AuthorRichard Burden

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.

MPs and Peers call on Foreign Secretary to press the Government of Sudan to immediately release British national

World
28 March 2018
2 minute read
1,841 views
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A cross party group of 23 MPs and Peers have today written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on him to outline what steps he will take to secure the release of British-Sudanese national Dr Sidqi Kaballo. Dr Kaballo is detained without charge or trial after participating in peaceful protests in Khartoum on 16th January 2018. Today on Dr Kaballo’s 70th birthday MPs and Peers who are …

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Westminster Hall debate on legal aid for the families of the victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings.

Birmingham
22 March 2018
2 minute read
2,311 views
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On Tuesday I will be calling for legal aid to be granted for the families of the victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings. For years, families of the victims have already had to overcome many hurdles to get answers about what happened on that fateful day of 21st November 1974. They had to fight for an inquest in the first place and they had to fight to be granted legal aid. They eventually won that …

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Refugee Family Reunion Bill and Unpaid Trial Work Period Bill

National issues
16 March 2018
2 minute read
1,751 views
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Today I am in Parliament to support two important Private Members Bills – the Refugee Family Reunion Bill and Unpaid Trial Work Period Bill. The Refugee Family Reunion Bill would give unaccompanied refugee children in the UK the right to be reunited with their parents. Current laws mean that many refugees are prevented from being joined by their close family members. These refugees have …

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Proposed takeover of GKN by Melrose

Birmingham, Motor industry, Northfield area, West Midlands
15 March 2018
2 minute read
2,553 views
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Today, I was among the MPs from different parties across the House of Commons who argued for Government to intervene over the hostile bid by Melrose for GKN. GKN is one of Britain’s oldest and largest engineering companies making automotive and aerospace components. GKN Aerospace’s Kings Norton plant in my Birmingham Northfield constituency specialises in aircraft windscreens. I am extremely …

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Rohingya refugees in peril

Foreign Affairs
10 March 2018
3 minute read
1,638 views
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The monsoon and cyclone season is coming and time is running out to save thousands of Rohingya refugees from imminent landslides and flood disaster. By Richard Burden Originally published by HuffPost, March 10, 2018 Even before visiting the Bangladesh/Burma border area last week, my work as a member of the House of Commons International Development Committee meant I knew a fair amount about the …

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Birmingham’s Labour MPs call on Legal Aid Agency to reverse its refusal of Legal Aid to families of Birmingham Pub Bombings victims

Birmingham, Local, News, West Midlands
9 March 2018
2 minute read
1,537 views
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Birmingham’s nine Labour MPs have today written to the Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency calling on him to reverse the Agency’s decision to refuse Legal Aid to the families of 10 of the victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings at the Court of Appeal. The families are contesting an appeal by the Coroner, Sir Peter Thornton QC, against a High Court ruling that he should reconsider his decision …

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Richard Burden

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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.

Get in touch

You can reach me by email at richard@richardburden.com or use the form on the Contact page to send me a message.