Dear John

Israel-Gaza

The release of hostages and a ceasefire have always been the pre-conditions for peace. Provided a deal is agreed, the breakthrough this week will be a huge relief for millions who have been through hell over the past 15 months.
 

After the false dawns of 2024, I am hopeful that we can now finally bring the bloodshed to an end.
 

We need to now see a surge in humanitarian aid and all hostages released. The international community must not rest until we secure a lasting peace, with stability, sovereignty and security for both Israelis and Palestinians at its heart.
 

You can read the Prime Minister’s statement here. 

Ukraine

Yesterday, the Prime Minister signed a landmark 100 Year Partnership with Ukraine to deepen security ties and strengthen our partnership for future generations.

This deal is not just about the here and now, but about investment in our two countries for the next century, bringing together technology development, scientific advances and cultural exchanges, and harnessing the phenomenal innovation shown by Ukraine in recent years for generations to come. Find out more here. 

Renters Rights Bill

For too long, private renters in my constituency have had to live day in day out not knowing if they and their families could be uprooted from their homes with little notice and minimal justification. Many have also been expected to find large sums of cash upfront when trying to find somewhere to live, meaning they are pushed into debt or have to go without essential living costs.

This week, I voted to end no fault evictions for good and to protect tenants who do not have upfront funds from being blocked from the private rented sector. Find out more about the new protections for tenants introduced in Labour’s Renters Rights Bill here. 

AI Opportunities Action Plan

This week, the Government announced our AI Opportunities Action Plan to make Britain the world leader and driving incredible change in our country.  
 

Artificial Intelligence will be the centrepiece of this Government’s industrial strategy. We'll create dedicated AI Growth Zones to speed up planning for infrastructure, meaning more jobs and investment in the UK and more money in people’s pockets. Find out more how our plans to turbocharge AI will make people better off here.

Key recommendations 

• Create AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) - areas with enhanced access to power and streamlined planning approvals, to accelerate the build out of AI infrastructure on UK soil. Growth Zones will pioneer innovative public-private models to deliver secure, dedicated public-sector computing capacity, supporting key national priorities, including to develop one of the UK’s largest AI data centres, beginning with 100MW of capacity and with plans to scale up to 500MW. The first pilot AI Growth Zone will be at Culham, in Oxfordshire, a world-renowned hub for clean energy and fusion research.  

• Expand our sovereign compute capacity by at least 20x by 2030 – as compute needs grow such expansion is critical if the UK is to keep pace.  

• Establish an AI Energy Council with industry leaders from the energy and AI sectors, which the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology will co-chair with the Energy Secretary - to provide expert insight on the energy needs of AI and the development of innovative energy solutions.  

• Launch a new dedicated team tasked with strengthening our sovereign AI capabilities by supporting high-potential frontier AI companies in the UK. This team will work across Number 10 and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, partnering with fast-growing firms and leveraging every tool at our disposal to ensure they can access the compute capacity, data, and global talent they need to succeed. 

Early Years Support

As an ex-children's services manager, I'm delighted that families in Birmingham will be able to access early years support such as pregnancy support, infant feeding advice, and parenting classes following a £3.7 m funding boost from the Government.

The first two years of a child’s life lay the building blocks for their physical and emotional wellbeing into adulthood. That’s why we are investing in early years, as part of our Plan for Change, to improve access to services in deprived areas to ensure no-one is left behind.
 

Find out more about how families in Birmingham will benefit here. 

Statement on Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are the most despicable, appalling crimes, affecting some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our society.
 

As a former Children Services Manager in Birmingham, I worked at the front line of protecting vulnerable children in our city for many years. I have uncovered abuse cases and even paedophile rings in my line of my work, and I am proud to have played my part in putting child abusers behind bars.
 

Some issues should be above party politics, so I am glad that the new Government has committed to pursuing justice for victims and survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse who have been badly let down for far too long.

It is excellent news that Baroness Casey will be taking forward a rapid review into the scale and nature of grooming gangs offences in this country today because we know that official figures will be a significant underestimate given the vast levels of exploitation and abuse that go unreported and unidentified in some of our towns and cities.

It's important the systems in place for reporting these crimes command the confidence of victims and survivors, and I hope that politicians on all sides of the aisle will support the significant package of measures announced today.

