Many constituents have been in touch over the last six months with their concerns about the bid by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation to take total control of BSkyB.
You may have seen today’s news that Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, has approved News Corporation’s plan to spin off Sky News, clearing the way for its proposed £8bn purchase of the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own.
For me, securing a yes vote in the referendum is about helping to create a more open and participatory politics. A lot of people in this country find politics a really big turn-off – and I can understand why. They want to see a change in the way politics is done. I do too.
Ed Miliband’s first few days as Leader of the Labour Party have brought a breath of fresh air to politics. In his speech to the Labour Party Conference Ed was right to emphasise not just Labour policies, but also our values – the things which makes us tick. He has already shown he is prepared to face up to the things which Labour got wrong in government as well as celebrate the things we achieved …
The government has today published their plans for a new high speed rail network. This is the kind of long term thinking that we need for the West Midlands. A high speed rail station in the centre of Birmingham will be good for the city and a gateway to the region as a whole. Having an additional interchange station adjacent to the NEC and Birmingham airport will boost the profile of the West …
This week I joined fellow Labour MPs to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the ban on fox hunting.
It is now five years since the Fox-Hunting Bill received Royal Assent, ending the cruel practice of hunting with dogs. In that time, dozens of prosecutions have been brought under the Act, showing that this ban is making a real difference.
Today I was pleased to welcome the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn to the Northfield constituency. He was here to visit Frankley – one of the local areas severely hit by floods last year. The government has earmarked funds for the area under its flood protection scheme. During the visit we met with community leaders, Frankley Parish Councillors and staff from Birmingham City Council and the …
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.