This alleyway in Longbridge became a dumping ground for old fridges and a lot of other things and was a safety hazard, particularly for local children. I was pleased to work with local Labour Councillor, Andy Cartwright to get it cleared this week. You can see some “before and after” photos here. Fly-tipping of rubbish, whether of old fridges, household rubbish or garden waste is …
As Parliament breaks for summer recess it’s certainly not been a quite couple of months. This month's update contains updates on the recent fire at Northfield Manor, the sad passing of former Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones and the election for his successor, and the choice over the future of Northfield's leisure facilities. In towns and cities across the world – including here in …
A new Pool and Leisure Centre for Northfield. Local consultation meeting with underlines the Choice: Investment by Labour or more dither as Tories refuse to face up to their legacy of eight years of neglect. Read the 10 messages I have taken from this week's meeting.
This morning I went along to the scene of last night’s fire at Northfield Manor. It was so sad to see the former family home of the Cadburys charred and smouldering. Fire crews were still on site, dousing down the remaining hotspots and working with engineers from the City Council to identify what urgent work needed to be done to make the site safe. Outside, and on nearby roads, police officers …
Just three years ago David Cameron praised the SWEET Project for their work in protecting children and families in South West Birmingham, and providing students with practical experience needed for social work. The organisation has helped train over 400 students from 26 universities from across the UK. But now the Government's rushed cuts to social work education are putting that at risk.
Northfield deserves a quality leisure centre in which local people, young and old can swim, take part in sports and keep fit. People have been telling me this for years. The issue has always been where such a leisure centre should be, how accessible it is and how it can be funded. Unfortunately the story for the past decade has been of short term thinking by Birmingham Council, following by no …
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.