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.
“The FRC operates under a specific remit. They obviously have to act in accordance with that. “It is significant, however, that the FRC also says that there are further issues for the Dti to consider. It is vital that the Dti acts on this and, from my own discussions with ministers, I have no doubt that they would wish to do so. The Dti has the power to order further official enquiries and I am …
This year, the General Election in Northfield and in many parts of the West Midlands region was inevitably overshadowed by events at MG Rover. Through the mechanisms set up by the Government Task Force, we all have a continuing responsibility to help those who have lost their jobs both at MG Rover and in the businesses dependent on it and to identify new opportunities in both employment and …
The Department of Trade and Industry have released a statement this morning stating that they have been informed by SAIC in Shanghai that they “are not willing to acquire either the whole or parts of the MGR or Powertrain businesses on a going concern basis out of administration, nor are they willing to establish a UK joint venture incorporating the whole or parts of the MGR or Powertrain …
“This is a bitter blow, not only to the 6,000 people who work at Longbridge, but to their families and to the thousands of others whose own livelihoods are intertwined with that of MG Rover. When BMW pulled out 5 years ago, I was one of 80,000 who marched to save Rover. Together, government, unions and the communities of the West Midlands came together and the closure threat to Longbridge was …
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): Does my right hon. Friend agree that on the subject of investment, the proposed joint venture between the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and MG Rover is not only vital for the west midlands but offers long-term benefits to both companies and both countries?
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): Amid the speculation in the press about the progress of negotiations between MG Rover and Shanghai Automotive, does my right hon. Friend agree that we must keep at the forefront of our minds the 6,000 employees at MG Rover, the employees’ families, the communities that depend on MG Rover and the businesses whose futures are intertwined with MG …
Government spokespeople have confirmed that senior officials from the Department of Trade and Industry are in China to help bring to a successful conclusion, the proposed partnership arrangement between Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) and MG Rover. They have also confirmed that the government has offered repayable bridging finance to stabilise the transition and to allow the new joint venture between …
At the end of January, I attended the launch of the Make Poverty History Campaign in Birmingham, and along with hundreds of other supporters, wrapped a huge white ribbon around St Martin’s in the Bullring. This campaign, which is supported by a coalition of over 200 charities and other organisations, is a chance for everyone to get involved, and to put pressure on World Leaders to really move …
After leading last year’s campaign to save local post offices in the constituency from closure, and helping to spearhead a Commons Inquiry into Post Office reorganization nationally, I was pleased to open a new sub post office in Longbridge. The new Longbridge Post Office on Bristol Road South replaces a former branch on Edgewood Road and an old one on Bristol Road South. The new branch is …
I was out and about in February, talking to local Pensioners groups, listening to their views about the future of pensions in this country. As a result of the increase in government investment under Labour, nearly two million pensioners have been lifted out of poverty. In addition, changes brought in by the Government mean that 14,035 pensioners benefit from the Winter Fuel Allowance, worth at …
Richard Burden recently hosted a briefing in Parliament for MPs whose constituencies are within the travel-to-work area of MG Rover. At the meeting, the MPs were given an update by MG Rover Director of Communications on the strategy behind the proposed joint venture between MG Rover and the Chinese motor manufacturer, Shanghai Automotive (SAIC). With the Longbridge plant in his constituency …
On Monday March 14th, Richard met representatives of the Royal College of Nursing to discuss their manifesto “Health Priorities for the next UK Government”. The manifesto calls for a ban on smoking in public places, safer workplaces, a stronger focus on measures to boost recruitment and retention of nurses, better funding for long term nursing care, ensuring all children have access to a school …
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.
