I'm encouraing Birmingham Northfield’s designated drivers to claim their reward for keeping the roads safe this Christmas. As part of a national campaign run by Coca-Cola in partnership with the THINK! Road safety campaign, designated drivers can enjoy a “buy one, get one free” offer on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero as they celebrate the festive period in local pubs and bars. I’m really...
The City Council is considering the introduction of 20mph speed limits on the city’s roads to improve safety and reduce collisions. As their decision will affect everyone who lives, works, shops, visits or travels in the city, I welcome the opportunity to respond as the MP for Birmingham Northfield.
You may have read that the BBC have committed to a new vision for Birmingham, with a promise of a £23.5 million investment for our city. This is a major step forward in a long running campaign to boost the BBC’s presence in Birmingham and the Midlands more widely. Along with other Labour MPs, I have long been calling for a fair a share of BBC investment in our region. There is a huge gap...
This week I met with former world land speed record holder Richard Noble at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Bloodhound SuperSonic Car exhibition in the House of Commons.
As a Birmingham MP I’ve long supported HS2 because I know the benefits it can bring to our region. It’s not so much about shaving a bit here or there from journey times. Last year, over 1.5 billion journeys were made on the rail network. That is over 4,000 more train services a day than in the mid-1990s. Dwindling capacity means that more and more people will have to endure cramped...
October has certainly been a busy month for me. You may have heard that I have recently been appointed a Shadow Minister within Labour’s Transport Team – a very exciting opportunity that I have written about further in my monthly newsletter for October. I have also been calling for action on a number of important issues for Birmingham Northfield, including knife crime, education and the BBC...
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.