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.

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.

Recent tweets

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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/

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

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

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Latest posts

Richard raises Gaza situation in Commons

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Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): May I tell my hon. Friend that last month I discussed with businessmen in the north of Gaza their plans just to export like businessmen in any other part of the world, but that their ability to do so is being strangled by the Israelis’ continuing blockade of the Karni crossing? The blockade does not affect the firing of rockets from Gaza, but does …

Beyond Denial – A New Role for UK Policy In Israel and Palestine

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Let us be clear. There was no justification for Hamas’ military takeover in Gaza last week. Reports of summary executions and of those considered to be rivals being thrown from rooftops were nothing short of horrific. It opens up yet another chapter in the ongoing tragedy of Palestine. And once again, it will be ordinary Palestinians who will suffer the most.

Seizure of Palestinian representatives illegal and counter-productive

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A British MP who met one of the Palestinian Ministers seized by Israeli forces in the West Bank overnight says that Israel’s action are illegal and are directed against people who have a key role to play in promoting peace. Richard Burden MP and four other Parliamentary colleagues travelled to the West Bank in January on a visit organised by the UK charity, Forward Thinking, to help promote …

Richard welcomes Nanjing Automotive senior management to Parliament

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6 senior representatives of Nanjing Automobile Company, the new owners, of MG Longbridge plant, visited the Houses of Parliament on Friday as the guests of Northfield Labour MP, Richard Burden. Director of NAC UK, Mr Wang Yao Ping was joined by Company secretary Ms Sarah Xu and Legal Advisor, Mr Chai Cheng. They were accompanied by two senior consultants to the NAC Board, Mr Wang Wang Lin and Mr …

Longbridge MP visits Nanjing Automotive factory in China

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At the invitation of Nanjing Automotive Company which has established a base at the former MG Rover site at Longbridge, Richard Burden visited the company’s production base in China in March and saw how the machinery which was shipped from Birmingham to Nanjing is being used and some models that have already rolled off the line. He spoke with senior management from the company and emphasised the …

MG Rover inquiry

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Approaching the second anniversary of the collapse of MG Rover, Richard wrote to the Inspectors in charge of carrying out the Inquiry into what led to this, requesting that they complete this as soon as practicable. Richard emphasised his concern about the cost of the investigation and told the Inspectors whilst they should not compromise on thoroughness, that they should keep the expense down to …

Richard chases Rover Inspectors for a response

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Approaching the second anniversary of the collapse of MG Rover, Richard wrote to the Inspectors in charge of carrying out the Inquiry into what led to this, requesting that they complete this as soon as practicable. Richard emphasised his concern about the cost of the investigation and told the Inspectors whilst they should not compromise on thoroughness, that they should keep the expense down to …

Palestine Isolation Policy Not Working Says MP

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Richard Burden MP (Labour, Birmingham Northfield) has welcomed the publication today of the House of Commons International Development Committee Report on Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Mr Burden is a Member of the Committee which carried out the Inquiry, which included a fact finding visit to Israel and Palestine in November. He also chairs the Britain-Palestine …

UN must see through the spin and do what is right

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Before Parliament rose for the summer, a Labour colleague and I were sitting on the Commons benches listening to a Minister trying to explain why the Government did not feel it was appropriate to call on Israel to cease its bombing of South Lebanon immediately. We were told not to forget that it was Hezbollah, not Israel, that had kicked off hostilities “Isn’t it amazing?” observed my …

Concern over the PM’s speech at the WAC

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Richard Burden writes to Tony Blair expressing concern over the Prime Minister’s speech at the World Affairs Council Labour backbencher and member of the International Development Select Committee, Richard Burden MP, has today written to Tony Blair to express his concern at the Prime Minister’s speech at the World Affairs Council yesterday. In particular, Mr Burden questions Mr Blair’s contention …

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.