It’s hard to believe that not quite 12 months ago Boris Johnson scored such a decisive election victory. He won because he said he’d agreed a deal to get Brexit done. Now he says we’ll have to leave without one and ignores the damage that will do to the Midlands. We’re already on our kneesContinue reading This country deserves better than power-grabbing, tinpot dictatorship
Last week’s announcement that Bruntwood SciTech are joining the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Health Partners to secure the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus is very good news, especially on the jobs front, in these otherwise dreadful times. It puts Birmingham at the forefront of medical research with the prospect of new drugs, treatments and medicalContinue reading Putting City at the Forefront of Medical Research
One thing we won’t be hearing this Christmas is that pantomime favourite, ‘he’s behind you.’ Even Christmas is now in doubt. I recently heard from a constituent who contacted me early in lockdown. He’s a self-employed artist who concentrates on children’s entertainment. The government advised him to take a Bounce Back loan but remain oblivious toContinue reading Creative Sector Needs Recovery Cash Now
Steve McCabe MP for Birmingham Selly Oak is calling for local views on the government’s proposals to overhaul the planning system. In August, the Government published their White Paper on reforming the planning system ‘Planning for the Future’. This White Paper will introduce a number of measures including a zonal planning system, Local AuthorityContinue reading MP Calls for Evidence on Proposed Planning Reforms
Dear Secretary of State The people of Birmingham are not stupid. We are a proud, diverse and industrious population, used to coping with adversity. We’ll accept new restrictions, in the battle against coronavirus, but in return we expect clarity, honesty and some respect. Last week your office issued a statement about new restrictions affecting Birmingham,Continue reading Time to Step up or Step Aside
Steve McCabe, MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, has urged the government to get on with targeted job creation as unemployment continues to rise in his constituency. Figures released yesterday show 7.6% of people in Selly Oak Constituency were claiming unemployment benefits as of August 2020, considerably higher than the national average of 6.5%. TheContinue reading MP Calls on Government to Deliver Jobs Promise in Unemployment Hotspots
Steve McCabe MP for Birmingham Selly Oak has written to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to share his constituents concerns about testing and demand answers on what is being done to fix the chaos. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Birmingham MP also urged the Health Secretary to stopContinue reading Steve McCabe demands answers from Secretary of State on Testing Chaos in Birmingham
Is the PM’s exhortation that people should get back to the office a bit misplaced? Does it focus too much on the financial health of well-known coffee and sandwich shops? I’ve got nothing against these businesses but they are a relatively small part of our economy while there are many other jobs and industries requiring support. I wonder why they’re being given such high priority. There was evidence of change in our city centres long before the pandemic. More people are shopping online. Clean air measures will undoubtedly reduce car numbers coming into the centre andContinue reading Changing City Centre for the Better
I’m uncomfortable with the number of family homes converted to Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), it’s a big issue in my constituency. It significantly alters the character of an area and deprives young families of starter homes. I was reflecting on this last week when I read the Birmingham Mail story about the drug gangContinue reading Case Raises questions over hmo’s
A week is certainly a long time in politics. Last week the PM claimed the A level results were robust and dependable and his Education Secretary, the one who looks and acts like Private Pike, insisted there’d be no U-turn. This week they’ve abandoned the fancy algorithm which marked down bright children, at state schools, and favoured those who attended private schools. How did this happen? It didn’t come out of the blue; we’ve known since February that there was a problem and yet the government waited until after theContinue reading Too Little, too late for many
