Birmingham MPs were active in the Commons yesterday on behalf of our City. I raised the issue of school crossing patrols and the unfair financial settlement being imposed on Birmingham by the Conservative Government. Gisela Stuart from Edgbaston called for a radical overhaul of the way local government is treated so Birmingham can better meet the challenges and opportunities our City faces. As …
I never knew Tory ministers were like buses but it's true. You don't catch a glimpse of one for ages and then they all turn up at once. That's certainly how it's been in my home constituency of Birmingham Northfield. The Conservative government has never shown much interest in the people who live around here. Presumably that is why they thought it fine to hit Birmingham with cuts at a rate twice …
On Tuesday (3 February 2015) I successfully held an Ask Me Anything using my Twitter and Facebook pages. As promised I did my best to answer as many questions from Northfield constituents as possible within the intended hour-long chat. In the end I stayed on for an extra 20 minutes and I’m still getting back to a few I missed! You can see my responses on Twitter by checking out this handy Storify …
An appeal has now been submitted against the City Council’s refusal of separate Planning Application for a new Sainsburys store on the Car Park of the Navigation Pub near Kings Norton Green. Here are the details of how residents can submit views.
Here is the Letter I have received from Tescos informing me that the store is going to close on or after March 15.
I am delighted to announce I will be hosting an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session between 5.30 – 6.30 pm on Tuesday 3rd February 2015. Social media offers exciting opportunities for politicians to engage with local people directly. I believe that it’s really important we use the technology available at our finger tips to help represent you – the people who elect us. I want to reach out to people in as …
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.