As the Referendum on Scottish Independence has got closer, the words “solidarity” and “self- determination” have come into my head time and time again. I guess like many on the Left in England, for a long time I reckoned my commitment to principle of self-determination meant that I should hold back. Surely, I thought, independence was a matter for people in Scotland to decide, not something for …
I’ve been contacted by many local people who have told me that they are struggling to cope with the hated bedroom tax, introduced by the Tories and Liberal Democrats in Westminster. The Bedroom Tax is affecting over 13,000 households in Birmingham and over 1300 in the Northfield area alone. People receiving housing benefit, who live in council or housing association homes with a spare bedroom …
What is it with Conservative politicians and charities? This week, new Tory Minister for Civil Society, Brooks Newmark, provoked outrage by telling charities to "stick to their knitting" and keep out of politics. The tone was about as patronising as you could get. The use of language was nothing short of insulting when referring to organisations which span the spectrum from providing emergency …
Today I have written to Sainsburys to flag a range of serious concerns about their proposal to build a new store in the car park of the Navigation Inn in Kings Norton, at the junction of Wharf Road and Pershore Road. Last night a public meeting held in Kings Norton also expressed real worries about the construction of the proposed Sainsburys store on the Navigation Car park. Although my duties in …
Following the drop-in consultation days which took place at the Hollymoor Centre in July, Bloor Homes have now published a Newsletter about their impressions from those days, and what they plan to do from here. You can read the Newsletter here. Labour Councillor Andy Cartwright has asked Bloor to attend the Longbridge Ward Committee of the City Council which he chairs and which is taking place on …
Birmingham City Council have invited me to submit my thoughts to the Connectivity & Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Inquiry into the Green Waste Collection Service. I have been raising concerns about the changes to the green waste collection service with the City Council since early this year. I have therefore been grateful for the opportunity to submit my comments …
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.