Media Watch - March 24

Top Birmingham City Council Stories

City told to boast of successes – but to listen to voters (Birmingham Mail) Coverage of early findings of the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel, set up following the Kerslake Review into the city’s governance. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted.

Raid snares loan shark suspects (Birmingham Mail) Two suspected loan sharks have been arrested in raids in Redditch, involving the England Illegal Money Lending Team, based out of the city council.

Longbridge plan is welcomed (Birmingham Mail) Plans for a major office development on the former MG Rover site have been welcomed by city planners. Cllrs Peter Douglas Osborn and Fiona Williams both quoted in support of the project.

If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call… (Guardian) Profile piece on the life and times of Sir Mike Tomlinson. Extensive reference made to his time in Birmingham following the Trojan Horse allegations.

BAIT film and CSE awareness week (BBC WM Chatback show) Interviews with people involved in this new city council resource, discussing its importance in raising awareness of child sexual exploitation with young people.

Regional Headlines

A “killer” newt, the size of a Mini Cooper car, has been discovered by researchers at the University of Birmingham during a project looking at creatures that existed 200 million years ago.

Hundreds of fish were killed during a flood relief exercise at Solihull’s Earlswood Lakes, according to local anglers.

National Headlines

The Conservative chief whip Michael Gove has defended David Cameron after he said would not serve a third term as prime minister if the Conservatives were re-elected into government.

Labour’s general election manifesto will contain a pledge not to raise VAT, shadow chancellor Ed Balls is expected to say later today.

Libya’s collapse since the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi has turned it into a potential security threat to the UK, the Foreign Affairs Committee says.