Weekly Update - 21 November

Dear John I hope you've had a good week. Here's what I've been up to over this past week.

This Week the Government Announced...

Restoring order and control of our borders

This week, the Government announced the most hard-hitting reforms to the asylum system in a generation, designed to reduce the number of arrivals, close legal loopholes, and significantly increase removals of those who have no right to remain in the UK. Since 2021, over 400,000 people have claimed asylum in the UK, more than double the figure from a decade earlier. A quarter of those are claiming taxpayer-funded benefits. Rising arrivals, combined with years of slow removals, have put mounting pressure on public services and on communities across the country. Since taking office, the Government has already returned or removed almost 50,000 people, including more than 5,000 foreign criminals, and has halved the asylum backlog from its 2023 peak. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, presented a set of radical new measures to combat illegal immigration that will end the chaos and finally fix our broken asylum system. Those measures include increasing removals by accelerating asylum decisions, expanding the list of safe return countries, and exploring third party country returns. The plans also include measures to shut down legal abuse of courts, with legislation to tighten and clarify the use of ECHR Article 8 and stop last-minute appeals that frustrate removals. Proposals also include restricting access to taxpayer-funded benefits and tackling illegal work that draws people into the UK, as well as holding uncooperative countries to account through new sanctions and visa measures if they don’t take back their own citizens. Alongside this, the Government is strengthening the UK’s commitment to those fleeing genuine persecution by creating new safe and legal routes, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, such as children. The reforms will also expand opportunities for study and employment for those who come here safely and legally. Watch me above, welcoming these new measures in the Commons.

Ticket touts ban

For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices. They’ve become a shadow industry on resale sites, acting without consequence. This week, the government put ordinary fans first. New proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone: Ticket resale above face value will be illegal. Service fees charged by resale platforms will be capped to prevent the price limit being undermined. Resale platforms will have a legal duty to monitor and enforce compliance with the price cap. Individuals will be banned from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the initial ticket sale. The UK is home to a brilliant range of music, entertainers and sporting stars, but when fans are shut out it only benefits the touts. That’s why the government are taking these bold measures to smash their model to pieces and make sure more fans can enjoy their favourite stars at a fair price.

Men's Health Strategy

The government have published England’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy; a bold, first step forward to tackle the crisis in men’s mental health, expand access to services, improve physical health, and reduce inequalities. For too long men's health has been overlooked, with devastating consequences. Men are dying nearly four years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50. This strategy marks a turning point – the first time we're taking comprehensive, coordinated action to address the specific health challenges facing men and boys. The government are teaming up with the Premier League to harness the power of football to improve men’s mental health and prevent suicide by breaking down barriers and reaching millions of men who might never walk through a GP's door. From suicide prevention to health support in the workplace and tackling cancer and heart disease – we're meeting men where they are and giving them the support they need to live longer, healthier lives by investing more than £7m to build on our existing programs and supports. Watch Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, discussing the strategy with Clarke Carlisle here and read the full strategy here.

Half a million more children to have free breakfast clubs

The government are opening 2,000 new free breakfast clubs in 2026 and applications are now open. Having seen the huge impact free breakfast clubs have already had at 3 schools in our constituency, I am encouraging eligible schools to apply for this next rollout. Parents can save £450 a year, and get 95 hours of precious free time back in the mornings. For children, free breakfast clubs boost wellbeing, attainment, attendance, behaviour. It’s only one way the government are helping families with the cost of living. alongside 30 hours of free childcare and cutting the cost of school uniforms. Children in Edgbaston, Quinton, Bartley Green, and Harborne deserve the best start in life, that’s what they’ll get with this government.

Reforms to build more homes around well-connected stations

Housebuilding near well-connected train stations will receive a default “yes” in future if they meet certain rules, ensuring more high-quality, affordable homes are built in and around our key towns and cities, saving commuters time and boosting access to housing. Thousands more working families and commuters will be able to live and work near train stations thanks to this drive to speed up housebuilding, which will help connect people to towns and cities, and open the door to new job and education opportunities. Housebuilders will be encouraged to build more homes near these transport links, and councils in England will also now be required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size, with the Housing Secretary able to have the final say on whether they should go ahead. These changes will be introduced alongside proposals to streamline the statutory consultee process, further saving developers time and money, ensuring spades can get in the ground quicker to meet the government’s 1.5 million homes target.

Plastic wet wipes banned to protect our waterways

Rivers, lakes and beaches will be cleaner and wildlife better protected as the Government signed into law a ban on the sale of plastic wet wipes, marking a major step forward in tackling plastic pollution which devastates our waterways. Wet wipes containing plastic are a growing source of pollution, when flushed, they can break down into microplastics that poison wildlife and enter the food chain. UK Water research found that wet wipes contribute to 94% of sewer blockages, which cost water companies around £200 million to fix each year – a cost that is ultimately passed onto households through their water bills. You can take action now by ensuring that any wet wipes, even if they are labelled as flushable, are put in the bin rather than flushed away, to reduce costly blockages and safeguard nature.

