Richard Burden


Former Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield

Welcome to my website and blog.

I created it when I was Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield between 1992 and 2019, and most of the posts on here date from that period. A summary of my Parliamentary career can be found here. You can also read a bit more about who I am and what makes me tick here.

I have continued to blog from time to time since leaving Parliament. My posts below also contain links to articles I have written and which have been published elsewhere, together with posts imported from my own Facebook page.

This front page of my website contains the text (only) of my recent tweets and retweets on X and introductory extracts from my blog posts in date order. To view posts on a specific subject, from both during and after my time in Parliament, please click one of the buttons below.

These are the main subjects on which I’ve written. Click here to view the full list of categories.

Click on ‘Contact’ below for links to my Facebook page, Bluesky and Threads accounts and to my LinkedIn profile.

Recent tweets

This feed refreshes intermittently. Please log in to X (Twitter) to view my newest tweets in full.

.@Guardian report: Palestinians will not be allowed to return to homes in northern Gaza, says IDF. Anyone who still doubts that the war crime of ethnic cleansing is taking place while the word looks on should read this.

“We need each other. And so, for the next four years, solidarity is the name of the game. That’s what we learned, above all else, on election night 2024”

My piece on the election result and the return of Trump, from the early hours of this morning:

Yes, there has to be serious soul-searching in the Democrat Party about how it all came to this and what it means for the future. But Kamala Harris’ concession speech to supporters was inspirational. “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

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Latest posts

Laurence Turner: a new start for Birmingham Northfield

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A new candidate will be standing for Labour in my home constituency of Birmingham Northfield on 4th July. His name is Laurence Turner and he has my support as someone who lives here and who represented the area in Parliament for 27 years. My backing for Laurence is, of course, tinged with sadness. My last blog post on here welcomed the prospect of my good friend, Alex Aitken, winning the seat for …

Vote Alex Aitken for Birmingham Northfield on 4th July

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Two years ago, I posted the statement below on social media, announcing that I did not intend to stand again for election as MP for Birmingham Northfield. At the same time I voiced my support for Alex Aitken to become the next Labour candidate for the constituency. With the General Election having finally been called, on 4th July I will have the opportunity to vote for Alex to become my home MP …

Is Labour listening over Gaza?

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Labour says it will listen to its supporters’ concerns over Gaza. Now it must show it understands what that means. (An extract from an article originally published by Labour List.)

Remember Srebrenica

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Middle East Eye is reporting that Israel intends to set up checkpoints around Rafah to separate Palestinian men “of military age” from their families. It brings back haunting memories about what happened in Srebrenica in 1995.

Remembering Tom Hurndall

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It is 21 years since British photojournalist Tom Hurndall was shot by an Israeli sniper while trying to save children from the line of fire in Rafah. His memory calls us all to redouble our efforts to demand an end to Gaza’s agony today.

Gaza refugees: UK double standards and extortion at Rafah

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Refugees from Gaza with family in the UK face both Kafkaesque barriers from the UK government and extortion at the border between Rafah and Egypt. A family I know is experiencing both. Before going into that, though, let’s get one thing clear. The way to end the suffering in Gaza is an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access into the Strip, it is one hundred per cent unacceptable to …

Statement on CQC review of leadership at UHB

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This is a statement I made in my capacity as Healthwatch Birmingham & Healthwatch Solihull Chair, which was published on the Healthwatch Birmingham website: The latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report into University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) shows just how far the new leadership team has to go in earning the trust and confidence of staff who have suffered under the …

Abuse in Politics

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The boundaries between legitimate protest, abuse and intimidation are again in the spotlight. It is not the first time this has been an issue. I wrote about this subject in 2016 when I was an MP. Those of us who rightly call for the carnage in Gaza to stop – and stop now – must certainly reject intimidatory abuse in support of that cause. But nobody should pretend such abuse has ever only come …

ICJ decision on Gaza

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The International Court of Justice has reminded Israel that it has already ordered it to “ensure the safety and security of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip” – including in Rafah. The onslaught on Rafah that Netanyahu is threatening would be a clear breach of that order and illegal. How will history judge the international community if we just carry on making polite requests to Israel …

A picture of the NHS in microcosm

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“The most worrying finding is that patients are not always protected from harm.” I am chair of Healthwatch Birmingham and Healthwatch Solihull. This was my first statement on the new CQC report into University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust: In some respects, the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report into University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) is a picture of …

The West’s action against the Houthis is doomed to fail

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With more than 68 ships per day passing through the Suez Canal, carrying 12 percent of all goods traded in the world, it has been impossible for the international community to ignore the escalating attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea that Yemen's Houthis have launched over the past two months. In that context, the decision of the US and the UK to take military action against Houthi bases …

Gaza: lives in backpacks

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A friend in Gaza has just sent me this photo of people trying to get to the south on foot, having lost their homes in and around Gaza City. Whole lives consigned to a carrier bag or backpack. It will always shame the world that we let these war crimes carry on.

Recent Posts

Richard Burden

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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.

Get in touch

You can reach me by email at richard@richardburden.com or use the form on the Contact page to send me a message.