Category Archives: Bromford & Firs

This weeks riots – Where do we go from here?

Today, together with MPs from the across the country, I arrived back at the House of Commons to debate the horrific rioting of the last week.

On the radio at lunchtime, debating with Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, I made my views very clear. Up and down the country – and especially here in Birmingham – our police officers have performed real heroics. But they weren’t confronting daylight robbery – this was flash mob robbery; and it needed new tactics. In this country, we still believe some-one’s home is their castle. And when our fellow citizens are forced to flee their own homes in fear or watch their businesses wiped out, then we have to take a stand and say quite bluntly; we are not having this.

I know lots of people watching the images we’ve seen on the TV will be saying; ‘Good grief; what has our country come to?’ Well, the real answer came from one man; Tariq Jahan, the father of one of the murdered young men in Winson Green who today was a hero saluted by MPs on all sides of the House of Commons. In what must have been one of the darkest hours of his life, he spoke with incredible calm, compassion and composure about his love for his lost son – and his determination to see our city stay calm. In my book, Mr Jahan is the real spirit of our country – and our city should be immensely proud of these boys’ families.

I know lots of people will want to debate the long term issues, next steps and underlying causes. But I’m afraid nothing excuses the criminality we saw this week. Hodge Hill has the highest youth unemployment in the country – and my experience is that the overwhelmingly – and I mean overwhelming – the majority of our young people aren’t turning from unemployment to crime; they’re just trying as hard as they can to get a job despite the odds. That’s because they’re right-minded citizens as disgusted as everyone else about what has happened.

So let me just make one point about the next steps; this has got to be the wrong time to make cuts to our police that so fast and deep. Our Chief Constable Chris Simms has done a magnificent job this week; but he was amongst the first to say we can’t protect visible policing with cuts on this scale. You can’t defeat gangs with policing by surge. We need visible policing day in day out, round the clock and round the corner. That’s why I’ve campaigned every week since I was elected for more police teams in Hodge Hill.

Over the next few weeks, I want to offer my evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee about what Hodge Hill residents see as what we need to do next as a country. So if you’ve got views, I’d like to hear them.

 

Tell me what you think about Birmingham police cuts

I’ve campaigned hard for more police since being elected as your MP in 2004, we have 30% more officers in our area now than in 1997. So I’m very concerned about the Tory/Lib Dem proposed police cuts. Birmingham Police force is facing budget cuts of up to 20%. Already West Midlands Police Force has 3% fewer officers than last year – and Hodge Hill crime has already risen by 5%. But I’m afraid it doesn’t end there. At the same time as cutting police officers the government plan to elect American style Police Commissioners, which the BBC estimate will cost £136m over 10 years. Not only can we not afford it, but I don’t think the police should be politicised. I’m glad the House of Lords has opposed this plan. Click here to tell me what you think

 

‘Commons on your Corner’ – Resident Meeting, Thurs 4th Feb

I’m holding my monthly residents meeting at Cameronian Hall, Bromford Drive on Thurs 4th February at 7.00pm. Are you free to come and have a cup of coffee and a chat about what’s going on, on the Bromford?

My residents meetings have always given residents a chance to let me know what needs sorting where you live – and a chance to air some views about business at Westminster.

By popular request, I’m inviting officers from West Mids Police to listen to policing concerns.

Hope to see you there!

 

Fewer people seen fast on the NHS

Last week I met the new Chief Executive, Dr Mark Newbold, of the Heartlands hospital, to hear about how the government’s misguided shake-up of the NHS is going to hit local residents. It’s clear, we just don’t know how bad it’s going to get. Much depends on whether we can get local care in place to reduce the pressure on what’s clearly an already very, very busy hospital. Thank heavens we’ve two new mega-centres funded by Labour, about to open in Washwood Heath and the Bromford.

The good news is that Dr Newbold is determined to put basic standards of compassionate care at the top of his list – and is actively looking at new ways for the hospital which employs 10,000 people, to boost local employment and training prospects in Hodge Hill. More on this to follow.

But, what’s already clear is that since the new Tory-led government took over, the number of people getting treatment within 18 weeks is falling – its back to 2008 levels already. I’ll be keeping a very close eye on this. The public will not forgive this government failing the NHS.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Byrne at Heartlands to discuss NHS Shakeup

Liam Byrne will today meet with Mark Newbold, Chief Executive of Heartlands hospital, to discuss the Government proposed NHS shakeup.

The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill is concerned that the planned shift of power from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to local GPs will affect the care patients receive.

Liam said

‘In 1997 12,968 people in the West Midlands were on NHS waiting lists for 6 months or more, last year there were just 13[1]. I don’t want to go back to the bad old days of people worrying and in pain for months.’

‘Heartlands Hospital has an excellent reputation and I want to see it stay that way. The proposed Health Bill is three times bigger than the legislation that set up the NHS in 1948. It will mean massive changes which will put unnecessary extra pressure on the NHS. I want to make sure Heartlands gets the support it needs from me.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. ‘1997 12,968 people in the West Midlands were on NHS waiting lists for 6 months or more, last year there were just 13’ From NHS Factsheets

 

Bromford Buses – UPDATE

Following my meeting with Centro to fight for  improved bus services on the Bromford and Firs estates, Centro have written to tell me:

‘Service 26 – Requests for better links onto the Bromford Estate via the Health Centre and towards the Fox & Goose area other than to/from Birmingham City Centre have been one of the common themes we have received in the consultation and we are currently working with National Express on options to hopefully deliver this link though we still have to agree the exact routing and detail of times

Following our meeting I did visit the site and can confirm that a bus would not be able to operate along Firs Farm Drive, but if we can locate stops suitable along Chipperfield Road then this would certainly help in meeting the access requirements’

I look forward to hearing about the final proposals, and jumping on the improved 26 bus service from my office at the Fox & Goose to my residents meeting on the Bromford later in the year!

