Ozzie the Bull at the New Street railway station, Birmingham, UK

Birmingham, once hailed as the heart of Britain’s industrial strength, once exalted for its multi-cultural vibrance, now makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. The enduring images of the UK’s second city in 2025 are of overflowing bins, rats roaming the streets, and rubbish piling up in neighborhoods.

Waste collection has been a recurring sore point over the years, but the current strikes of bin workers have laid bare something far deeper. This is a chronic failure in leadership in a local authority that appears increasingly unfit or incapable of dealing with Birmingham’s challenges.

Creating A Hazard

The origin of the Birmingham bin strikes, which have been recurrent since 2017, is a long-running dispute between refuse workers and the City Council over pay and working conditions. The catalyst was the council’s decision to restructure the waste management service, with losses and changes to pay grades. Workers, represented by the Unite union, argued that that these were unfair and discriminatory.

The strikes have also been driven by a breakdown in trust between the council and its workforce. They were renewed on March 11, with widespread disruption to rubbish collection across the city since March 11.

Less than three years ago, Birmingham was in post-pandemic euphoria and an international spotlight as it hosted the Commonwealth Games. Now the legacy sites and cultural festivals are surrounded by scenes more reminiscent of a neglected back alley than a major European city.

For residents, it’s not just an inconvenience — it’s a public health issue. The vermin and the hazards, especially for children and the elderly, contribute to the environment of decline represented by the garbage heaps, long queues at the landfills, and people dumping refuse in areas outside the city. Community groups, individuals, and civil society organizations are trying to cope with litter picks and rubbish clearance.

In 2023, Birmingham’s council issued a Section 114 notice, essentially declaring itself bankrupt, because of equal pay liabilities and historic financial mismanagement. Two years later, services have been cut to the bone, staff morale is at an all-time low, and confidence among residents is in freefall.

Still, there is no apparent urgency or transparency from council leaders. With limited communication and no clear timeline for resolution timeline, residents sense that the decision-makers are disconnected from the issues on the ground.

Can Birminghan Be Better?

Birmingham deserves better. This is a city full of potential — a diverse population in a hub for business, universities, sport, and the arts. The Heart of England is at the heart of migration, culture, innovation, and resilience.

Yet time and again, its governance has failed to rise to the occasion, paling in comparison with that of other UK cities. Where Manchester benefits from strong city-regional leadership and coherent planning, its Midlands counterpart is mired in confusion, infighting, and short-termism.

The current crisis is a wake-up call. A modern city like Birmingham cannot function without effective, efficient, and responsive local services. More than that, it cannot thrive without a council that listens, learns, and leads with purpose.

The challenges of 2025 are complex — economic inequality, housing shortages, climate change, the rise of the far right, and social cohesion all demand bold, coordinated responses. If the council cannot even ensure regular rubbish collection, what confidence can the public have that these broader issues will be addressed?

BIrmingham needs a reset, with dynamic leadership that is not only competent but visionary. They must restore fiscal responsibility, rebuild public trust, and reimagine how the city delivers for its people. Structural reform may be needed, with a council split into three areas to deal with growing demands.

There’s also a role for national government, so Birmingham is not left to spiral downwards without support. That intervention should not be through top-down control: local actors must be part of the solution.

From the crisis, space for new voices should be created. Community groups, faith institutions, young leaders, and local campaigners are often far more in tune with the city’s pulse that those who are nominally in charge. A renewed civic leadership must be built from the ground up.

The city that brought the world the Balti Triangle, Soul City Arts, and a proud tradition of activism and creativity must not be be remembered for bureaucratic failure, missed opportunities, and “rats as big as cats”.

There must be a cultural shift to seek new solutions for old problems and a collective vision for the future — one that reflects the pride, resilience, and ambition of a people who still believe “Birmingham is Bostin'”.