Weekly Update - 17 November

Dear John

This week, we’ve seen yet another pathetic spectacle from this Tory Government, with the Supreme Court ruling Sunak’s Rwanda gimmick is unlawful. The Prime Minister’s flagship policy has completely failed. He’s already blown £140m on the Rwanda scheme that he was told time and again would not work. Meanwhile, the asylum backlog has swollen to 175,000 people, taxpayers are paying £8m a day in hotel bills, and 615 people arrived by small boat last Sunday alone. Yet, instead of getting on with the hard work needed and backing Labour’s plan to smash the criminal smuggling gangs, clear the asylum backlog and speed up removals, the Prime Minister is spending even more time and money on this failing scheme. Labour has a five-point plan to reform the asylum system: 1. Crackdown on criminal smuggler gangs, through new Cross-Border Police Unit and deeper security cooperation with Europe 2. End hotel use, clear the Tory asylum backlog, and speed up returns to safe countries 3. Reform resettlement routes to stop people being exploited by gangs 4. New agreement with France and other countries on returns and family reunion 5. Tackle humanitarian crises at source helping refugees in their region

In Parliament

This week in Parliament, I laid out Labour’s plans to give this country its future back in the Get Britain Building Debate. 13 years of Conservative choices have delivered low growth, skyrocketing mortgages, soaring prices, crumbling public services, and house building at its lowest rate since the Second World War. Yet, this King's Speech had nothing on housebuilding, infrastructure, or the cost of living to measure up to the challenges facing the economy or my constituents. Only Labour will give Britain its future back. We will build 1.5m homes over five years, bring down bills with GB energy, and upgrade 19 million homes.

In Parliament

This week in Parliament, I raised the fact that Gaza was facing a humanitarian crisis before 7th October and that the Government cut funding to UNRWA from £50 million to £10 million. With hospitals running out of fuel, and food and water supplies almost depleted, the clock is ticking. Until a large scale humanitarian operation is in place, many more people will needlessly die. On Tuesday, I asked the Minister what progress the Government has made to secure a humanitarian resolution through the UN Security Council. I’m glad that the following day the UN Security Council agreed a resolution on the Gaza crisis for the first time, demanding “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses”. We must rally around this to see that it is turned into action on the ground.

In Parliament

This week in Parliament, I raised my concerns about the threat posed by deepfake technology to elected representatives. This technology is clearly a weapon in the hands of malicious actors who seek to sow hate and undermine our democracy. Labour would introduce binding regulation of frontier AI. I asked the Government why it won’t do the same.

Lordswood Boys' School

This week I visited Lordswood Boys’ School with CEO Stuart Cain from Warwickshire County Cricket Club to talk about opportunities for state schools getting involved in cricket at Edgbaston. We also discussed the barriers to community engagement and how we increase accessibility. It was lovely to meet everyone!

Co-op Visit

This week I visited my local Co-op on the Hagley Road to meet with shopworkers during USDAW Shopworker Awareness Week. It’s shocking that 850 incidents of verbal and physical abuse are recorded daily across Co-operative stores. It's vital that we not only value but work to protect our shopworkers who are facing abuse. Labour will put more police on our streets and introduce a new law to make abuse against shopworkers a specific offence.

Local News Quinton Food Bank

This Saturday, 18th November, Quinton Food Bank is running a stall with Café Express, Harborne High Street, between 4-6pm to coincide with the Harborne Christmas Light Switch-on. You’ll be able to find it on Harborne High Street (Iceland end).

Baby Bank On Wednesday 6th December, Elaine Hook will be running a Baby Bank at St Francis Church in Bartley Green between 10am – 12am. They’ll have free baby clothes, some food bags they can give out, and some baby toys and books.

Speed Limit Consultation This is the last weekend to submit to Birmingham City Council’s consultation around reviewing all existing 40mph speed limits across the city, with the idea that they will be reduced to 30mph. This includes Wolverhampton Road South, West Boulevard, Barnes Hill, Shenley Lane, and Hagley Road West. For years, I’ve been campaigning for speed reduction measures in the constituency, including for Hagley Road West, West Boulevard, and Wolverhampton Road South. I’ve also requested that the 30mph limit reduction be extended all the way up to the Quinton Island/Quinton Expressway roundabout and introduced in Genners Lane, Cromwell Lane, Moors Lane, Gillhurst Road, Croftdown Road, Augustus Road, Woodbourne Road, Norfolk Road, Westfield Road, and Quinton Road West. The consultation closes on 19th November and I encourage you to have your say, which you can give online here:

MHRC Next week, the Mobile Household Recycling Centre will be visiting Highfield Lane, B32 1QX, on Wednesday 22nd November, Kelmscott Road, B17 8QW, on Thursday 23rd November, and Ampton Road, B15 2UP, on Friday 24th November. The centre will be open between 7am and 12:30pm, so please come along if you're local and have bulky household waste to dispose of.

Best wishes,

Preet Kaur Gill MP, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, Quinton and North Edgbaston Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS

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