This summer I was very pleased to welcome the start of over 100 new homes on Walkers Heath Road by the housebuilder Barratt Homes. In July I joined Barratt’s Managing Director Adrian Farr, as well as City Council Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing Steve Bedser and other local councillors to mark the start of construction.
The Northfield Labour Party’s Annual Dinner will be held on Thursday September 19th at the Edgbaston Priory Club, Sir Harrys Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2UZ. Our guest speaker is Tom Watson MP – someone well known to so many people up and down the country, not only as a tireless campaigner for Labour but also someone who has done so much to hold the Murdoch press empire to account. Tickets …
You may have heard that the Government has recently announced a £94 million new funding commitment to improve cycling in the UK. I strongly welcome the news that the Department for Transport will now be investing £10 a head for cycling infrastructure in 10 cities – including Birmingham. As action to ‘Get Britain Cycling’ is an issue that lots of constituents have contacted me about, I have been …
I have been contacted by a number of local people about the new Home Office attempts to address illegal immigration. Let's be clear - the "Go Home" advans and UK Border Office spot checks are little more than right wing propaganda. Instead of an evidence based approach to tackle immigration and improve integration, the Tories are using tax payer’s money to secure a headline and calm their party's …
It has been a busy month in Westminster before MP’s left Westminster for the Parliamentary recess. This July I have launched new project to tackle youth employment, been campaigning against the scandals of rip-off telephone rates and pay day loans, and revealing some shocking truths about the Government’s policy on arms exports. It was also a month that saw another development in the drama of MG …
The accountants Deloitte have lost an appeal over a regulatory ruling that it failed to manage conflicts of interest in its advice to the MG Rover Group and the "Phoenix Four" directors, who bought the UK carmaker before it collapsed in 2005. It is highly concerning that the Tribunal found Deloitte and Mr Einollahi, the partner involved, to have demonstrated “a persistent and deliberate disregard …
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.