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.
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These are the main subjects on which I’ve written. Click here to view the full list of categories.
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Yes – West Midlands Police have serious questions to answer about their behaviour. But it is not the whole story. You wouldn’t know it from most of the commentary today, but this @TimesofIsrael piece provides important context around the Maccabi issue
Chair @SarahChampionMP has written with concern to Foreign Secretary @YvetteCooperMP over the Israeli Government’s treatment of @UNRWA and other INGOs, which run a range of services for Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Read more: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/98/international-development-committee/news/211214/international-development-committee-chair-urges-foreign-secretary-to-act-over-unrwa-restrictions/
Trump’s coup in Venezuela didn’t just break the rules – it showed there aren’t any. We’ll all regret that | Nesrine Malik
Following the success of my first ‘Ask Me Anything’ session I am delighted to announce that my second AMA will take place between 5.30 – 6.30pm on Monday 15th July. For those of you who did not take part first time around, I will be online, waiting to give live answers from anyone who posts on my Facebook & Twitter Pages during the hour. As the title of the event suggests, I will take …
Opening a debate on the controversial use of 0845 and 087 numbers by ministerial departments this morning, I called for the government to end the use of high cost phone lines. I have been contacted by local people understandbly irate that calling government departments leaves them with sky high bills. After questioning government departments about their use of these numbers, I have been shocked …
Today there are hundreds of thousands of disabled and older people who are not getting the social care support they need to live their lives with dignity and independence. What is more, carers up and down the country are not receiving the recognition or rewards they so thoroughly deserve. The need for a Care and Support Bill has been long overdue. So I am glad the Coalition has put forward …
Labour leader, Ed Miliband and Shadow Housing Minister, Jack Dromey MP for Birmingham Erdington, joined me on a visit to St Modwen’s development at Longbridge on Saturday (22 June).
Ed was here to see the progress being made in the area before making his speech to the National Policy Forum in Birmingham.
Today I was at Sainsbury’s Northfield for the announcement that the Lifeline Food Bank is the store's Charity of the Year. The food bank will receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness support from the retailer. Joined by the founder of the food bank Pastor Stephen Merrick, local Labour councillors and Sainsbury's staff, we kicked off fundraising with a food donation drive in the store …
Alongside 17 other Midlands MPs from across all parties, I signed a letter calling for George Osborne to use next week's spending review to announce major new funding for regional development. Coined the 'single pot' by Lord Heseltine in his No Stone Unturned report on growth last year, the fund aims to revive regional economies in places such as the West Midlands.
Yesterday in parliament we debated the importance of the arts and creative industries - not only for the economy but for people's lives. I called on the government to invest and harness Birmingham's innovation and talent - especially by ensuring the BBC has a real and long term presence in our region. We need more programmes produced here, and more representation of local people on the TV screens …
Welcomed local @unibirmingham students Claire and Becky to Parliament today for 2nd stage of their #Parliamentors programme placement
— Richard Burden MP (@RichardBurdenMP) June 18, 2013
Health for Life event – children from Forestdale and Fisher schools on course for healthy future pic.twitter.com/Bjx20XFNNo
— Richard Burden MP (@RichardBurdenMP) June 18, 2013
Yesterday I celebrated a really exciting new project – Health for Life in Schools – that aims to provide primary schools children in South Birmingham will the skills to lead a healthy and active lifestyle for life. It was an excellent event – Forestdale and St John Fisher schools from my Northfield constituency were there, showcasing the work of staff and pupils to grow vegetables, encourage …
There is enough food in the world to feed everyone. But every year 2.3 million children die from malnutrition. If we’re going to put a stop to this global injustice we need radical change. Hosting the G8 in Northern Ireland today and tomorrow (17-18 June), the UK once again has the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to show global leadership. Alongside hundreds of charities and Ivan Lewis …
On Saturday (15 May) I joined over 250 protestors outside Birmingham Council House to campaign against the bedroom tax. People receiving housing benefit, who live in council or housing association homes with a spare bedroom, face a choice between paying £600 more a year or moving home. But as I know all to well from my constituents, there often just isn’t a choice. The truth is there aren’t …
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.
