At the end of January, I attended the launch of the Make Poverty History Campaign in Birmingham, and along with hundreds of other supporters, wrapped a huge white ribbon around St Martin’s in the Bullring. This campaign, which is supported by a coalition of over 200 charities and other organisations, is a chance for everyone to get involved, and to put pressure on World Leaders to really move...
After leading last year’s campaign to save local post offices in the constituency from closure, and helping to spearhead a Commons Inquiry into Post Office reorganization nationally, I was pleased to open a new sub post office in Longbridge. The new Longbridge Post Office on Bristol Road South replaces a former branch on Edgewood Road and an old one on Bristol Road South. The new branch is...
On Monday March 14th, Richard met representatives of the Royal College of Nursing to discuss their manifesto “Health Priorities for the next UK Government”. The manifesto calls for a ban on smoking in public places, safer workplaces, a stronger focus on measures to boost recruitment and retention of nurses, better funding for long term nursing care, ensuring all children have access to a school...
I am really pleased that a local Youth Commission has been set up in Northfield, to help improve facilities for young people locally and – just as important- to listen to what young people themselves are saying. The Commission should help identify how young people in Northfield can make best use of the extra money which the Labour Government is has made available to improve facilities for young...
I recently attended an event hosted jointly by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Parliamentary Reform in association with the Hansard Society, which aimed to allow parliamentarians to hear directly from young people and to look at ways in which Parliament can connect directly with them. I was joined by Lauren James, 12, from Turves Green Girls’ School, and Joseph Shaw, 14, from Turves Green...
The Phoenix Directors have given me some more information about the reports that have appeared in the press recently. They have explained their rationale for some of the ways in which the companies in the group – including MGR Capital – have been structured. In response to a specific question from me, they have also reconfirmed that all the proceeds from the sale of surplus land at...
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.