On Tuesday (15 March) I held a debate in Parliament calling on the Government to speak the truth on new anti-boycott rules which many fear represent an unprecedented attack on democracy. The rules, announced last month, by a Government minister during a visit to Israel – without any parliamentary or public scrutiny – aim to ban public bodies including local councils and universities from refusing...
Today, Yuli Edelstein, Speaker of Israel’s Knesset addressed MPs in a meeting hosted by the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Follow the link to read my question to him.
Richard Burden MP, Chair of Britain-Palestine All-Party Group has today accused Cabinet Office Minister, Matthew Hancock, of trying to duck Parliamentary Scrutiny for new restrictions on public sector procurement and ethical investment decisions, stating last week’s announcement should have been made to MPs, rather than on a visit in Israel.
Laws under which Israel arrests and detains children in the Occupied Territories are different depending on whether a child is Palestinian or Israeli. That is inexcusable. It is just over four years since I wrote a Huffington Post article about Palestinian children in Israeli custody and the conditions to which they are subject to. As I said then, it is shocking when you hear about some of the...
By now, you will probably know that the House of Commons voted 397 votes to 223 in favour of extending UK participation in air strikes against ISIL/Daesh to Syria. As I am sure you can appreciate, I have received hundreds of e-mails and other communications about this issue and I have done my best to keep constituents up to date with my thoughts through email replies, via social media and on my...
This morning I wrote to the Prime Minister to seek further clarification about his plan and strategy for air strikes in Syria. Here is a copy for you to read:
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.