Birmingham's Mayor slams young Conservative who called city a 'dump'

2022-10-01

Birmingham’s Tory Mayor slams claim that city is a ‘dump’ on eve of party conference as Young Conservatives chairman apologises for slur – but says he was threatened with a mugging as soon as he arrived

The Chair of the Young Conservatives Network has called Birmingham a ‘dump’
Daniel Grainger made the remark as Tories travel to the city for their conference
Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street condemned the comment
Mr Street told Grainger to leave and ‘take anyone with the same views with you’

The Chairman of the Young Conservatives Network has been slammed by Tory Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street for calling Birmingham a ‘dump’ as he travelled there for the party’s conference.

Daniel Grainger was told to leave and ‘take anyone with the same views with you’ by Mayor Street after sharing the remark on Twitter before the conference begins in Birmingham tomorrow.

Mr Grainger later apologised and deleted the post – which had read: ‘Birmingham is a dump.’ – claiming it ‘was not about the city’ and that he had been the victim of a mugging attempt earlier on Saturday.

The city is hosting the Conservative Party’s annual conference this week.

In a later tweet, Mr Grainger wrote: ‘My tweet in relation to Birmingham was not about the city or its people. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to your city, but this morning I was greeted by an individual who threatened me with a mugging.

‘I was angry and tweeted without thinking, I apologise for any offence caused.

The Conservative Party’s annual conference is being held in Birmingham this week

The conference comes against a backdrop of divisions within the Tory party, after the Chancellor’s mini-budget prompted market turmoil

Chairman of the Young Conservatives Association Daniel Grainger apologised for calling Birmingham a ‘dump’

‘I’d also like to directly apologise to (Andy Street), the (Conservatives) and other representatives of Birmingham for my ill conceived comments. I have now deleted the tweet.’

Mr Street and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips were among those to pour scorn on the comment.

The Mayor said: ‘Off you pop then, and take anyone with the same views with you. Try and take some time to grow up and understand just why this city is so special whilst you’re gone.’

Ms Phillips tweeted: ‘I see the Tories doing their best to endear themselves.’

Mr Street added: ‘I may be a Conservative, but I’m also a bloody proud Brummie.

‘I won’t have anyone who’s never lived or breathed this place trying to put us down.’

The exchange comes against a backdrop of wider divisions emerging within the Tory party, after the Chancellor’s mini-budget prompted market turmoil.

Mayor Andy Street condemned the comment, saying: ‘I may be a Conservative, but I’m also a bloody proud Brummie’

In an article for The Daily Telegraph, Kwasi Kwarteng claimed he will be setting out a ‘credible plan’ to get the public finances back on track with a ‘commitment to spending discipline’.

Writing in The Sun, Prime Minister Liz Truss insisted the Government was right to act and will keep ‘an iron grip’ on the national finances.

But the move has come under attack from prominent backbenchers who are concerned about the pound hitting a record low and the impact the financial fallout could have on them at the ballot box.

Tory MP Robert Largan labelled as a ‘mistake’ the decision to cut the top income tax rate while colleague Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, branded the financial plans ‘inept madness’.

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