“Good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart.” The last words of Andy Burnham’s speech yesterday were quite something. Even for someone who has been around the world of politics for as many years as I have, this was the most inspirational speech I have heard from a prospective Party leader in a very long time.
Government plans to end the existence of an independent voice for patients and service users in health and social care have come under challenging scrutiny this week with the publication of a major new report by the respected think tank, the King’s Fund. Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull, which I chair, has published this response …
On Friday, Ministers announced that they want to scrap Healthwatch, the statutory patients’ and public watchdog for the NHS and social care. This is my response as Chair of Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull:
Today (April 8th) marks 20 years since MG Rover went into administration, bringing to an end a hundred years in which “the Austin” – as the Longbridge factory has always been known – became the most famous vehicle manufacturing plant in the country. Assembly of a limited range of cars restarted at Longbridge within a couple of years after that day and continued for a few more. But 2005 was the …
I was privileged to be one of those representing Remembering Srebrenica at Holocaust Memorial Day, hosted by Birmingham City Council today. 2025 is a special year for commemoration – marking both the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 30th anniversary of the genocide near the Bosnian town of Srebrenica when over 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were …
Health and social care services in Birmingham are failing to provide the care that many children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) need and deserve, with parents and carers reporting waits of a year or more for assessment and diagnosis, problems getting referrals and a lack of support to help them care for their child. 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.