Vicar goes viral
Plus: A very cheesy day out
Good morning Patchers — welcome to your Friday briefing.
We are kicking things off this morning with a light-hearted story about a Walsall vicar who has built a very modern congregation of young Christians on the currently-controversial TikTok app. Moving on to politics, Andy Street has announced his first policy as he gears up to take on Richard Parker and other candidates in this May’s mayoral election. In local council news, long-serving senior member Brigid Jones has stepped down at Birmingham City Council and we round things off with a couple of fun events: “gut-busting” theatre and an equally stomach-stretching cheese-themed food fair.
Finally, Jack Walton has been finding out as much as he can about the rumoured development of Station Street and the Electric Cinema for our weekend read, so look out for that in your inboxes at 7am. As always, it is free to read. But to access all of our stories, the comments section and our future events, please consider subscribing for £8 a month. You can be part of building better media for Birmingham.
Brum in brief
📿Viral vicar: A Walsall vicar with a large TikTok following has caught the attention of the government for his social media prayer offerings. David Sims of St Thomas’ Church in Aldridge, Walsall has gained popularity among younger Christians and has been invited to a meeting with MPs to discuss the impact of Christianity on the platform. Sims told the BBC the app gets a "bad rap" but it is possible to find "glimpses of goodness".
🧑🏫Mayoral manoeuvres: Andy Street has made the first policy announcement of his mayoral election campaign: to fund 40 careers advisors in the most challenged schools in the West Midlands. The incumbent mayor has set out a package of careers-based proposals including lobbying to devolve funding to the region and to develop tailored advice to the toughest schools. Labour candidate Richard Parker has made six pledges so far, including to bring the buses under public control and to reform skills programmes.
🖐️Bye-bye Brigid: Former deputy leader of Birmingham City Council and member for Bournbrook and Selly Oak Brigid Jones has stepped down after 13 years. Jones was replaced by Sharon Thompson in the right hand role and moved to cabinet member for finance last May following a shake up by the national Labour Party. The Dispatch understands she is the first of several Labour members who are likely to step down this year, including former leader Ian Ward who recently announced he has a new job as a consultant. Posting on Twitter/X, Jones said: “It has been an absolute honour to have served for more than a third of my life in the city I came to aged 18, knowing no one, and fell in love with.”
Birmingham Conservatives have responded to the news, wishing Jones well, but calling on the rest of the cabinet to take responsibility for the financial crisis. Deputy Leader Ewan Mackey said: “Now that Brigid has done the right thing, it’s time for [Council Leader Jonh] Cotton to seriously think about whether he shouldn’t be joining her.”
🎭Break a leg: The stage adaptation of BBC’s The Goes Wrong Show continues at The Alexandra this weekend. Peter Pan Goes Wrong has been called “gut-busting” comedy by the New York Times. Find times and tickets here.
🧀Brie-lliant fun: Fromage fiends, queso connoisseurs, cheese…chasers? This Saturday Cheese Fest returns to the Bond in Digbeth for two sessions of dairy-based street food fun. Plus live music and a bar. It’s split into two sessions: one between 12 and 4 and another between 4.30 and 8.30pm. Tickets here, for £7.50.
I suppose it was inevitable that Brigid Jones would stand down, I can only imagine the abuse she has received, yet she was an outstanding Cabinet member for Children's Services and all decent residents should wish her well. The financial mess should not be blamed on her despite a typically mealy mouthed response from Birmingham Conservatives.
‘It has been an absolute honour to have served for more than a third of my life in the city I came to aged 18’ — it’s nice to hear from somebody in the city who wasn’t born here for a change.
As somebody who also came here aged 18 it’s increasingly grating when people in positions of leadership — or aspiring to positions of leadership — in the city talk about being born and bred here as part of their qualification for the job, as if those of us who are incomers are somehow second class citizens of the city.