All eyes on Solihull

The Tory leadership contest comes to town

Dear Patchers — Welcome to your Wednesday briefing.

By now we’ve had our fair share of politics and its incumbent promises and posturing. 2024 has seen local elections, a mayoral election and a general election — and an outbreak of street disorder driven, in part, by ideology. You might feel quite done in by it all. But that hasn’t stopped one West Midlands town from garnering a lot of recent high-office attention. That tops today’s briefing.

Elsewhere, there are updates on a high-end (and iconic) business for sale, a court date for a Birmingham rapper and why Northfield is having a boa, not a brat, summer (in all seriousness, residents — and especially dog walkers — should take care).

Stay hydrated, Dan. 

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Brum in Brief

🟦Tory-leader hopeful comes to town: Solihull has been in the spotlight recently. Last week, PM Keir Stamer visited to allay fears in the wake of far-right disorder. Yesterday, Conservative leader-hopeful, Tom Tugendhat MP dropped by to talk shop and take selfies with young fans. Tugendhat — who dropped out of the 2022 race following Boris Jonson’s resignation — said: “Local associations and members are the backbone of the Conservative Party. It is their hard work and dedication that drive Conservative values forward.” Later, at a press conference in London, he called Nigel Farage “irresponsible and dangerous” for spreading false information about the Southport murders. More info here.

Tom Tugendhat takes a selfie with a young supporter in Solihull. Photo by Parsons Media.

🎤Rapper in Robinson hotspot: Brum rapper Twista Cheese, real name Omar Abdirizak, has appeared in court denying he conveyed false information online. Abdirizak reportedly posted a video accusing Tommy Robison, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, of calling on people to attack a mosque. His solicitor told a court that Abdirizak had listened to a podcast which broadcasted the claim and he “believed it to be true fact”. He was bailed by the court and ordered not to mention Yaxley-Lennon or the EDL on social media without prior court agreement. Full story.

🏬Cube-top for sale: If you’ve got a spare £12m then the top floors of the iconic Cube building could be yours. That’s because the leasehold of The Cube Hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant (current residents) are on the market. That price will get you 52-bedrooms and a 180-cover eatery. But why is it for sale? According to reports, the company behind The Cube Hotel, MSHA Global Investments, has gone into administration. “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a prime city centre hotel and well-established restaurant in a landmark building," said Chris Davies from estate agent Watling. More here.

🐍Boa summer: Residents of Northfield beware: a snake is on the loose. According to The Telegraph, an escaped boa constrictor is in Ley Hill Park and has been spotted several times by residents with evidence uploaded to social media. Local dog walkers are told to watch out and to report any sightings to the RSPCA. Apparently escaped snakes are not too uncommon across the summer in the UK, though boas are hardly indigenous to Brum. As an RSPCA spokesperson said: “Snakes are excellent escape artists and will take the opportunity of a gap in an enclosure door, or a loose-fitting lid to make a break for it.” Whatever next? A panther in Warwickshire?

☀️Escaping the heat: With it set to be another warm weekend, Cannon Hill Park and the Midlands Arts Centre are the place to be. Not only does the park have a lot of shade and numerous coffee options but because the Hayward Gallery’s touring exhibition Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood is still available to see. Showcasing the work of 60 modern and contemporary artists, the exhibition shows motherhood as a creative enterprise, albeit one tempered by other pressures. More details here.