BIRMINGHAM City Council faces selling off land and property assets to finance ill-advised legal challenges to dodge or defer its responsibility to deliver pay equality.

The council was aware of its duties under equal pay legislation, but both Labour and Conservative-Liberal Democrat administrations dragged their feet, delaying the inevitable and costing local residents dearly.

The Con-Dem coalition played fast and loose with council finances in a series of expensive court cases that were doomed to failure.

Refusal to deal honestly and promptly with equal pay claims by its women workers has also cost a fortune in interest payments on their claims.

Unfortunately, the politicians responsible for this debacle will not pay a personal price for their lack of judgement.

Birmingham residents will bear the cost in loss of income-generating assets and attacks on already stretched vital public services.