I’m something of a petrol-head. I love driving and I used to do a bit of motor racing. But I’m a regular public transport user too, and in London I usually walk to and from work. Cycling? Yes, but not as often as I should. All these things make me a “road user” – well, apart from the racing. However, when I’m moving about I want to feel safe on the roads, like everyone else. But like a lot of …
Responding to the fifth cyclist death in nine days to happen in London, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister Richard Burden MP said: “The news of another cyclist being killed on the road in London is a real tragedy. A lot of good work is already being done to promote cycling in the capital and to improve safety for cyclists, which makes the events of the last week even more tragic. It all …
This week I met with former world land speed record holder Richard Noble at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Bloodhound SuperSonic Car exhibition in the House of Commons.
As a Birmingham MP I’ve long supported HS2 because I know the benefits it can bring to our region. It’s not so much about shaving a bit here or there from journey times. Last year, over 1.5 billion journeys were made on the rail network. That is over 4,000 more train services a day than in the mid-1990s. Dwindling capacity means that more and more people will have to endure cramped …
October has certainly been a busy month for me. You may have heard that I have recently been appointed a Shadow Minister within Labour’s Transport Team – a very exciting opportunity that I have written about further in my monthly newsletter for October. I have also been calling for action on a number of important issues for Birmingham Northfield, including knife crime, education and the BBC …
Last week (Thursday 24 October), I was delighted to lead a cross-party visit of MPs and Lords to the McLaren Technology Centre, as part of an industry visit organised by the Motor All-Party Parliamentary Group and the Industry and Parliament Trust.
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.