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...
Yesterday Bloor Homes held a consultation exhibition at the Hollymoor Centre yesterday to get residents’ views on their proposed redevelopment of North Worcestershire Golf Course The consultation was more focused on finding out what kinds of things residents would like to see on the site, if it is redeveloped, rather than on whether or not it should be redeveloped at all. So far, though...
Today’s announcement of an £8m+ package to improve transport links in and around Longbridge is great news for the entire South Birmingham area. Longbridge rail station will be upgraded. There will be better passenger information, an improved interchange for bus passengers, and a better environment for cyclists and pedestrians too. The existing park and ride facility is also due for extension and...
I am delighted that the Mahfil Restaurant in Kings Norton has been chosen as one of the 13 national finalists in the prestigious Tiffin Cup competition. I nominated Mahfil after visiting the restaurant earlier in the year, so it is brilliant that they have now made it into the final. The Tiffin Cup is awarded every year by the Tiffin Club of MPs, formed in 2006. The aim is not only to recognise...
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.