Welcome to my latest Parliamentary newsletter. This covers local issues and developments as well as my actions in Parliament. You’ll find updates on rail fares, local government funding and other issues. As ever, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me on these or any other issues. This is my also last newsletter of 2017 which gives me the opportunity to wish you all both a Merry Christmas …
This week the Government announced its police and local government finance settlements, which set out funding plans for the next financial year. Yet again, it’s more bad news for our city. Birmingham has already suffered the biggest cuts in local government history approaching £700 million. To make matters worse, the Government have failed again to address the £100 million that our city is …
Richard Burden MP, Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, has today written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson concerning US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A cross-party group of 90 Parliamentarians have added their names to the letter to express their collective concern regarding President’s …
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually to honour the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to remind us of the importance and value of the inalienable rights that we are all entitled to as human beings. Human Rights Day is an opportunity for us to remember those from all over the world who continue to fight for rights that we sometimes take for granted. As Chair of the …
Alongside other Birmingham Labour MPs I have written to West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, to call on the Mayor to use his devolved powers to expand free travel on buses and other public transport for the WASPI women who have been disproportionately affected by changes in the state pension age. The Conservative – Lib Dem Coalition Government’s decision to accelerate the rise in the women’s …
Richard Burden MP, Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, has responded to reports that President Trump has told Palestinian President Abbas that he intends to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Mr Burden said today: “Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, and there has long been consensus amongst the international community that …
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.