Birmingham Post

Conference Highlights

David Cameron: There is a "better than 50 per cent chance" of an early election George Osborne: Estates worth less than pounds 1m would not be liable to inheritance tax

West Midlands 'Can Be Hot Leader'

The West Midlands must use its historic skills and research base to spearhead advances in health and green business if it is to prosper over the next 35 years, Liam Byrne has said. The minister for the West Midlands said promoting sustainable industry and benefiting from NHS improvements were the two hottest topics at a brainstorming session session with regional leaders held yesterday.

Pounds 1 a Litre Blow for Haulage Firms

New increases in duty on petrol and diesel will signal the beginning of the end for many West Midlands road haulage operators, it was claimed last night. Smaller firms are likely to go out of business if the Government persists with proposed further rises on top of yesterday's 2p a litre increase, the Road Haulage Association warned. Midlands spokeswoman Kate Gibbs described the increase as "the tip of the iceberg" which had to be seen in the context of another 2p rise planned for next April ...

Bbc Snaps Up Lonely Planet ; Publishing

Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet was snapped up by the commercial arm of the BBC yesterday. BBC Worldwide said the deal for Melbourne-headquartered Lonely Planet will see it build on the group's franchise around the world with the extension of the travel guides across multimedia platforms.

Boy's Leg Broken in Soccer Star Crash ; Accident

Premiership footballer Steven Gerrard was involved in a traffic collision which left a 10-year-old boy with a suspected broken leg yesterday, his spokesman said. The car was travelling along Grantham Road in Birkdale, Merseyside, when the incident happened at 3.15pm.

Tor Target ; Vandalism

The historic tower on Glastonbury Tor has been daubed with paint in an act of "wanton vandalism", the National Trust said yesterday. St Michael's Tower, the centrepiece of the Somerset tourist attraction, was covered with purple paint on its southern face on Sunday night.

Smoke Kills Man ; Fire

An elderly man died when he was overcome by smoke during a fire at his flat. Four fire crews were called to Hugh Gaitskell Court, in Parkview Road, Bilston, after the blaze broke out in the fourth storey apartment.

Rental Catastrophe Brings Warning On Homes Plan

Plans to build 362,000 homes in the West Midlands will fail to stimulate a renaissance of our cities, while running the risk of creating a housing shortage in Birmingham and Solihull, according to new research. Consultants believe the Regional Planning Partnership's 20-year house building strategy is badly skewed in favour of development in rural areas and will encourage further migration from cities to the countryside.

Ban On Sale of Knives to Under-18s

Knives must not be sold to anyone under the age of 18 as part of new measures introduced by the Government to tackle gun and knife crime. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 also raises the age for buying imitation guns, air rifles and crossbows to 18. "Tackling gun and knife crime is a top priority for this Government," said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. "It is essential that we build on the tools and powers that police already have in order to make people feel safer and more secure. We are ...

Public Get Say On Po Closures

Public consultations will start today on plans to close up to 2,500 post offices over the next year. Customers in Kent, East Midlands and East Yorkshire will be asked for their views on proposals to close 180 branches in their areas.

Abortion Case Against City Gp Dropped

The case against a Birmingham doctor accused of arranging an illegal abortion for her daughter abroad has been dropped, the Crown Prosecution Service said yesterday. In 2005 Birmingham GP Dr Saroj Adlakha and her daughter Shilpa Abrol were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit child destruction abroad.

Two More Arrests Over Death of Teenager in Pond

Two more arrests have been made over the death of a teenage boy whose body was found in a Black Country clay pit this weekend, police said yesterday. The body of the boy, named locally as 16-year-old Shane Owoo, was recovered from the pool off Bickley Road, Bilston, on Sunday morning.

Who Wants These Flakes for Breakfast - Kerrang!

The region's breakfast presenters are bland, dull and listeners deserve better, Birmingham's Kerrang! Radio has said. The rock station, which yesterday aired its first breakfast show with controversial "shock jock" Tim Shaw and ex-Big Brother contestant Kate Lawler, said presenters at other West Midland commercial stations lacked personality.

Rwanda Praise for Tory Stand On Global Poverty ; Conservative Conference

The Birmingham MP who organised David Cameron's controversial visit to Rwanda has defended the trip and the Conservative focus on international development. Andrew Mitchell (Con Sutton Coldfield) insisted the visit had been a "great success".

This Defection Reward Is a Prize Rumour, Says Davies ; Conservative Conference

A story sweeping the Conservative Party conference at Blackpool is that MP Quentin Davies's "prize" for defecting from the Conservatives to Labour is that he will eventually be appointed British Ambassador in Paris. But he appeared dumbfounded when I telephoned to ask him about it. He said: "Extraordinary.

Quotes of the Day ; Conservative Conference

"If you want an election then get on and call it because your cynicism and your fear will lose every time to our hope and our optimism." - Shadow Chancellor George Osborne challenges Gordon Brown

Where Would Blackpool Be Without a Saucy ; Conservative Conference

Where would Blackpool be without a saucy seaside postcard or two? A Donald McGill type of card has appeared in the Tory press office.

Pledge Over Pensions 'Lifeboat' ; Conservative Conference

The Tories promised yesterday to re-float a pensions "lifeboat" aimed at helping 125,000 people who lost out when their company schemes went bust. Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling announced the move at the Conservative conference as he branded Gordon Brown a "hypocrite". Mr Grayling said: "What he has done to our pensions system is nothing short of criminal. It wasn't just his pounds 5 billion a year tax raid. He interfered so much that many trustees decided it was easier to ...

Promise to Conquer Bad Behaviour at Schools ; Conservative Conference

A blitz on poor behaviour in the classroom was promised by Conservatives at Blackpool yesterday. Headteachers would gain the right to expel pupils who disrupted lessons or bought weapons to school without seeing their decisions overturned by appeal panels, said shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said.

Plans to Boost Cancer Survival Rates with New Nhs Strategy ; Conservative Conference

The Conservatives yesterday sought to position themselves as the party of the NHS as they announced plans to boost cancer survival rates by up to 100 lives a day. Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said it was a "disgrace" that UK survival rates lagged so far behind those elsewhere in Europe.