Last week, I attended the PACTS and Direct Line Constituency Road Safety Dashboard Awards. This reinforced the need for smarter focus on the issue of road safety as well as promoted a fantastic online tool on road safety progress called the Dashboard. Road safety is very important and must be promoted in order to ensure the safety of everyone, particularly at-risk groups. The event highlighted a …
Yesterday I sent out an email to local Labour members and supporters in the constituency. You can read my thoughts below: Dear Friend, As a local Labour member, I am sure you will want to know the latest on arrangements for Labour’s leadership election. You may have heard that most Party meetings have been put on hold by Labour’s National Executive Committee so I want to let you know about …
I have just sent the below letter of resignation to Jeremy Corbyn. I have done so with a heavy heart. Jeremy is a friend and someone who I have worked with for many years. However, I hope the attached letter of resignation sets out why I believe the current situation has become untenable and cannot be allowed to continue any longer. You can also find links below to copies of the letter I sent to …
Friend, comrade and fellow boat-dweller. Rest in peace, Jo. You made a difference and we will miss you x
Yesterday I pledged my support for Carers Week 2016. Across the UK there are 6.5m people providing unpaid care for an ill, older or disabled family member or friend, with 11,243 of those in Birmingham Northfield. There are also a lot of people who do not identify themselves as carers because they see what they do as part and parcel of family life, helping to support those closest to them when …
You should not be stopped from getting a job in your chosen career because you can’t afford to start off working for free. Politics and Parliament should be no different. This way, we can make sure that it is more understanding of the issues facing people from all backgrounds and that it makes more meaningful differences to people’s lives. Getting your first job in Parliament is notoriously …
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.