NEW: Opening dates revealed for five long-awaited new railway stations in the West Midlands - after years of delays and rising costs.
📍 Darlaston & Willenhall: Thu 19 March
📍 Camp Hill Line – Kings Heath, Moseley Village & Pineapple Road: Tue 7 April
NEW: Unite will cut its Labour affiliation fee by £580,000 amid anger over the long-running Birmingham bin strike.
The move signals growing tensions between Labour and one of its biggest union backers on the anniversary of the all-out strike.
www.itv.com/news/central...
Twelve months on, neither side is giving ground - leaving a toxic political and civic stalemate that has stretched across all four seasons.
www.itv.com/news/central...
NEW: Walsall councillor Graham Eardley has been suspended by Reform UK with immediate effect pending investigation.
The party says it received a witness complaint alleging he acted so aggressively towards a female volunteer that security had to escort him from the building.
EXCLUSIVE
Councillors ‘threatened’ with being sued if they don’t pass Birmingham budget
One said: "No amount of intimidation will stop the opposition standing up for residents”
www.itv.com/news/central...
EXCLUSIVE
The councillor in charge of Birmingham’s bin service has been filmed removing pro-strike placards during the ongoing refuse workers’ dispute.
Footage shared exclusively with ITV News Central shows Cllr Majid Mahmood taking down posters supporting bin workers.
www.itv.com/news/central...
West Midlands Combined Authority has confirmed Ed Cox as its Chief Executive.
He’s led the organisation in an interim role since June 2025.
His appointment was signed off today by the Mayor and leaders of the seven constituent councils.
Great to be grilled by students at Coventry Uni yesterday alongside political journalists from across the industry.
Lots of thoughtful discussion about AI, trust, and how journalism is changing.
Thanks for having me!
NEW: Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton claims the authority is no longer 'bankrupt'.
He says the upcoming budget will invest £130m in frontline services.
Full details to follow...
Sunday 1st feels like a quiet but historic day on the Midlands railways.
Public ownership of the region’s trains has officially begun - though if you’re on the platform this morning, coffee in hand, you probably won’t notice much difference.
Here’s why👇🏼
www.itv.com/news/central...
Senior Birmingham City Councillor Waseem Zaffar has died suddenly at the age of 44.
A long-serving representative of the Lozells Ward and key figure in council transport and environment policy - including the Birmingham Clean Air Zone - tributes are pouring in from colleagues.
NEW: I understand that West Midlands Mayor @RichParkerLab sees Chief Constable Craig Guildford’s position as ‘untenable’.
We’re awaiting a statement from PCC Simon Foster - expected this afternoon.
@itvcentral.bsky.social
As a Labour PCC, Foster often defies his party.
He’s currently angry at ‘unfair’ police funding settlement and is vocal against the scrapping of the position of PCC.
But he’s known as someone who does things by the book and follows process - sometimes frustrating colleagues.
I understand West Mids PCC Simon Foster will issue a statement at some point this afternoon after the Home Sec said she had no confidence in police boss Craig Guildford.
As it stands Foster is the only person who could remove the Chief Constable from his position.
EXCLUSIVE
'Openly Islamophobic': Reform UK Councillor slammed for linking Muslim prayer to crime
Footage obtained by ITV News shows the councillor questioning whether teaching Muslim children to pray in schools could lead to them being radicalised.
www.itv.com/news/central...
One post simply said, “Yup” to a comment saying the Deputy Prime Minister was “just another greedy none thoroughbred.”
The account liked a comment saying: “Anyone who’s not actually white English should never be trusted to work within our government.”
www.itv.com/news/central...
EXCLUSIVE
Staffordshire councillor has denies endorsing racist comment that described Labour MP David Lammy as a “greedy none thoroughbred”.
Despite the post appearing beneath his own TikTok video, from an account with his name, which he had access to.
BREAKING: Ian Cooper has resigned as leader of Staffordshire County Council, days after Reform UK revoked his membership over alleged racist social media posts.
In an email to councillors, interim leader Martin Murray said: "I recognise that these are challenging circumstances"
“I can walk away today without consequences,” declared the embattled leader of Staffordshire County Council after having his Reform UK membership revoked amid allegations he posted racist remarks online.
www.itv.com/news/central...
An investigation by @hopenothate claims he made ‘deeply bigoted’ comments from accounts with his name.
He’s been approached for comment.
hopenothate.org.uk/2025/12/03/r...
Reform UK says it’s investigating comments reportedly made online by the leader of Staffordshire County Council Ian Cooper.
A Reform UK spokesman said:
"We are undergoing an urgent internal investigation over Cllr Cooper's non-disclosure of social media accounts."
NEW: Bin collections in Birmingham have been suspended today as agency workers go out on strike.
The council non-striking agency workers were told to stay home because of “mass pickets” organised by Unite.
Proud to have been nominated for RTS Midlands ‘Journalist of the Year’ for the second year running!
The faces here have done some great work this year 👇🏼👏
Communities are fighting back against new housing.
Councils are under pressure: can they hit new house building targets without losing local trust?
🏡 Home & Hostility: The Battle to Build Britain - streaming now on @ITVX
www.itv.com/watch/news/h...
EXCLUSIVE
Anti-immigration protesters 'wrongly' targeted a hotel in Dudley housing homeless people, the town’s council leader has claimed.
Hundreds of people attended a rally on Sunday, 17th August, that started in the town centre and marched to the Superior Hotel.
NEW: The leader of Leicestershire County Council has said his 22-year-old deputy stood down because he was “uncomfortable” in the role and found it “very demanding”.
He said Cllr Joseph Boam came to him directly with concerns about the pressures of the job.
www.itv.com/news/central...
Police have been advised to share the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high profile cases in a bid to curb misinformation spreading online.
It follows the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Warwickshire said to involve two Afghan asylum seekers.
www.itv.com/news/2025-08...
Hundreds of people gathered at an anti-immigration protest in Nuneaton yesterday after two men, reportedly Afghan asylum seekers, were charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in the town.
MD Ian McConnell says he’s proud of the franchise’s legacy - including its role in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Focus now is a “smooth transition” and “outstanding service” under public ownership.
