Dear John

I hope you've had a good week so far! Here's what i've been up to over this past week.

Flying the flag

This week many people have asked me for views on flying England flags or the Union Jack
 

To be clear: I have no issue with our flags being flown. I back people’s right to proudly display our national symbols outside of their homes. The Prime Minister has said the same. In Birmingham we proudly fly the Union flag outside the Council House every day.

Flying our flags is fundamentally about being proud of our country. Our flag should be a unifying symbol that brings people of all backgrounds together.

In this respect, I think that the Weoley campaigners have started a really important conversation: about what patriotism and our national symbols mean to each of us. What unites us as a people, rather than divides us? I actually think we need to come around to thinking more deeply about why this is important, and be open to having more conversations about this.

Whatever the flag means to you, I want people to take pride in celebrating our national symbols because they represent our history, our identity, and the values that we hold in common.
 

I spoke about this yesterday with Ed James from BBC West Midlands. More here:

More community diagnostic centres

I’m pleased to share that tens of thousands more patients across England—including here in Birmingham—can now access vital NHS checks, tests and scans outside of traditional hours. Thanks to our Labour Government’s Plan for Change, 100 Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) are now open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it easier for people to get the care they need without having to choose between their health and their job.
 

These centres are located in convenient places like shopping centres and university campuses, and many offer free parking. They’re already making a difference—cutting waiting times, speeding up cancer diagnoses, and helping patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits. This is about delivering healthcare that fits around people’s lives, not the other way around.

I’ll continue to push for more investment in Birmingham’s healthcare infrastructure, and I encourage anyone with health concerns to speak to their GP about accessing these services. It’s another step toward building an NHS that works for everyone.

Details of our nearest CDCs are here and here. Read more about the announcement here.

"30 by 30" cadets campaign

This week, I was proud to welcome a major announcement from our Labour Government: a £70 million investment to expand cadet opportunities across the UK, including right here in Birmingham. Through our new “30 by 30” campaign, we’re aiming to grow cadet forces by 30% by the year 2030 – giving over 50,000 more young people the chance to build confidence, resilience, and skills for life.
 

Cadets already make a huge difference in our communities. They help young people develop teamwork, leadership, and friendships that last a lifetime. Now, with new opportunities in areas like drone technology and cyber skills, cadets will also be preparing for the jobs of the future. I’m especially excited that RAF cadets will be the first youth organisation in Britain certified to train drone pilots – an incredible step forward.

This expansion is about backing the ambitions of our young people, no matter their background. It’s about building strong communities from the ground up. I encourage anyone interested – young people or potential volunteers – to get involved.

Read more here.

Reforming the baby food industry

Today we’ve announced new guidelines for the baby food industry, including setting expectations to reduce salt and sugar, stop promoting snacks to under one-year-olds and making labelling clearer.
 

A government on the side of parents and children, putting our 10 year plan into action to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.
 

Read more here.

Local News

Hagley Road Walkabout

Today I brought together West Midlands Police, council officers and local residents along Hagley Road to discuss concerns around exempt accommodation, anti-social behaviour, and drug-related issues.
 

Neighbourhood policing is key to ensuring our communities feel safe and supported. By working closely with residents and local partners, we can tackle the challenges head-on and make real progress in improving our area.
 

Thank you to everyone who attended and shared their experiences. Your voice is vital in shaping solutions for our community.

Letter to University Hospitals Birmingham

Today, I wrote to Jonathan Brotherton, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, to raise serious concerns about the Trust’s performance following a new Care Quality Commission (CQC) report. The CQC found that surgery and urgent and emergency care services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital “require improvement” – a troubling verdict for one of the most strategically important hospitals in our region.
 

This follows NHS England’s decision to name UHB as one of just three trusts in the country needing national intervention across all four key clinical areas: urgent and emergency care, electives, cancer, and diagnostics.

