Former
Welcome to my website and blog.
You can read a bit more about who I am and what makes me tick here. A summary of the work I did when I was Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield between 1992 and 2019 can also be found here.
The older posts on here date from my time as an MP but I have continued to blog since leaving Parliament.
The opening paragraphs of my blog posts appear at the bottom of this page in reverse date order. The “Read on” buttons take you to what I have written in full. 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.
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.
Here is the link to my Bluesky account, and here is the link to my Twitter/X account. You can also view my Facebook page and LinkedIn profile.
Click on ‘Contact’ below to get in touch with me.
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Israeli forces are said to have dropped more explosives on Gaza than fell on London, Dresden and Hamburg combined in the Second World War. The level of destruction is hard to fathom as is the humanitarian suffering.
Our Foreign Affairs Correspondent @SecKermani looks at the…
Some personal reflections on what Remembering Srebrenica means in 2025 – for Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the wider world and here in the UK..

“Two years after 7 October and the kidnap of my parents, hate is in fashion. For all our sakes, we need compassion” | Sharone Lifschitz | The Guardian
Remembering all those killed and those taken hostage in southern Israel two years ago today. Thoughts with those who lost loved ones and solidarity with the families of those still held in captivity.
This by @JeremyBenAmi, who lost friends that day, is very powerful. #October7
Two years after October 7, @JeremyBenAmi writes that to honor the victims and end the cycle of horror, we must reclaim a word too often scoffed at and shied away from: Peace.
🔗 https://jstreetdotorg.substack.com/p/two-years-after-october-7-it-is-time
Last week it was a pleasure to declare my support for the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland’s ‘Count Them In’ campaign. This calls for questions on the Armed Forces community to be included in the next UK census. There are over 6 million members of this community in the UK, but little is known about their exact numbers, location and needs. It is important that we know these …
.@adigroupltd pre-apprenticeship course launch with N. Bromsgrove High school. Inspiring tomorrow's engineers today pic.twitter.com/iXDp11CTWN
— Richard Burden MP (@RichardBurdenMP) September 15, 2016
The initial proposals for boundary changes were published this morning by Boundary Commission England. They are only proposals and could yet be subject to change through the consultation and review periods ahead. However, in terms of the proposals in front of us now, Birmingham would be set to lose one Parliamentary seat overall. Under the Boundary Commission’s proposals, there would still be a …
In the weeks following the EU Referendum I have received hundreds of items of correspondence from constituents. I have written to constituents who have contacted me regarding the EU referendum result and its implications, and I intend to continue to give EU updates as often as possible. This is what I said:
This morning I asked the government about the problem of superfast not-spots in urban areas. This has been an ongoing issue that affects a number of constituents in Birmingham Northfield and many of you have been in touch with me about it. I have been raising this in Parliament over the last year and have also met with internet service providers (ISPs), highlighting concerns about the lack of …
Some of you may recall, back in March, along with other MPs, I was pressing the Government to back-off on proposals which threatened to stop local councils and other public bodies from considering ethical factors when making procurement decisions:
Originally published in Bromsgrove Standard – 5 August 2016 This is a diary piece of good news and of bad news. During the General Election campaign last year, Conservatives in South Birmingham were rushing around claiming that Northfield was going to lose its swimming pool. Their claims were, of course, rubbish, as they well knew. Northfield pool was coming to the end of its life. The …
Birmingham City Council is planning to remove dedicated transport to and from school for children with special needs. Parents rely on these services to help their children get to school safely and in a mind-set prepared for learning.
Welcome to my latest Parliamentary newsletter which covers local issues and developments as well as my actions in Parliament. This includes the response to the EU Referendum and the upcoming Labour Leadership contest, as well as local updates such as the reopening of Shopmobility and the fundraising for Sheila Dumbleton. I hope all of you and those close to you have a wonderful summer. In …
Leadership means understanding your part in building a social movement, not believing you are the personification of one. By Richard Burden Originally published by HuffPost, July 24, 2017 Traitors, backstabbers, Red Tories, Blairite plotters … all of us who have called for a change in Labour Leadership have had these kinds of labels thrown at us in recent weeks. Often they come from keyboard …
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 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.
