Council's "craven cowardice" over Metro extension

Legislation allowing track to be laid through the city centre is in place, but runs out next year.
All that is needed for the ambitious project to go ahead is for the Government to give financial commitment.
But, as is well known, Transport Ministers have fallen out of favour with trams and are doubtless looking for any excuse to deny Birmingham.
As is also well known, the Conservative half of the city council coalition has grave concerns about the wisdom of running trams through congested shopping areas such as Corporation Street, and the chaos this would cause during construction work.
Most Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, would far rather invest £180 million on improving the quantity and quality of bus services.
It is clear therefore, on a nod-nod, wink-wink basis, that a Government decision to pull the plug on the Five Ways extension would not be viewed by council leaders, privately at least, as a disaster. They are far more interested in negotiating with the private sector to run the Metro from Snow Hill to New Street and at some future stage on to Birmingham Airport.
There is no concerted campaign to rally the support of MPs behind the Five Ways Metro extension, as there was with the New Street Gateway project.
West Midlands Minister Ian Austin is not being harangued and challenged to hammer on the doors of the Department for Transport demanding that a Metro cheque wings its way to Birmingham asap.
There is absolutely no political hunger to make this happen.
Most people who are in the loop recognise that the Snow Hill-Five Ways option is simply being left to whither on the vine until the Government finally puts the project out of its misery.
Why is it, though, that council leader Mike Whitby cannot bring himself to explain what is going on - or in this case, what is not going on?
Speaking to the media in a live video link from Shanghai, where he was launching the Big City Plan, Coun Whitby knew he would be quizzed about the Metro. His advisers provided a form of words which they thought might satisfy journalists.
Fat chance of that.
Coun Whitby gave every impression of severe unease.
Asked whether the Snow Hill-Five Ways route remained the council's number one priority for a Metro extension if the money became available, he refused to answer. Relying on the age-old politician's get out, complaining about a "hypothetical" question, he simply would not respond.
But this is by no means a hypothetical question. A Government decision on funding the Metro extension must be made within the next year, and it craven cowardice for the council to sit on the fence in the hope that Ministers will do the dirty work - for which they will then doubtless be blamed for depriving Birmingham of a major regeneration project by the very councillors who at the moment show no enthusiasm for the Metro.
It really is a simple question: will the council build the Five Ways-Snow Hill extension if the money becomes available?
If not, what plans are being put in place to provide Birmingham with a first class transportation system?