Comfortably Brum: Why do the Tories love Birmingham?

Birmingham plays a key role in the Tory imagination – something that might shock some of its 1.1 million inhabitants. So what is the relationship between the Conservatives and Britain’s Second City? Marie Le Conte is joined by Richard Vinen, professor of history at King’s College London and author of Second City: Birmingham and the Forging of Modern Britain, to unpack the myth and memory behind this Tory spiritual home. “You don’t have to like it to recognise how important Birmingham is.” “Birmingham grew the most under Tony Blair – it’s a very New Labour city.” “The Tories have far less of a relationship with Birmingham than they think.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices