On Tuesday (3 February 2015) I successfully held an Ask Me Anything using my Twitter and Facebook pages.
As promised I did my best to answer as many questions from Northfield constituents as possible within the intended hour-long chat. In the end I stayed on for an extra 20 minutes and I’m still getting back to a few I missed!
Over the session I took questions on everything from dinosaurs to data protection. You can see my responses on Twitter by checking out this handy Storify. You can also see some of my answers by following my posts on Facebook.
Locally, constituents raised concerns on a number of transport issues, including public safety on London Midland, and improving transport connectivity in Birmingham. I was asked about school places and the prospects for redevelopment of social housing in the constituency.
National and international issues also received notable interest. I was asked for my views on the impact that the Conservative- led Government’s privatising drive of the NHS was having on things like GP appointments. I was also asked to give my opinion on the humanitarian situation in Syria as well as outline what the next Labour Government will do to support LGBT rights in Africa. 
I hope for those of you who took part on social media found my responses useful – certainly from the feedback I have received so far I will be looking to host another one.
The questions and the feedback is really effective in hearing about concerns that people in Northfield have and goes towards supporting my work in Parliament. The sessions also demonstrate the power of digital technology in helping to connect people with the political process.
Thank you again to all who asked questions and I hope to see you all at another Ask Me Anything, which I hope to announce soon. That’s as soon as I’ve got my breath back!
