Dear readers — happy new year! And welcome back, especially the couple of dozen people who have signed up over the holidays. Pull up a chair ready for The Dispatch 2026 edition, it’s great to have you.
Today, we round up the most pressing (and in some cases, entertaining) news to hit Birmingham and the West Midlands. First up, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has responded to news from the government that the region’s force is facing a funding shortfall of £41 million. That’s a big jump from the £27m black hole Foster was expecting — and could mean losing 80 officers. Elsewhere, the operator of a 55m high fairground ride that crashed into Centenary Square, injuring 13 people last year has been given more time to fix failings identified by the safety watchdog. Plus, Jay Rayner has visited city centre restaurant Maneki Ramen and is full of praise for the starters and desserts.
Catch up and coming up:
- On Saturday, we kicked off our three-part series of essays about Birmingham and British fascism. Oswald Mosley and the Blackshirts was the focus of the first story by leading expert on fascism Paul Jackson. “Really interesting piece, I didn't know that Birmingham had this fascist history,” commented one subscriber.
- Got any pressing questions about Birmingham you’d like us to look into? Send them (and any tip-offs) to: editor@birminghamdispatch.co.uk
Photo of the week
Photo: Samuel McIlhagga. It looks like Floozy’s jacuzzi has frozen over. She has acquired a traffic cone though — perhaps she was jealous of Glasgow’s Duke of Wellington.
Brum in Brief
👮Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands, Simon Foster has responded to the news that there is a £41 million shortfall in funding for policing in the West Midlands. This black hole could lead to further policing cuts in an already underfunded and stretched force. Foster is suggesting a combination of additional council tax and dipping into reserves to partially cover the shortfall. “I have spent years campaigning to rebuild neighbourhood policing and just as we were starting to see extra officers recruited we get this awful news,” says Foster, claiming that “up to 80 officers [could be] taken away.” (Express and Star).
⛓️💥 Sandwell and Walsall councils, due to boundary changes, will have all their seats up for election in May 2026, instead of the usual third. Consequently, the Black Country could see very large electoral swings in the upcoming election. The BBC’s Black Country political reporter: Rob Mayor reckons that these two councils might see huge movement towards Reform in May, citing the support for the ‘Raise the Flags’ movement in the area, and discontent over generational poverty in certain areas. (BBC).
🎢 Thirteen people were injured in December 2024, when the City Star Flyer ride collapsed in Birmingham city centre. Now, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has identified numerous faults in the electric and control systems of the ride. The operator of the rides, Danter Attractions, has been ordered to fix the faults, ready for reinspection in November 2026. However, the deadline to address the issues has now been extended. (BBC).
🎆 For the second year running, punters have been tricked into gathering at centenary square for a non-existent New Years’ Eve fireworks display. Fake online adverts proliferated in the weeks leading up to NYE, promising food vans, musical performances and a large city-sponsored fireworks display. These fake adverts led to hundreds of disappointed punters on 31 December. West Midlands Police has warned against fake events putting unneeded pressure on emergency services in the city. (The Guardian).
Quick Hits
🎨 The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) has put a call out to candidates for open exhibition (RBSA).
📅 Pensioner Kevin Beresford from Redditch has put together a calendar featuring 12 ‘fearsome Karens’ from the West Midlands town. (Birmingham Mail).
🏗️ West Midland’s based Enrok Construction is set to be dissolved, two years after going into administration (Business Desk).
🏠 West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has announced a fund of £450K to go towards affordable housing in the Black Country. (BBC).
Media picks
📰 The Financial Times’ star food critic, Jay Rayner, recently made the pilgrimage up to Brum to try Maneki Ramen’s modern Japanese fare. “Maneki is mostly very good. It takes the essentials seriously,” was his rather muted, initial reaction. But, he concluded with more enthusiasm, “what makes this place sing is the quality of the dishes at either end of the meal," like the “zensai” (small plates) of smacked cucumber, saucy pork belly, and crispy chicken wings and the rich desserts. Maneki was founded by chef Pete Dovaston in Worcester, and then branched out to Birmingham, taking up residence on Ludgate Hill. “In a city with a fast-developing restaurant culture, Maneki Ramen is quite the proposition,” added Rayner. (FT).
📰 The Heath Bookshop in King’s Heath has been interviewed by the BBC about the struggle of independent book selling in an online ecosystem dominated by giants like Amazon and Waterstones. The Heath Bookshop won the Independent Bookshop of the Year award in 2025, and is run by Catherine Gale and Claire Dawes who met on a booksellers course in 2021. 12,000 books were sold last year to Brummies, mostly fiction. (BBC).
Our to do list
🖼️ On Tuesday, see Guyanese-British artist Donald Locke’s exhibition of sculptures and paintings at Ikon gallery before it ends next month. This one is completely free.
🎭 The festivities aren’t over at The Rep — on Thursday, catch Sherlock Holmes and the 12 days of Christmas, before it ends its run on 18 January. Tickets from £24.50.
✍️ Sharpen your pencils: on Sunday, Cherry Reds is holding a comedy writing workshop led by two professional comedians. Tickets £38.
🎤 On Saturday, Symphony Hall hosts virtuoso Chand Ali Khan and ensemble for a journey through the history of the traditional melodic Sufi singing practice Qawwali. Tickets from £29.
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