I was on a driving holiday in north Italy and southern France. On 9/11 we were caught up for hours in what seemed like an endless traffic jam outside Nice. Having finally given up on that day’s journey, we checked into a small hotel in Sanary-sur-Mer. Turning on the TV, shocked doesn’t begin to describe our reaction to seeing CNN footage of the plane hitting the South Tower under headline …
Personal thoughts on the unfolding tragedy A modest donation to an NGO delivering emergency aid on the ground. A series of tweets expressing shame and anger; even writing this piece itself. They all feel so futile in response to the horror that is taking place in Afghanistan. But they are all I have got right now. For me it also feels personal. A friend of mine who was an international aid worker …
Roadside signs near Hollymoor West Midlands Ambulance Service Hub speak for us all.
Still overwhelmed and so grateful to Amy Watson, Rebecca Debenham, Sue Allen, Max Shanahan, Dave Tubby, Lesley Shedwick, Arron Stuart Blake-Knight and Giovanni Spoz Esposito for last night and for the lovely messages from those who could not be there. Thanks for the gifts too. I feel really privileged that you have written this poem for me, Spoz. You are all amazing and it has been great working …
First of all, thank you to everyone who has sent such kind messages to me after last night’s result in Birmingham Northfield. Even though I never took this election – or any election – for granted, it is still a big blow to lose the seat I have represented for 27 years and which is my home. So all those messages mean a lot to me. It has been an honour to serve the people of Birmingham …
The Prime Minister’s bid to call a snap General Election just before Christmas will not sort out Brexit as he claims and the way he is going about it is bad for democracy. Why do I say that? Last week Boris Johnson’s Government won a vote in Parliament to give his Withdrawal Agreement Bill a Second Reading. In other words it was a vote to agree the Bill in principle to allow it to continue its …
I was Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield between 1992 and 2019 and a former Shadow Transport Minister. I now chair Healthwatch in Birmingham and Solihull, and the West Midlands Board of Remembering Srebrenica. I also work as a public affairs consultant. I am an effective community advocate and stakeholder alliance builder with a passion for human rights. I am a trustee of the Balfour Project charity and of Citizens Advice Birmingham, and a former Chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians.