Next Friday, the 21st of February, I’m very proud that I will be hosting a major jobs fair for South Birmingham at Bournville College in Longbridge, as part of The Climb Project I launched last year.
I hope that local people will be able to attend and see the fantastic opportunities that are available here in South Birmingham.
Residents have contacted me about reports that the North Worcestershire Golf Course in my constituency may be sold off for redevelopment as a housing estate.
Local councillors and I have opposed this in the past and we had been assured by the Golf Club that they had no such plans. Therefore, we are as concerned to hear the latest reports as local residents have been.
My New Year Newsletter gives an update on national issues from rising rail fares to foodbanks and further education, as well as my ongoing campaigns on MG Rover and rip off phone rates. There are also updates on my local activity over Christmas and news of exciting upcoming events that I am hosting in the constituency. I hope you enjoy reading this month’s update, and remember you can also sign...
On Thursday 16 January local UNISON and UNITE members will be taking a day’s strike action in a dispute regarding pay and conditions for support staff at Birmingham University – including cleaners, catering staff, security staff, library staff and technicians Below is the statement I have given on the issue: There are currently 4.8 million workers in the country who aren’t paid enough to...
You may have read recently that the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is refusing to discuss the landmark £14 million fine imposed on Deloitte & Touche for their advice to the MG Rover Group and the “Phoenix Four” directors, which is expected to be paid to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
November's Newsletter gives an update on my work on Road Safety Week and HS2 as a Shadow Transport Minister, as well as Labour's pledges to scrap the Bedroom Tax and freeze your energy bills. There is also news about the campaign to boost the BBC's presence in the West Midlands and exciting new developments for cycling in Birmingham!
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.