Richard Burden

Former Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield

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.

Local
National
Motor
WORLD

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.

Contact
Recent tweets

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

Richard Burden Follow

Former MP/Shadow Minister.Chair https://t.co/0IKRce2GXY. Chair @RemSrebWestMids.Trustee @BritPalProject.Fellow @The_IMI. Ex Chair @MedicalAidPal.Own views

RichardBurden27
richardburden27 Richard Burden @richardburden27 ·
5 Feb

Disgusting desecration and destruction of Commonwealth War Graves in Gaza .



Having visited the cemeteries in Gaza myself and met the Palestinians who care for them, the enormity of this feels personal for me https://richardburden.com/2024/11/gazas-commonwealth-war-graves-remembering-the-past-and-facing-the-present/

Reply on Twitter 2019338679043649944 Retweet on Twitter 2019338679043649944 1 Like on Twitter 2019338679043649944 1 View on 𝕏 2019338679043649944
richardburden27 Richard Burden @richardburden27 ·
31 Jan

Such shocking and sad news that Councillor Waseem Zaffar has died. A committed community politician, he made a big contribution to the work of Birmingham City Council, particularly in promoting clean air. Above all to me personally, he was always a supportive friend. RIP

Reply on Twitter 2017537103362445499 Retweet on Twitter 2017537103362445499 1 Like on Twitter 2017537103362445499 13 View on 𝕏 2017537103362445499
Retweet on Twitter Richard Burden Retweeted
remsrebwestmids Remembering Srebrenica – West Midlands @remsrebwestmids ·
27 Jan

Our Chair, ⁦@RichardBurden27⁩ , was proud to represent ⁦⁦@RemSrebWestMids⁩ at the @HMD_UK Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in Birmingham yesterday #RememberYesterdayActToday

Reply on Twitter 2016059437610418204 Retweet on Twitter 2016059437610418204 3 Like on Twitter 2016059437610418204 4 View on 𝕏 2016059437610418204
Load More

Latest posts

Longbridge vision comes to life

Northfield area
24 February 2013
1 minute read
1,119 views
L

The developers of the new Longbridge town centre being built on the former MG Rover site have put together a fascinating fly through video, bringing the vision for the area to life.
You can watch the video online here.

Read onRead later

Three in ten Birmingham children growing up in poverty

Education & children, Northfield area, Welfare
20 February 2013
1 minute read
1,150 views
T

The child poverty figures published today paint a stark picture.
One in five British children live below the poverty line. Across Birmingham it is up to three in ten – and in parts of the constituency it is as high as four in ten. This poverty cripples a child’s chance to lead a happy and healthy life and makes it so much harder for them to reach their potential.

Read onRead later

Simple heart test to help save newborn babies’ lives

Health & social care, Northfield area
8 February 2013
2 minute read
682 views
S

The front page of today’s Bromsgrove Standard features the important story of one of my younger constituents, Sam from Rednal, now aged four. Sam was born with an undiagnosed heart condition. Fortunately he received a pulse oximetry test when he was born, which was being trialled at Birmingham Women’s Hospital at the time. The test picked up his heart condition and three days later he underwent …

Read onRead later

Equal marriage

Equalities
5 February 2013
2 minute read
1,286 views
E

I have been contacted by many constituents about the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – both by those for and those against the proposal to introduce same-sex marriage. Marriage is an important statement of love and long term commitment, and has long been the main way that the state recognises and shows support for loving relationships. I believe that couples who love each other and want to …

Read onRead later

MG Rover trust fund

MG/Rover/Longbridge, Northfield area
1 February 2013
1 minute read
1,320 views
M

As you may have seen in the local news, yesterday the trustees of the MG Rover trust fund visited the Acorns hospice in Selly Oak to officially present Acorns with a donation of £23,000.
This comes at the end of the long and sad saga of the trust fund set up for former MG Rover workers when the company collapsed in 2005.

Read onRead later

A tax on strivers

Jobs, business & economy, Welfare
28 January 2013
2 minute read
1,459 views
A

Last week the government voted for an unfair attack on the tax credits and working benefits which millions of people rely on to get by. Many working families are finding things really tough at the moment. They do the right thing, get up early, work a long day, but still they struggle to make ends meet. Many of them use tax credits and benefits to top up their income as without them work wouldn’t …

Read onRead later

Recent Posts

Richard Burden

Avatar photo

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.