Birmingham Powerless Fifty
Every year the Birmingham Post polls the region for the top fifty most powerful people in Birmingham. So this year I’m doing the opposite (it’s probably been done before, but who cares).
I’m looking for fifty people in Birmingham who are in the public eye but who seem to wield very little power.
I’m doing this in three steps:
- You give me some names (using the comments form at the end of this post);
- I put the names to the vote;
- We discuss why those people are well-known but powerless, whether they should be either, and what needs changing to rectify the situation.
Please note: The point of this is to scrutinise Birmingham power a bit more, not to get personal or belittle people.
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How about ‘our Nev’ Neville Summerfield, council cabinet member for regeneration in a city where the suspicion is that any regeneration is handled by the Leader, his officers and hired consultants?
Jon Bounds
I’d go further than Jon and suggest all BCC councillors (apart from The Leader).
Richard
Unfortunately we have to narrow it down to fifty, and there needs to be space for people other than councillors; but it’s an interesting discussion about how much leverage councillors really have.
There’s also possibly a case for an ‘Invisible Power Fifty’: ie people who wield arguably too much power yet reside in relative public obscurity. I wonder if some of these are the reason councillors belong in the former list?
Michael
What kind of power wielding you talkin’ bout? I’m an electric arc wielder. Widely known with a bit of power.
obscuranti
I’d like to nominate Birmingham’s very own Alan Partridge, Mr Adrian ‘the Stirrer’ Goldberg.
Ever ever there was a puffed up ‘journalist’ with a grossly overdeveloped sense of his own self-importance, it’s him.
Peter Jones
The Birmingham Post – small circulation, little influence.
Richard
Last year’s Brummie of the Year John Tighe and Rainbow landlord Kent Davis who, despite having a wealth of support from Birmingham’s online community and the backing of the vast majority of Digbeth residents, are seemingly poweless against the kafkaesque Environmental Health slapping Noise Abatement Order on them in response to one person’s complaints.
Nicky Getgood
Shouldn’t that one person go at the top of the power 50 list? They’ve got huge leverage against local businesses and the council bend to their whim.
Ben Whitehouse
Most officers from the West Midlands Arts Council. Take your pick! It wouldn’t be unfair to say that many grand aspiring claims from ACEWM have done little to make a serious impact into a unique regional sense of identity. They have adopted so much from central government directives that we have a devolving ACEWM currently on its knees. What a shame! So I propose ACEWM as a failing organisation. We just needs some names then?. Brum and the West Midlands has its identity which could have been helped along with far more embracing ‘grassroots’ and anti-cultural industrialistion resistance….
HHYYPP
Some interesting suggestions so far; keep them coming!
And please keep it civil. The purpose here is to question the balance of exposure and influence of people, not to attack them.
Michael
some interesting distinctions here – people who think they have power (or think they should have power) but don’t, & people who other people think don’t have power that should.
simon gray
Or people who have power and don’t (for what ever reason) use it. I nominate Birmingham City Council Planning Department Enforcement Division.
Richard
Can I go on the list?
I have no power, no product to peddle, no influence and don’t seek higher office.
Ben Whitehouse