 

Hodge Hill’s university applications double

Thought I would start what will be a tough year with some good news – the extraordinary turn-around in the number of our young people going to university. This is a major priority for me over the next five years – and has been a big part of my work over the last five years.

Figures out today in the Guardian now show that over the last 10 years the number of our young people going to university has doubled – that is the second best performance in Birmingham (Erdington slightly pipped us to the post for the no. 1 slot).

But most of all it is a huge testament to our young people, their parents, our teachers and headteachers, whwo have transformed the quality of local education. Just before Christmas, for example, I had the privilige of speaking at Park View’s celebration for becoming the first school in the constituency with 100% A-C results.

With results like these, I’m naturally worried about the government’s plans to triple tuition fees and cut budgets at local schools. I think the cuts could push us backwards. That’s why I’m stepping up my campaign for community service for young people. All the research we’ve done in Hodge Hill tells us that it’s crucial in transforming the appetite of young people to go and achieve their real potential.

 

Birmingham MP’s statement on police cuts

Liam and Birmingham MPs at Home OfficePress Statement – BIRMINGHAM LABOUR MPs

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16/12/2010

WEST MIDLANDS POLICE HIT HARDER THAN LOW CRIME SURREY

270 EXPERIENCED OFFICERS TO GO BY MARCH

The West Midlands Police is one of the top two hardest hit in the country. The least hard hit force will be Surrey. As a result of the unfair financial settlement the West Midlands Police Authority have approved implementation of Regulation A19 – which will mean 270 of West Midlands most experienced Police officers will go by March.

The Birmingham Labour MPs have released the following statement:

“This is a bitter blow for the West Midlands Police and the people they serve. Residents of Birmingham and the West Midlands will be absolutely stunned that their police service is being hit harder than low-crime Surrey. So much for we’re all in this together.

“We know that as a result of these cuts there will be fewer bobbies on the beat and their ability to prevent crime, solve cases and protect the public will be diminished.”

“Only today, the West Midlands Police Authority have announced that up to 270 of their most experienced Police officers are to go by March, with another 800 police officers expected to be lost in the coming years.”

“The West Midlands is a high need area with big challenges for the police and communities alike, and it is being treated less favourably than low-crime Surrey. These cuts risk rising crime, despite the best efforts of the Police service.”

“We met with the Police Minister, Nick Herbert, last week to ask for a fair deal for the West Midlands and yet the announcement is worse than feared, with bigger cuts in 2012-2013 than anyone expected. This settlement is completely unfair and unjust, we will continue to pressure the Government to think again”

Notes to editors:

  1. The headline figure for all police authorities is a reduction in funding in 2011/12 of 5.1% and a further reduction in funding in 2012/13 of 6.7%.

2.       This approach further disadvantages WMPA because government grant represents 87% of the total WMPA funding, with council tax making up the remaining 13%.  In effect, 87% of WMPA total funding is reducing by 5.1%, equivalent to a reduction in overall resources of 4.1%.  This is in stark contrast to an authority with a lower proportion of government grant within their overall funding.

  1. The reduction in overall funding for Surrey is just 1.5%, compared to 4.1% for West Midlands due to gearing.
  2. Formula damping in 2011/12 lost West Midlands £27m, whereas Surrey gained £4m.
  3. Between 2006/07 and 2012/13, West Midlands has lost £279m to formula damping.  Over the same period Surrey has gained by £21m.

6.       Police authorities are funded through a national funding formula which reflects relative needs of each area, and hence gives a different amount of funding for each authority.  However, the Home Office has once more not implemented in full the results of the national funding formula, choosing instead to give the same level of reduction to all authorities.  Had the national funding formula been implemented in full, the funding for West Midlands would have been £27m higher in 2011/12, and £23m higher in 2012/13.

 

Hodge Hill ward campaign survey results

Earlier in the summer, Labour’s team also asked residents of Hodge Hill what they thought of the government’s decisions to put up VAT, and whether they would back our campaign to reinstate funding cut from the rebuild and refurbishment of Hodge Hill school. Here’s the results;

  • 88% thought the VAT rise was not fair – 9.45% thought that the VAT rise was fair
  • Almost 70 %  supported Labour’s campaign to reverse the decision to cut the refurbishment of Hodge Hill School; 24% thought the cut was OK

Thanks to everyone who took part!

 

Bromford And Firs Towers Update

At last! Here’s the update we’ve been waiting for! Below a letter to me from our constituency director, Rob James.

Dear Liam,

Please see update below:

Bayley and Stoneycroft Towers

Demolition of towers

Work started on the internal soft stripping earlier this month on Bayley Tower with external demolition due to start in January 2011.   Soft stripping will commence inside on Stoneycroft once the sub station inside is decommissioned.   The target for both towers  to be  demolished is  May 2011.

Development of the site

As you know the Bromford Towers site is located in a high flood zone, which means we cannot build until flood defences have been installed for the River Tame.   Planning permission would not be gained until the flood defences have been installed.    The Environment Agency will be installing defences in the future, however timescales for these are not available at the moment.   Once these defences have been installed Birmingham City Council will be in a position to develop the site.    In the medium term, once the towers have been demolished,  the area will be grassed over and maintained by Birmingham City Council

Hope this helps
Rob James
Constituency Director – Hodge Hill
Birmingham City Council