Jobs and investment as AI industry backs Britain

Today the government announced more jobs, more inward investment across the UK, and a new South Wales AI Growth Zone. With the new AI Growth Zone in South Wales, in addition to the North Wales AI Growth Zone announced last week and the North East AI Growth Zone recently, the places that drove the industrial revolution are now driving the technological revolution. With the UK Government and the Welsh Government working closely together, the AI Growth Zone will bring £10 billion investment and more than 5,000 jobs to South Wales over the next decade, providing skills, jobs and opportunities to the area. It will be backed by up to £5 million of UK government funding locally to drive skills and technology adoption. £350 million of new investment deals will create 1,000 new high-skilled jobs across the country. The message is clear: the AI industry is backing Britain. Leading AI companies are choosing the UK to open their first European offices while others are doubling their UK headcount. This means more jobs, more investment, and more growth. The vote of confidence in the UK also means attracting the best talent – and today we are announcing new AI ambassadors, who will show UK school children the opportunities for the future, drive adoption of technology that boosts jobs and productivity and make the UK a world-leader in AI research. We’re not only attracting international investment but fostering homegrown growth too. We’re firing up talent in our schools, start-ups and scale-ups to invest in our sovereign AI sector for years to come. Read more here.

NHS prescription charges frozen

NHS prescription charges will be frozen for another year - keeping medication costs under a tenner thanks to the decisions taken by the Chancellor. No one should have to put their health at risk because they can not afford medication. This is an extension of the freeze on prescription charges announced by this government in April, the first freeze in three years. Read more here.

Local News

Fair Funding for Birmingham

This week the Government has pledged to put tackling deprivation at the heart of new council funding. With new changes announced by the Government, councils will be funded more fairly based on latest deprivation data and local need, fixing the outdated system left by the previous government. Under the previous government , an outdated council funding system based on decades-old data entrenched inequality – leaving some councils on a financial cliff edge and communities in deprived areas facing crumbling services, cuts and rising bills. Meanwhile, councils in less deprived areas have benefited disproportionately, building up reserves while others struggled to cope. The changes announced by the Government reverse this injustice and ensure councils will be funded fairly, based on the latest deprivation data and local need, so that communities with the highest demands get the public services they rightly deserve. I have been fighting to make sure Birmingham gets its fair share ever since I became an MP. In recent weeks, I have met with ministers to stress our local need and I will be following the results of the Fair Funding Review very closely.

Finding the truth of the Birmingham Pub Bombings

51 years ago today the Birmingham pub bombings took place. It remains vital that the families who have campaigned tirelessly for answers finally receive the justice they deserve. I asked the government how the reformed legacy commission supports the ongoing quest for truth for the Birmingham families.

Road Safety Week

This Road Safety Awareness Week, I’m standing with Birmingham residents to demand safer streets for all of us. I hear daily from people worried about speeding, dangerous junctions and weak signage. The government’s forthcoming national Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, is welcome and needed!

£2 million for Newman University

Great news that Birmingham Newman University has been awarded £2 million from the Government to establish a new Community Digital Health Hub. The hub will create advanced training spaces and new health and digital degree programmes, expanding to over 1,000 students to support NHS workforce development. The funding has been received from the Government's Strategic Priorities Grant - which supports the higher education sector to prepare learners with valuable skills for the workplace.

St Peters C of E Primary School Visit

On Thursday, I met with Headteacher of St Peter’s C of E Primary School Mrs Leonard to discuss road safety outside the school during pick-up and drop-off times. The road directly outside needs to be better and I will be taking this issue to the local council to find a solution to make roads safer for our children.

University College Birmingham Visit

It was inspiring to visit University College Birmingham and see how the college is opening doors for young people from all backgrounds through apprenticeships, A Levels, and a wide range of vocational courses. UCB plays a vital role in giving students especially those who need additional support the confidence, skills and opportunities to thrive. Their inclusive approach ensures every young person has a pathway into further study or employment. Now we need industry, councils and developers to come together and build on this work. By creating clear routes into good jobs, we can ensure these talented young people have real opportunities to succeed and help close the UK’s skills gap.

8 things the Government delivered that you might have missed last week

🚑 NHS waiting lists are down by 230,000 since the election and ambulances are arriving ten minutes faster than this time last year 🎖️ As part of the government's Veterans Strategy, 1.8 million veterans will benefit from new local support centres to offer guidance on health, housing, and employment 📚 The government has launched 36 new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs to offer support for tens of thousands of pupils as part of an urgent drive to reduce school absences and break down barriers to opportunity ❌ New powers for local authorities to root out bad actors and uphold high standards with sweeping reforms including a mandatory code of conduct and tougher sanctions for misconduct. 🎨 Our £500,000 expansion of Creative Futures, delivered through The King’s Trust in partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation, will support 400 more young people across England into creative careers 👮 Abolished Police and Crime Commissioners will save at least £100 million and fund frontline officers 🌍 Our UK-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue is delivering new funding for three major reconstruction projects in Ukraine, including two hospitals and an extensive roading project – we will always stand with Ukraine 🌐 Our Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, introduced to Parliament last week, will support national security by protecting the services that people and businesses rely on every day As always, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, please contact my office at 0121 392 8426 or [email protected], or through my website.

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

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