing: “We the people are telling you what we want and need, and that is a public inquiry.” “This is outrageous - we are paying the cost of this council's issues,” a second reader argued. “As such, we have a right to be told the full details - how, when, who. ‌ “This veil of silence will only condemn both council and government.” “So the Labour government isn't interested in an investigation in to how our Labour council have mismanaged the city's finances and want to just brush it off and tell us to just move on,” another said. “Whilst we are the ones, the people of Birmingham, who bare the burden with increased council tax and other charges, whilst having major cut backs forced on us.” ‌ READ MORE: Frustration as major Birmingham Council road scheme hit by £7.5m rise in cost “We demand a public inquiry now,” one reader added. There has also been a furious response from Conservative councillors, with deputy leader of the opposition Ewan Mackey saying: “ Birmingham’s people are suffering, rats roam streets and services crumble, all while Labour duck accountability.” ‌ ‘Focus on bins strike dispute’ Also speaking to the LDRS this month, Coun Cotton said the current focus was on resolving the bins strike dispute. “But what I would say on accountability is we’ve already had several independent audit reports that clearly set out the history that led to issues around Oracle, equal pay and other governance challenges that this council has faced,” he said. “They’re the very things I’ve been working to address since I came in as leader”. ‌ He said that had involved tackling the bleak budget situation; getting a resolution to long-standing equal pay liabilities, changing the council’s culture and bringing in a new corporate leadership team. “We’ve obviously been doing that under some [government-appointed] commissioner oversight and that has also been a form of external challenge to the work we’ve been doing,” he said. A pile of bin bags in Kitchener Road, Selly Park in Birmingham on Thursday, April 24 - shortly before they were cleared by refuse workers (Image: Alexander Brock ) ‌ “So I think we’ve had quite a lot of investigation into what’s happened and diagnosis of how we reached where we are. “What I think the priority needs to be is how we deliver change because the people of Birmingham want to see a council that is financially sustainable and delivering decent services.” Mr McMahon added: “My job, and we’ve been in government now for nine months, is to work with the local council, to put it back on its feet and rebuild its foundations. Article continues below “In the end, what matters to people in Birmingham is that they get a good level of local public services being provided and the council is fit for the future.”