Birmingham Post

Can Brum Legal Bid Halt May Election

The deputy leader of Birmingham City Council has started a legal process that could force Tony Blair to postpone the General Election until adequate safeguards are in place to prevent postal vote fraud. John Hemming wants the High Court to allow a judicial review into the Prime Minister's decision to go to the country on May 5.

Blair in Pledge to Mg Rover Workers

Tony Blair yesterday pledged to do "whatever we can" to save embattled MG Rover. He was speaking as thousands of Longbridge workers continued to wait for a possible breakthrough on crucial talks aimed at securing the company's future.

Prisoner Fails in High Court Razor Challenge

A suicidal prisoner has failed in a High Court bid for the right to be given razors so that he can cut and mutilate himself to relieve the stresses which could ultimately cause him to kill himself. A judge ruled that the "grotesque" suggestion that lifer Jeffrey Watkins should be provided with the means to self-harm "flies in the face of what we regard as civilised standards". Watkins is on suicide watch at Rye Hill prison at Onley, near Rugby, Warwicks, where he is serving his life sentence....

Still Packing Them in 20 Years On

The pastel suits and lacquered flicks might be a thing of the past - but 1980s pop band Go West can still pack a concert hall in Birmingham. So loyal is their Brummie fan base that the pair - singer Peter Cox and guitarist Richard Drummie - have decided to mark their 20th anniversary with a date at Symphony Hall.

Internet Festival Tickets Warning

Glastonbury Festival organisers have warned music lovers to steer clear of highly-priced tickets being offered on the internet. The 112,000 pounds 125 tickets for the music extravaganza were snapped up in less than three hours on Sunday morning by eager fans on the internet and by phone.

Strikes Won't Take Us Off Air - Tv Bosses

A strike by broadcasting unions will not 'blackout' popular live programmes such as Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway or disrupt filming schedules for soaps such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale, TV bosses said last night. The strike by Amicus and Bectu union members at ITV's main production centres is the result of a dispute over pay and follows members' rejection of a 3.3 per cent pay offer in a ballot.

Ozzy and Sharon's Daughter Aimee in Breast-Cancer Scare

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Aimee has been treated for a breast cancer scare,. Sharon and Aimee pulled out of West End show The Vagina Monologues last Friday saying only that Aimee was suffering from an undisclosed illness.

Bid Plans to Light Up Broad Street

Plans to put more of a sparkle into Birmingham's 'golden mile' are to be considered next week as part of moves to breathe new life into the city's entertainment zone. Businesses and traders on Broad Street will be meeting next Wednesday to consider ambitious plans to light up the bar and nightclub district.

Ray Takes to the Wing for Hospice

Like most people, Ray Cumming admits he gets a little bit nervous when he looks over the edge of a cliff and naturally looks for something to grab onto. So the thought of hurtling through the air strapped to the top of a stunt plane with a 440 brake horse power engine beneath you sounds like more than enough to give anyone vertigo.

Nec Puts Casino Plans in Spotlight

The National Exhibition Centre is reconsidering ambitious plans to site one of the Government's super casinos at the complex following a change in the proposed gambling legislation. A spokesman for the NEC yesterday said bosses were looking at the "fine detail" of the Government's announcement that there would be only one super casino in the UK.

Its the End of the Road for Shoppers' 'Ghost Bus

A heavily subsidised central Birmingham bus service for shoppers, which carries an average of only five passengers a day, has reached the end of the road. The Route 77 Centrebus - dubbed the 'ghost bus' - loses transport bosses pounds 2,200 a week and will be discontinued after the current contract expires on April 23.

Archbishop to Help in Bbc Coverage

The Archbishop of Birmingham has flown to Rome to pray for the dead Pope and will provide commentary for the BBC's coverage of the funeral. The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols flew to Italy on Tuesday and yesterday joined the throngs of worshippers who have travelled there to pray for the Pope.

Teenager Sought After Boy Is Shot

Police in Warwickshire are hunting for a teenager who shot a boy in the face with a ball-bearing gun as he walked home. The 11-year-old boy, whose identity has not been released, was walking along Park Avenue in Polesworth on Sunday afternoon with a friend when he was shot. His friend, whose age is unknown, was hit in the leg by pellets from the gun.

General Election: Election Sketch: At Last ... Tony Can Fly Around the Country and Call Michael Names

Being Prime Minister isn't supposed to be easy, but even Tony Blair's harshest critics might concede he was set an impossible challenge yesterday. He was asked "to create a world where there is no longer war or conflict".

General Election: Reg Keys Launches His Campaign

General Election: Marsden Wants to Go Back to Labour

A Midland Liberal Democrat MP - who defected from Labour - announced yesterday he was quitting Charles Kennedy's party and applying to rejoin Tony Blair's. Paul Marsden, the MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said he was worried that LabourMPs in marginal seats could lose to Tory opponents - if Labour voters switched to the Liberal Democrats.

General Election: Blair Heals Rift with Brown As Campaign Gets Under Way

Tony Blair promised Gordon Brown his job is safe if Labour win a third term, as he focused on Labour's economic record. The Prime Minister and Chancellor appeared together at Labour's first press conference of the campaign, in a bid to squash reports of splits in the Government.

General Election: Police 'On Alert for Vote Fraud

Police forces will be under special orders to watch out for postal-vote fraud at the General Election. New guidelines to tackle corruption will be distributed this week, Home Secretary Charles Clarke confirmed.

General Election: Postal Vote Checks 'Are Doomed

An attempt by Birmingham City Council to check the validity of postal-vote applications is doomed to fail and will simply play into the hands of fraudsters, senior politicians claimed last night. Fewer than four per cent of the 50,000 people registered to vote by post at the General Election have responded to a letter from the council designed to find out if their requests are genuine.

Charlie Taylor Leaves Snow Hill Station