Since I published my last Brexit update, the results of local Council and European elections should give all parties pause for thought. Both sets of elections saw voters express frustration at the continuing uncertainty over where we are going as a country in relation to Brexit. Last Tuesday, the online magazine LabourList, published this article from me in which I set out some of the lessons I...
I write this blog just a few days after the Article 50 timetable governing Britain’s exit from the EU has been extended until 31st October to give more time to break the deadlock in Parliament about how to go forward. As with all things Brexit-related the reaction has been mixed, to say the least. What people on all sides of the argument share however, is a huge sense of frustration that that...
You may have already seen that I recently sent out my latest Brexit update covering recent developments in Parliament, which you can read here. Since then, we have had another tumultuous week with a lot going on in and around Parliament. On Monday, I spoke in the debate in the Commons about Brexit, and you can watch my speech here or read it here. I highlighted my concerns about a no deal Brexit...
Any viable peace deal for Israel and Palestine needs to be based on respect for international law and human rights. Today’s decision by the UK Government to vote against all but one resolution on Israel-Palestine at the UN Human Rights Council is an unwelcome step away from that rights-focused peace. In one day, the Government has reversed years of policy on the self-determination and human...
If the UK gives licence to violate international law with impunity, how does that reflect our promotion of human rights? By Lisa Nandy and Richard Burden First published in the New Statesman, March 21, 2019 Last year the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) voted to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate killings on the Gaza border. The UK government, regrettably, abstained on that...
Brexit continues to dominate Parliament. Regardless of your views on it, if you are confused by what is going on and frustrated with the seemingly unending Parliamentary wrangles, you are not alone. Many of us inside Parliament share those frustrations. In this update, therefore, I will try to explain the past week’s developments in as plain language as I can. Last Week’s events On Tuesday 12th...
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.