Dear John,

Following the costly hike in energy prices last Friday, this week saw the Government increase National Insurance Contributions (NICs) adding further financial pressure on working people and families. With prices rising in the shops, at the pumps and in our energy bills, the Government has chosen to put up NICs at exactly the wrong time. Under the conservatives, families are £2,620 worse off. 
 
The Government must provide households immediate support with the cost-of-living crisis, and a green energy sprint to cut households bills, cut imports, and cut emissions this decade. In five weeks, we can send the Tories a message, that they cannot ignore us on the cost-of-living crisis. Britain deserves better. 
 
Labour would tackle the Tory cost of living crisis by cutting bills by up to £600 - funded by a windfall levy on the excess profits of the oil and gas companies. 

The Government plans to introduce photo ID to the voting process as part of the Elections Bill however, this is simply discriminatory. The introduction of voter ID risks denying millions of people their democratic right to vote - in particular the elderly, low income, and Black, Asian, and ethnic minority voters. The Conservatives are reversing decades of democratic progress and urgently need to rethink this pointless policy. 
 
What's more, these plans are a total waste of taxpayers’ time and money. The policy is set to cost taxpayers millions of pounds at every single election, and this is at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is already having a huge impact on all residents. Voting is safe and secure in Britain. In 2019, out of 59 million votes, just one person was convicted for fraud. Ministers should be promoting confidence in our elections instead of spreading baseless scare stories which threaten our democracy and offer a solution where there isn't a problem. 
 
With all 101 seats up for election across Birmingham, this is your opportunity to tell people what you think. Across Edgbaston constituency we have ten excellent Labour candidates with all wards in our constituency having two votes and two elected councillors. Please make sure you’re registered to vote.  
 
A few dates to remember, you have until 14th April to register to vote and once you've done this, you make voting all the more easy, by post. If you've not yet signed up for a postal vote, you have until 19th April.
 
Most importantly, don’t stay silent. It’s time to turn up on May 5th. 

This week we heard more about how our Health Service is in crisis in the West Midlands. Now, it’s no longer limited to hospital waiting times or GP appointments but our Ambulance Service. West Midlands Ambulance Service calculated that at least 72 people a year in our region were dying avoidably because of response delays. I know the impact of this. I’ve had a number of constituents call me because they were scared for a loved one and were receiving no help from the emergency services. 
 
This is a frightening situation. We are seeing this awful situation unfolding before our eyes but the Government seems to be taking no action. What is really being done to address it? It's no good just telling hospitals to try harder. The impact on ambulance and hospital staff must be horrendous to feel they can't save people that should be. 
 
That’s why I have written to my fellow West Midlands colleague, Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, to ask the question directly. How and when does he plan to fix this scandalous crisis? 

This week I joined Andrew Pierce on LBC to discuss the situation in Ukraine and with Liz Truss following in my footsteps to visit Poland. We also discussed Boris Johnson and partygate. After two months of police time, twelve parties investigated and over a hundred people questioned under caution, Boris Johnson’s Downing St has been found guilty of breaking the law.  
 
This has been a slap in the face of the millions of people who made sacrifices. The buck stops with the Prime Minister who sets the culture of Number 10 and who has spent months lying to the British public. This is why he has got to go.  

Over the next week you’ll see my website and this weekly update change to a new look. My website should have all the information you need including, news, contact information, advice surgeries and what I’m working on in Parliament and around the constituency.