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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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Why the voice of patients must stay independent.
My response to important new report from @TheKingsFund
While the eyes of the world are on Iran, Israel is using the opportunity to deepen its illegal occupation of the West Bank…
BREAKING: Overnight, under cover of the Israel–Iran war, Israel allocates another 574 million ILS (≈$155m) to settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, and 9 million ILS (≈$2.4m) to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, spearheading attacks on humanitarian organisations.
In
People in #Gaza are still living in dire conditions while humanitarian aid is being blocked.
On 28 February, the Israeli authorities closed all crossings into the Gaza Strip, raising concerns about food security and fuel supplies needed to sustain humanitarian operations.
November's Newsletter gives an update on my work on Road Safety Week and HS2 as a Shadow Transport Minister, as well as Labour's pledges to scrap the Bedroom Tax and freeze your energy bills. There is also news about the campaign to boost the BBC's presence in the West Midlands and exciting new developments for cycling in Birmingham!
I'm encouraing Birmingham Northfield’s designated drivers to claim their reward for keeping the roads safe this Christmas. As part of a national campaign run by Coca-Cola in partnership with the THINK! Road safety campaign, designated drivers can enjoy a “buy one, get one free” offer on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero as they celebrate the festive period in local pubs and bars. I’m really …
Richard Burden MP, Labour’s Shadow Roads Minister, responding to the Government’s merger of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) into the DVSA said:
“Ministers are out of touch if they think announcing a new name is the same as making real improvements to safety on our roads.
Last month, the Amnesty International Group in Bournville, South Birmingham, asked me to address them on my work as a member of the International Development Committee of the House of Commons. This article taken from what I said to the meeting. After 8 years on the International Development Select Committee (IDC), my appointment as Shadow Transport Minister means I have had to recently step down …
As the MP for Birmingham Northfield I welcome the development of a Cycle Charter for the West Midlands, which is open to public consultation. This response expresses support for the Charter’s key principles and goals, and proposes additional action to support greater cycling participation in the region – including through ambitious targets, local engagement and participation, better …
The City Council is considering the introduction of 20mph speed limits on the city’s roads to improve safety and reduce collisions. As their decision will affect everyone who lives, works, shops, visits or travels in the city, I welcome the opportunity to respond as the MP for Birmingham Northfield.
You may have read that the BBC have committed to a new vision for Birmingham, with a promise of a £23.5 million investment for our city. This is a major step forward in a long running campaign to boost the BBC’s presence in Birmingham and the Midlands more widely. Along with other Labour MPs, I have long been calling for a fair a share of BBC investment in our region. There is a huge gap …
I’m something of a petrol-head. I love driving and I used to do a bit of motor racing. But I’m a regular public transport user too, and in London I usually walk to and from work. Cycling? Yes, but not as often as I should. All these things make me a “road user” – well, apart from the racing. However, when I’m moving about I want to feel safe on the roads, like everyone else. But like a lot of …
Responding to the fifth cyclist death in nine days to happen in London, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister Richard Burden MP said: “The news of another cyclist being killed on the road in London is a real tragedy. A lot of good work is already being done to promote cycling in the capital and to improve safety for cyclists, which makes the events of the last week even more tragic. It all …
This week I met with former world land speed record holder Richard Noble at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Bloodhound SuperSonic Car exhibition in the House of Commons.
As a Birmingham MP I’ve long supported HS2 because I know the benefits it can bring to our region. It’s not so much about shaving a bit here or there from journey times. Last year, over 1.5 billion journeys were made on the rail network. That is over 4,000 more train services a day than in the mid-1990s. Dwindling capacity means that more and more people will have to endure cramped …
October has certainly been a busy month for me. You may have heard that I have recently been appointed a Shadow Minister within Labour’s Transport Team – a very exciting opportunity that I have written about further in my monthly newsletter for October. I have also been calling for action on a number of important issues for Birmingham Northfield, including knife crime, education and the BBC …
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.
