Weekly Update - 24 March

Dear John

Yesterday, Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper set out Labour's national mission to make Britain's streets safe. Watch their full speeches here:

Feeling secure is the bedrock on which opportunities are built, communities can thrive, and local economies can prosper. But our sense of security has eroded over the past 13 years as levels of violent crime have become far too high, and confidence that there will be any consequences when a crime is committed is too low. The Government has hollowed out neighbourhood policing, allowed vulnerable young people to be drawn into crime and violence, and allowed confidence in the police and criminal justice system to collapse. There has been systematic failure to tackle violence against women and girls. Criminals are being let off while victims are let down. Tackling this effectively is a huge challenge and is a social justice issue – with those who are vulnerable or on low incomes, being much less likely to feel safe or secure. But it can’t be done by tinkering with a single policy change. We need system change across Government, public services and society to fix it. Labour will meet this challenge and make Britain’s streets safe as the second of our five driving missions. Our second mission in government is to halve serious violent crime and raise confidence in the police and criminal justice system to its highest levels. Within a decade, our second mission will: Halve the level of violence against women and girls. Halve the incidents of knife crime. Raise confidence in every police force to its highest levels. Reverse the collapse in the proportion of crimes solved

Presenting your petitions in Parliament Recently, several residents have contacted me requesting my support with their local petitions. I was only too happy to help them and over the last fortnight have had the pleasure of presenting them in Parliament. The first petition declared that the cost of living has reached crisis point, with the consequence being an increase in homelessness and fellow constituents being left to go cold and hungry. The petitioners therefore requested the Government to take urgent action that will see: 1. An extension of the windfall tax to cover the costs of capping energy rates to stop bills going up this winter. 2.Insulate homes to help families save money on their energy bills now and in the long-term. 3. Support homeowners to protect their homes by bringing interest rates down on mortgages. 4. Protect those who pay rent to ensure a sudden spike in rent prices does not lead to an increase in homelessness.

The second petition related to speeding and dangerous driving on Osmaston Road in Harborne. This is an issue which residents have been campaigning for change for several years. They therefore urged the Government to work with Birmingham City Council Highways Department and West Midlands Police to address the concerns of the residents to prevent dangerous speeding.

Both of these petitions will now be printed in Hansard (a formal record of parliament) and a government response should be provided within two months. The petitions committee may then also consider further action where appropriate. Should you have a petition you would like me to present to Parliament on your behalf, please let get in touch on 0121 392 8426 or [email protected]

North Edgbaston attack on elderly resident On Monday, an elderly man was set alight in a horrifying attack on Shenstone Road in North Edgbaston as he walked home from Dudley Road Mosque. While this is not part of our constituency, it is on the border, and I know that many people will often travel to this part of the city. It is why I wanted to offer you this reassurance. While we do not yet know the reasons for the attack, I am pleased to see the action West Midlands Police has taken to immediately investigate and the steps taken to reassure the local community with extra Police officers. A man remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The Police is also working with partner agencies such as Birmingham City Council to ensure the safety of the local community. I myself grew up on Shenstone Road and so know this area well. It is a vibrant and diverse community and doesn’t suffer from community tensions that could lead to such an awful attack. It is what makes this event so much more shocking. I sincerely hope the victim makes a swift recovery and my thoughts are with them and their family.

Apply to join my team! I’m recruiting a new caseworker role in my constituency office in Edgbaston. Edgbaston constituency covers Harborne, Bartley Green, Quinton, Edgbaston and part of North Edgbaston. The cost of living is having a significant impact on residents across the constituency. I have seen this first hand as the number of people contacting me and looking for support has significantly increased with requests ranging from immigration to housing, benefits to health requests. That is why I am looking for someone with experience with casework whether that is in the public sector, at a charity or another fast-paced role. So, if you have a passion for helping people and want to join my brilliant team, please look at the job description and apply. The closing date is 12 April at 5pm.

My next advice surgery date My advice surgeries for all wards except Edgbaston, fall on the first Friday of the month. Unfortunately, April’s advice surgery will fall on Good Friday which is a bank holiday and so they will be cancelled. My next advice surgery date will be Thursday 13 April at Edgbaston Community Centre between 10.30-11.30am. In the meantime, if you would like my support with any issue, please get in touch on 0121 392 8426 or [email protected] and I would be more than happy to help.

Preet Kaur Gill MP, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, Quinton and North Edgbaston

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