The hosting of the Commonwealth Games by Birmingham City Council last year was a mistake, according to a formed advisor to the local authority.
Max Caller yesterday told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the games had been a ‘challenge too far’ for the struggling local authority.
The UK’s biggest local authority is currently facing a £750m equal pay bill and an IT and HR contract that has soared from £20m and could end up costing £100m.
Mr Caller, a former non-executive director of the council who was appointed in 2019 to help it deal with historical financial problems, told the Today programme the Commonwealth Games distracted the council.
‘The problem with councils that are in trouble is they just need to focus on getting better, rather than trying to do nice new things,’ he said.
‘There is a limit to the amount of political and managerial capacity and if you're spending time doing Commonwealth Games you cannot cope with the serious problems that you already face.
‘The advice that I gave, and that others gave, to officers and members at the time was that this was likely to be a challenge too far.
‘If it were me, I wouldn't have done it.’
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said that the benefits of the games included an investment package of almost £1bn for housing, public transport, and infrastructure.
They said: 'The Commonwealth Games was a fantastic achievement and a great showcase for the city on a global stage. These immediate challenges will not diminish the council’s ambition in supporting the upward trajectory that the City of Birmingham is currently experiencing following the successful delivery of the Games.
'Record levels of investment continue to flow into the city, and the council will work with key strategic partners to ensure that this remains the case. Birmingham is very much open for business.'
If this article was of interest, then check out our feature, 'Preventing future Section 114 notices'.
