On Wednesday I urged the PM to put mechanisms in place so Birmingham and Midlands voices are heard in preparatory talks and negotiations with the EU over Brexit.
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Yesterday I pledged my support for Carers Week 2016. Across the UK there are 6.5m people providing unpaid care for an ill, older or disabled family member or friend, with 11,243 of those in Birmingham Northfield. There are also a lot of people who do not identify themselves as carers because they see what they do as part and parcel of family life, helping to support those closest to them when...
Welcome to my latest Parliamentary newsletter. This covers some of the most local issues and developments as well as my actions in Parliament. This includes my EU survey, local boundary changes as well as updates on North Worcestershire Golf Course and Starbucks Drive-In. In Birmingham Northfield Elections Roundup The local elections on 5th May saw a clean sweep for Labour across the four wards...
On 23rd June, every one of us will have the chance to decide for ourselves whether to cast our votes for or against Britain remaining in the European Union. It is a big decision and it is a tough one. Talking to people around here in the last few weeks, though, I know that people are getting really fed up with the bitterness and backbiting that has often disfigured the debate. People also tell me...
While Birmingham City Council considers the planning application submitted by Bloor Homes for North Worcestershire Golf Course, I know many local residents remain concerned about security of the site. Here is an update on those issues from what I have been able to find out: Even though it closed for Golf some weeks ago, responsibility for the site remains with the Golf Club which is still in...
Today I put questions to the government about the BBC alongside fellow Birmingham MP, Steve McCabe. This is ahead of the government publishing a ‘white paper’ tomorrow on the BBC’s future. I urged the Secretary of State to address the issue of the BBC not providing fair shares of investment and operation to the midlands. I also suggested that moving the Channel 4 headquarters to Birmingham would...
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.