Britain doesn't have a second city
A little-known law states that neither Birmingham nor Manchester are big enough
The Dispatch
Latest Stories
The Rime of the Ancient Marinator
Mussels, black pepper, iberico, and the state of Birmingham’s dining scene
Lighting the fuse: how Birmingham’s all-female abolitionist group helped end slavery
‘I would like to know when are they going to pay us for what they done to our families’
The missing detail: Meet Akhmed Yakoob’s ‘gang leader’ business partner
Exclusive: The Dispatch can reveal that last year, the breakout star of Birmingham politics set up a business with a convicted criminal
Can a crackdown on ‘zombie knives’ stop stabbings in the West Midlands?
Plus, summer finally arrives
The Library of Birmingham hosts a world class photo collection. Unfortunately, most of it is sitting in boxes
‘An archive is nothing if it’s not publicly accessible’
It’s Jude Bellingham’s world. We are all just living in it
Plus: Yardley general election candidate in controversial WhatsApp leak
Work, love, death, p*** ups: rediscovering the Birmingham Ballads
In the late 18th century, so many ballad singers roamed the city they were outlawed as vagrants. Today there's just one weekly folk singaround
Airport anguish as holiday makers forced to queue for hours
Plus: Stolen! - Church's 19th century eagle lectern