Birmingham Post

Scott-Lee: Superforces Could Still Be My Legacy

Plans to create police 'superforces' across the country could be back on the agenda in the next decade, the outgoing West Midlands Chief Constable has predicted. Sir Paul Scott-Lee said while collaboration and co-operation would help improve policing, bigger forces would provide the specialist services needed to tackle serious and organised crime and investigations requiring specialist skills.

Today's Event

Can You Hear Us Now, Mr Darling?

When Alistair Darling gets to his feet to deliver the 2009 budget, Birmingham will hold its breath to see just what it means for the city which has seen the biggest increase in Job Seekers' Allowance claimants in the past year. Analysis from The Work Foundation revealed there was an increase of 12,383 claimants in the city in the 12 months to February.

In the Spotlight

Sharewatch

Mergers Were Rejected for a Reason ; Comment

Sir Paul Scott-Lee interview - page 8 The public image of the police is not at its best at the moment. Policemen, rather like goalkeepers, tend to be judged by their shortcomings rather than their successes, and the video of poor Ian Tomlinson being knocked to the ground by a baton-wielding police officer shortly before he died will be a PR blow the police will find it hard to get over.

Key Figure

Australian Performance Artist Stelarc

Business News

Key Words

Tomorrow in the Birmingham Post

BUSINESS SECTORS CULTURE Riding high Richard Burton's day job is an an estate agent - but it is as a leading amateur jockey that he is better known. Legal Thousands of parents across the West Midlands are set to benefit from new rules surrounding flexible working, meaning local businesses need to act, a Birmingham employment lawyer has said.

Network Event ; Update

SucceSS, the business and professional group within the Southern Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is organising a young professionals networking event sponsored by Ansons LLP solicitors. The event is being held on Thursday May 21 at the Aprs bar on Bird Stree tin Lichfield is for people within Staffordshire who are under the age of 35 and who work in such professions as legal, accounting, finance, banking, property and other professional business sectors.

Industry Warning Over Government Scrappage Scheme 'Disaster' ; Automotive

The car making industry has warned that Government plans to introduce a car scrappage scheme in the forthcoming Budget could do more harm than good. Chancellor Alistair Darling has indicated that a scheme offering pounds 2,000 vouchers towards replacing vehicles that are more than nine years old may be announced on April 22.

Search Is On for Top Young Professionals ; Professionals

The three finalists have been chosen in the search to find the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year A panel of judges, chaired by Argent's Gary Taylor, have chosen the shortlist for the for each of the six categories in the annual competition which include Communications, Financial, Legal, Recruitment and Training, Property and Construction, and Entrepreneurial. The 18 candidates were chosen following a question and answer session with the panel, which also included Paul Thandi, chief ex...

Ordinary People Will Save the Day ; Jerry Blackett

I went to Birmingham-based Asian broadcaster Radio Excel, to discuss the outcome of the G2O summit with Labour MEP Neena Gill. For about a year now, Neena has hosted a politics 'phonein programme, I think fortnightly, for Radio Excel. It's my first contact with the show and I am impressed to see the radio station's commitment to serious broadcasting. After the programme I am given a quick look round the studios by founder Dr. Arun Bajaj.

Midlands Bucks Trend As Uk M& As Plummet

Merger and acquisition deals in the Midlands dipped further in the first quarter of this year but the region saw a much shallower decline than the rest of the UK. According to market analysis group Experian's Corpfin research arm there were 127 transactions announced in Q1 this year in the Midlands, only three deals behind the 130 in the previous quarter.

Major Transport Revamp Needed If New Homes Built - Wmbc

Government plans for a huge increase in house building would have to go hand in hand with massive transport improvements, the West Midlands Business Council has warned. The business organisation, responding to a call for evidence for a planning inquiry set to start later this month into plans for 400,000 new homes across the region, said road congestion remains a huge issue for businesses in the region.

Darling's Up Against It in Bid to Offer Support

Chancellor Alistair Darling faces the unenviable task in his second Budget of trying to offer the economy some muchneeded support, whilst reassuring the markets that the public finances will eventually return to health. He is unlikely to achieve either convincingly. If Mr Darling thought that his first Budget last year was a difficult one, he cannot have imagined just how much worse the situation would be a year later.

Scrappage Deal May Be a Curse ; City View

This weekend the smallest chink of light seemed to have appeared in the gloom that had gathered over the car-making industry in recent months. After months of prevarication, the government let it be known that it was considering a scrappage scheme that would see buyers of new cars enjoying a pounds 2,000 discount should they trade in another vehicle that was more than nine year's old.

Recession Hits Us the Hardest

Birmingham has had the biggest increase in the number of people claiming Job Seekers' Allowance according to a study on the areas hit worst by the recession. The new analysis from The Work Foundation reveals there are 12,383 more claimants in the city than last year.