As well as committing national support to local inquiries, the government has announced £10 million funding to pursue justice for victims and survivors, urge police forces to review unsolved and closed cases, empower more victims to be able to request a review of their cases and launch a rapid audit into the scale of grooming gangs announced. 

Economy

This week, I spoke in the Commons after the Chancellor’s statement on her visit to China, helping to secure growth for the UK economy.

While Members on the Conservative benches were carping about our Chancellor’s whereabouts, she was having serious discussions with the world's second largest economy and securing access for UK firms. Only Labour is serious about growth. 

UHB

In my constituency, University Hospitals Birmingham recently had to declare a critical incident due to immense pressure on services. This is very worrying – everyone should be able to access urgent care when they need it.
 

In Parliament, I asked the Health Secretary if he agreed with me that shifting the focus of healthcare from hospital to community would have a consequential impact on the number of people in hospitals. 

Safe Surgery

It was fantastic to meet Professor Dion from The National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham.

Poor surgical practice leads to more deaths worldwide than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria combined. Through the 100 4 100 campaign, the university works with 50,000 surgical teams across 120 countries saving thousands of lives worldwide.

I look forward to working together on sustainability in healthcare. 

3D Guns

I was very concerned to discover that a man in the West Midlands attempted to 3D-print a gun at home. This is a very worrying trend that we are seeing replicated across the country. 

I've presented a Bill to Parliament that would make it an offence to download and possess a blue print for making a 3D gun.  

I spoke to the BBC about my Bill – read the article here.   

SEND

It was great to attend the SEND Access for All event in Parliament this week, hosted by the Thomas Pocklington Club. Theirs is a campaign designed and led by youth champions to improve learning experiences and outcomes for students with SEND. It was wonderful to hear more about how we can improve access for all. 

Open Doors

In Parliament, I attended the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 launch event. Over 300 million Christians face persecution worldwide. It’s vital as Parliamentarians that we speak up and use our voice for those facing persecution simply for practising their religion – a fundamental human right.
 

I spoke to Open Doors about the importance of their work – you can read the article here. 

Potholes

Labour is serious about fixing our roads. 14 years of Tory decline have left our roads in a disgraceful state, with 100 times more potholes on our roads than craters on the moon.
 

I know that potholes are a blight on the lives of drivers in Birmingham. Since being elected, I have worked with countless constituents to get potholes filled and make our roads safer. Please report any potholes to me, by calling 0121 392 8426, between 9am and 5pm, or email [email protected].
 

Labour is investing in our roads. We will invest £1.6 billion this year to fix millions of potholes, including £8.6 million allocated for the West Midlands.

PACT meeting

The next police meeting for Edgbaston and Harborne residents will be held on 23rd January at 6pm at University of Birmingham Old Gym, Ring Road South, B15 2TT Room LG10. Please do come along if you have any issues that you would like to raise with the police.

Speeding

This week, I wrote to residents on Augustus Road and Gillhurst Road about speeding. As a resident that frequently walks along these roads, I know that there are particular problems in the area, which is why I have been working with the police, council and the community to tackle the issue. For example, I set up a community neighbourhood speed watch to deter dangerous driving in the community.

In the coming weeks, I will be joined by officers from Birmingham City Council on Augustus Road and will be raising the concerns residents have shared with me and will be looking for them to introduce better safety measures in the area - the council are currently conducting a road classification review, which is looking to downgrade a number of roads around Harborne and Edgbaston as part of wider plans to direct traffic heading in and out of the city centre away from these areas altogether. 

If you are concerned about road safety, please contact my office by calling 0121 392 8426, between 9am and 5pm, or email [email protected]. 

University of Birmingham

I’d like to wish the University of Birmingham a very happy birthday as it marks 125 years since Queen Victoria granted its Royal Charter. From its wonderful student community, world-class education and research, UOB is a huge asset to our city. Many happy returns! 

MHWC

On Monday, 27th January, the MHWC will be visiting Simmons Drive in Quinton, B32 1SL, and on Wednesday, 29th January, Glencoe Road in North Edgbaston, B16 0PB. The centre will be open between 07:30 and 13:00, so please do come along if you have any household waste to dispose of! 

Best wishes,

Preet Kaur Gill MP

Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton

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