Britain's second-largest city effectively declares itself bankrupt amid $1.5 billion equal pay claims.
Britain’s second-biggest city has effectively declared itself bankrupt, shutting down all nonessential spending after being issued with equal pay claims totalling up to £760 million (almost $1.5 billion).
Birmingham City Council, which provides services for more than one million people, filed a Section 114 notice on Tuesday local time, halting all spending except on essential services.
The deficit arose due to difficulties paying between £650 million (around $1.28 billion) and £760 million in equal pay claims, the notice report says.
The city now expects to have a deficit of £87 million ($171.5 million) for the 2023-24 financial year.
Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of the council, told councillors on Tuesday it faces "longstanding issues, including the council's historic equal pay liability concerns," according to the United Kingdom's PA Media news agency.
Thompson also blamed in part the UK's ruling Conservative Party, saying Birmingham "had £1 billion ($1.97 billion) of funding taken away by successive Conservative governments"
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