There is a revealing article in today’s press about how the Conservatives are hoping that wealthy backers pumping shed loads of money into constituencies will swing May’s election their way.
Responding to the Publication of the Kerslake Review on the 9 December 2014, Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield, Richard Burden MP said: “As Sir Bob Kerslake says, we Brummies have pride and passion in our City. He is also right to identify serious problems – in relation to the strategic management of the City, its approach to partnership working and in the extent to which local people have a...
I wanted to update residents on upcoming changes to the Post Office on Kings Norton Green.I have received this letter from the Post Office Ltd, which sets out details of how the branch is to be modernise in 2015 – including with longer opening hours and new products and services. The refurbishment will mean that the branch is closed from Tuesday 6 January at 5.30pm, and will open again on...
If the consequences for people here in Birmingham were not so serious, it might even have been funny. On Wednesday, Conservative Chancellor George Osborne came to the House of Commons to make all sorts of boastful claims about the way he has managed the economy. From the arrogance of his tone you might have thought he expected spontaneous applause from a grateful public to break out across the...
I had the privilege of giving the closing speech of Northfield’s District Convention on Saturday. It had been a very successful event with a good attendance from community groups and organisations across the area. With the theme of “Making a Difference in your Community” the Convention heard thought provoking contributions from Paul Slatter of the Chamberlain Forum and Barbara...
Ahead of today’s public consultation event in Longbridge, last week Labour Councillors Brett O’Reilly, Ian Cruise, Andy Cartwright and I looked at some of the options for addressing some of traffic “pinch points” around the Longbridge redevelopment site.
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.