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.

The Green Post Office

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I wanted to update residents on upcoming changes to the Post Office on Kings Norton Green.I have received this letter from the Post Office Ltd, which sets out details of how the branch is to be modernise in 2015 – including with  longer opening hours and new products and services. The refurbishment will mean that the branch is closed from Tuesday 6 January at 5.30pm, and will open again on …

Come and support local businesses this Saturday

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This Saturday 6th December marks the second Small Business Saturday. After the campaign’s success last year, I’m pleased to be supporting the vital contribution small businesses make to our community in 2014. Small Business Saturday is a grass-roots campaign that started in the USA. It encourages people to shop locally and support small and independent businesses in the local community, helping …

The Tories’ economic record is one of repeated broken promises

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If the consequences for people here in Birmingham were not so serious, it might even have been funny. On Wednesday, Conservative Chancellor George Osborne came to the House of Commons to make all sorts of boastful claims about the way he has managed the economy. From the arrogance of his tone you might have thought he expected spontaneous applause from a grateful public to break out across the …

The Government fails to act on the ‘zero zero economy’

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A number of local people have come to me raising concerns about the way in which Jobseeker’s Plus has been issuing sanctions for those claiming out of work benefits. The Government introduced these sanctions in 2010. The aim is to make people claiming Jobseeker’s ‘see the consequences of their actions’. Sanctions can last for 4, 13, 26 weeks – and even up to three years and are issued if people …

Northfield’s District Convention

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I had the privilege of giving the closing speech of Northfield’s District Convention on Saturday. It had been a very successful event with a good attendance from community groups and organisations across the area. With the theme of “Making a Difference in your Community” the Convention heard thought provoking contributions from Paul Slatter of the Chamberlain Forum and Barbara …

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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.