Leader of the Conservative Group Robert Alden has issued the following statement following the announcement of Sir Albert Bore to stand down as leader of the Council in December:-
"Anyone who, like Sir Albert Bore, has dedicated over 35 years to local government should be thanked for their sacrifice. Sir Albert has been a fixture of Birmingham Politics since before I was born. First elected to the Council in 1980 he has been leader of the Labour Group since 1999. During a distinguished career he has overseen much investment in the City Centre.
However he leaves the City in a poor health, a lack of leadership by the whole Labour Council Cabinet has led to the systematic problems now facing Birmingham. The lack of vision for our City, failing children services, lack of support for suburban communities, increase in litter, stumbling combined authority negotiations and many other problems have been caused by the lack of leadership from every single cabinet member in Birmingham. A change in leader will make no difference to Birmingham at all if it is just a continuation of the same failed policies that have got the City into this mess in the first place.
Birmingham is a great city, it should be a united city, a city that strives for aspiration, that gives residents security and give peoples hopes opportunities to flourish. Birmingham doesn't just need a change of leader it needs a total change of direction and style. Birmingham deserves to be even greater but to get that real change residents will have to wait until the May elections".