Second nature
Birmingham has been quietly holding its position as a strong UK insurance market, but is it time that it raised its voice and proclaimed itself second only to the London Market? Martin Friel travels to Birmingham to explore its underwriting climate, and raise the profile of this often misunderstood city
Birmingham is something of a forgotten city - not forgotten because it has faded from significance, but because it has been wilfully forgotten. It is not an economic powerhouse on the scale of London, it does not have the stylish kudos of Manchester or Glasgow and it is not a city of rebirth like Belfast. Its image is of a city blighted by 1960s and 1970s architecture; a city designed for cars; a city trapped in the past.
Granted, there are more underpasses, roads and grey tower blocks than your
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