The Overview and Scrutiny report into Birmingham City Council’s Green Waste policies and charges published today is a serious piece of work that demands serious attention by Council leaders. Today’s findings underline that there are real issues with the Council’s green waste charge and that its introduction earlier this year was badly mismanaged. As a result public confidence in the system …
I have been raising concerns about the changes to the green waste collection service with the City Council since early this year. In September I submitted evidence to Birmingham City Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Inquiry into the Green Waste Collection Service – calling for a suspension of the charge. You can read the inquiry’s report here. In the meantime …
There is a revealing article in today’s press about how the Conservatives are hoping that wealthy backers pumping shed loads of money into constituencies will swing May’s election their way.
Responding to the Publication of the Kerslake Review on the 9 December 2014, Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield, Richard Burden MP said: “As Sir Bob Kerslake says, we Brummies have pride and passion in our City. He is also right to identify serious problems – in relation to the strategic management of the City, its approach to partnership working and in the extent to which local people have a …
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 …
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 …
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.