Dear Editor, Whilst acknowledging that newspapers have to catch the reader’s eye, does it have to be done in a way that perpetuates the Birmingham tendency to ape London? The front-page headline: “City Can Have its Boris” is a classic example.

Surely Birmingham is large enough, sufficiently distinguished by its achievements and with a strong enough national and international identity to dispense with this regrettable habit?

I recall how depressing it was to walk past photos of Chicago displayed on large hoardings in New Street two or three years ago, only to recognise that Birmingham cultural activities and environmental developments which we had been led to believe were Birmingham innovations were in fact direct copies of what Chicago had already done.

By all means learn from others and borrow from them, but do we have to continually model our city on those that have been created by people who are manifestly different from ourselves?

When Birmingham elects it own mayor, it should do it in a way and with results that relate to THIS city, its people and what they need and want – which by definition will be unique.

We should have the courage to believe from the start that Birmingham has the confidence and capacity to arrive at its own solutions, so can we stop talking about this city in terms of others, and stop imitating London, Chicago or elsewhere?

Tom Jones

Chair of North Edgbaston

Residents Association,

Chair of Edgbaston Arts Forum