National issues

Rise in road casualties highlight impact of cuts in road safety and police budgets

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This week  the Government published the annual statistics on reported road casualties in Great Britain. Behind these figures are personal tragedies for thousands of families up and down the country whose loved ones have been killed or injured on our roads. They should be a wake-up call for Ministers. After decades of progress, for some time there have been worrying rises in casualty rates for …

Devolution must reach people on the edge

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Last year’s independence referendum, and the massive increase in support for the Scottish Nationalists at the General Election, have inevitably focused attention about how and where decisions should be made across the different nations of the UK. It’s also clear that big questions must be answered about how power is devolved – not only to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but within …

Digital disaster for drivers

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Unless the new Government stops ignoring concerns, and ends the complacency, I fear that only further chaos looms ahead. By Richard Burden Originally published by HuffPost, June 11, 2015 New Government, same problems. This week saw the final abolition of the ‘Counterpart Driving Licence’ – the green paper sheet holding a drivers’ convictions and entitlements. It has been …

Animal Welfare Round-up Issue #1

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This is my inaugural animal welfare round-up where I will regularly update you on some of the animal causes I have been campaigning on.

I am regularly in contact with many local people regarding issues of animal welfare. I believe strongly that there is no place in a civilised society for animal cruelty and often raise these concerns with the UK Government.

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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.