While I welcome the progress made in reducing waiting lists, with 20,000 patients coming off waiting lists since July, there are still major issues with diagnostic delays, cancelled operations, and staffing pressures in A&E. I’ve asked the Trust to explain what steps they’re taking to address these problems, including how they’re using new capital investment to improve services and technology.
 

I’ve requested a meeting with the Trust CEO and Chair to discuss how I can support efforts to improve performance and restore public confidence. Our community deserves timely, safe, and high-quality care, and I’ll continue to hold the Trust and NHS England to account until standards are met.

Khalsa Catalyst

It was a pleasure this week to join the Khalsa Catalyst Leadership Programme at King Edward VI High School for Girls – a fantastic initiative equipping young people with the skills and confidence to step into leadership. From debating to learning how to communicate with impact, it's great to see programmes like this giving young people the skills they need to thrive.

Results Day

This week Year 11s across the country got their GCSE results. I want to share my congratulations to everyone who collected their results yesterday. Earlier this summer I wrote to schools across our constituency to wish our young people the best of luck with their exams.
 

I hope everyone who got their grades is feeling proud of their achievement and hard work - and looking forward to their next steps. Whether you got what you expected, or were taken by surprise, there is no one route to success and plenty of help out there to get you where you want to go.
 

I want to also send a thank you to the wonderful teachers, staff and families who supported our students along the way.

Hagley Road Rapid Transit Scheme

The Hagley Road is a vital commuter corridor in our constituency - but it needs investment to improve access to public transport across the route.

After first receiving the go-ahead in 2014 under the Tories, the rapid transit scheme took a decade to deliver 300 metres of tram line up the Hagley Road. What is needed now is a bold plan to transform this major route.

I have written to the West Midlands Mayor to push for a timeline for the extension and warn that this situation "cannot be allowed to drift for another ten years." With £2.4 billion of regional transport funding from central government, it's time to deliver for this vital commuter corridor.

Read more here.

I'm hiring!

Are you a talented, enthusiastic and resourceful comms and campaigns professional, who is excited about making a difference for the residents of our diverse Birmingham constituency? Then please consider applying to be my new Communications and Campaigns Officer.
 

I am looking for someone who is confident and skilled on social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok, who is passionate about driving impactful campaigns and coverage for the issues that matter most to the constituents of Birmingham Edgbaston.
 

More details about the role are available at the link here.

Elliot's sponsored walk

I have total admiration for my constituent Elliot Bishop. Elliot is a 16-year-old cadet who has independently organised a 15km sponsored walk alongside five fellow cadets to raise funds for Birmingham Vernon Sea Cadets.
 

The Sea Cadets do amazing work helping young people in our city build practical skills, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging. Elliot’s passion for the organisation and his leadership through this fundraiser show just how much of a difference these programmes make. I’m proud to support their efforts.
 

If you’d like to donate or learn more, you can do so here.

Recess round-up

Here’s nine things Labour’s Plan For Change has delivered over the past two weeks:
 

📈 Fastest growth in the G7 in the first half of this year
 

⬇️ Fifth interest rate cut with Labour! Homebuyers are also £1000 better off on their mortgages than they were a year ago
 

🛑 First migrants detained under Labour’s groundbreaking returns agreement with France
 

✈️ Foreign criminals will face immediate deportation with the expansion of the ‘Deport Now Appeal Later’ scheme and a law change to allow immediate deportation of convicted foreign criminals
 

👮‍♀️ With Labour, named, contactable police officers are now in place across every neighbourhood in England and Wales
 

👷 40,000 future bricklayers, roofers, electricians, and carpenters will get specialist skills training in Labour’s new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges
 

🎨 £88 million investment announced to support youth clubs, after school activities and local organisations — connecting young people to their communities

❌ £100 million funding boost to recruit hundreds of new officers to the National Crime Agency to disrupt people smuggling gangs
 

🏥 Cracking down on unsafe cosmetic procedures to keep people safe and reduce the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures

With warm regards,

 Preet Kaur Gill MP

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

Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS