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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Real elation that every living Israeli hostage is now free. Even one still held would have continued the nightmare. It carries on for many Palestinians Israel has abducted. I wrote about Dr Husam Abu Safiya in February . Why is he still in captivity?
Last week, our chair @richardburden27 published on his own website some personal reflections about what Remembering Srebrenica has meant for him this year.

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…
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 …
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 …
The number of MPs who signed Early Day Motion 1181 calling for the immediate and unconditional safe relaese of Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist kidnapped in Gaza over a month ago, has now reached 100.
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 …
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 Burden, MP for Birmingham Northfield and Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group today (9 February 07) welcomed the announcement that a Saudi brokered accord has been signed between Fateh and Hamas to form a national unity government.
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 …
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 …
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 …
A cross party group of UK MPs have issued a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. 56 MPs have signed the statement so far which was published today in the Guardian newspaper. It is expected that more will add their names over the next few days. The statement calls for an immediate cessation to violence by all sides, for the release of unlawfully held prisoners by Israel, Hizbollah …
Richard Burden puts down a statement, co-signed by many other UK Parliamentarians, issuing a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. A cross-party group of UK MPs have issued a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. 60 MPs have signed the statement so far which was published today in the Guardian newspaper. It is expected that more will add their names over the next few …
A British MP who was an official international observer at the Palestinian elections last week has called for “clear thinking and a measured response” to Hamas’ sweeping victory. Mr Burden says that the international community is right to make clear to Hamas that they must abandon the path of violence and that recognition of Israel will be part of any lasting settlement. However, he warns against …
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.
