April 2015 will mark ten years since the collapse of MG Rover in Longbridge. I know people around here will never forget it. When the company closed in 2005 six thousand people lost their jobs and were left utterly exposed. But the impact went beyond those workers – the collapse affected whole families, and the community that MGR had been at the heart of for a century. This week I secured a …
News that the Birmingham City Council will rebuild Northfield Pool and Leisure Centre on the existing site puts an end to months of speculation following last year's public consultation on the issue. You can read some of the background to the issue here. During that consultation, many residents and traders emphasised the importance of retaining a central Northfield location for the new leisure …
This weekend saw Birmingham host Crufts’ Dog Show, and with a large number of constituents regularly getting in touch about animal welfare, when better to share Labour’s animal welfare commitments!
Today I am launching my final report on immigration: Northfield Talks Immigration
Many of you will recall the immigration survey and public meeting I held over winter. My report is a sum of the findings from the survey and key themes that were highlighted by local people during the Northfield Talks event.
A local resident from Kings Norton has recently launched a petition about the need to tackle homophobia in schools across the UK. Addressed to the Prime Minister David Cameron, and Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan MP, it calls on the Government to make tackling homophobia in schools a top priority – including through education of pupils about non-heterosexual relationships …
Yesterday, I was delighted to represent the Labour Front Bench in a debate on Harvey's Law. As Labour’s Shadow Roads Minister, I was pleased to help the campaigners from "Harvey's Army" to secure a commitment from the Minister so all Highways England contracts will reintroduce mandatory procedures for scanning and logging dogs found run over on motorways and other roads that they manage. As the …
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.