MP newsletter - Birmingham funding and industrial action, better rail services (and Happy New Year) - 01 January 2025
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Good afternoon and Happy New Year. Christmas and New Year are times when many people catch up with precious family time (including MPs), but it’s believed that more than a million people work as normal on Christmas Day, and more on New Year’s day. I’m grateful to everyone in the Northfield constituency – from those in emergency services to retail workers – who kept on going so the rest of us can enjoy that special time.
Birmingham news
Local funding
I want to start with a quick update on local funding. It was announced in late December that:
Birmingham’s ‘core spending power’ is to rise by £227 per household, or by 9 per cent.
This was one of the top ten increases in England, out of more than three hundred councils.Additional money has also been put into homelessness prevention, including funding for a pilot scheme to test ending of b&b emergency accommodation.
West Midlands Police grant funding is to rise by 6.7 per cent.
While these increases are welcome and above-inflation, painful decisions still lie ahead, and the way that money is allocated has not yet been reformed. This change will take time but, under the last government, poorer areas did not get their fair share, which is one factor in Birmingham’s troubles.
Equal pay
December saw the news that agreement in principle has finally been reached to resolve Birmingham’s equal pay dispute.
The equal pay problem has blighted the city for too long. The oldest claims date back as far as 2008. The loss of HR support at the council in the early days of austerity stored up new problems that have now come home. And at the heart of the problem are hundreds of women who were denied fair pay rates for years.
Sorting the equal pay dispute is important for the future financial health of the city. Some very high estimates of the liability have been bandied about in the press: £760 million, or even more than a billion. The actual settlement is reported to cost significantly less.
This isn’t the end of the story. HMRC must still ‘run the rule’ over the settlement. And the hard work now begins of putting in place a job evaluation scheme that prevents pay discrimination in the future. But there is no doubt that this is a stride forward for Birmingham.
Bin strikes
… and just as a stride is taken forward, another step is taken back.
Talks have collapsed between the Council and Unite the union, which represents the majority of refuse workers. As a result, Unite’s members are working to rule from tomorrow. Additional strike dates have been announced through to April on the following days and significant disruption is expected.
Strike dates
| January | February | March | April |
| 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 14 | 10 | 14 | - |
| 22 | 18 | 25 | - |
| 30 | 26 | - | - |
At the heart of the dispute is the proposed removal of the ‘WRCO’ role (Waste Recycling and Collection Officer). The post was introduced at the end of the last bin strike and it has reportedly been a factor in the separate equal pay case. Although some workers will be able to move to higher paid roles, others face a loss in pay.
The collapse of talks is of course a serious disappointment (especially as progress had been made in other areas – including the acquiring of new lorries). The Council has held out hope that talks can be resumed – if that is the case then it needs to happen quickly to establish whether any basis for an agreement remains. I will share information about service arrangements during the strikes as soon as it is available.
Bin collections
On a related subject, I know that a number of rescheduled Boxing Day bin collections were not, in fact, carried out. I am chasing collections with the Council along with local councillors.
As always, it is ultimately down to the Council to resolve missed collections, but I am always happy to take up the issue. If your collection has been missed then please feel free to contact me on: laurence.turner.mp@parliament.uk.
Kings Norton railway station update
I recently met Midlands Connect, Network Rail, and other railway chiefs at Kings Norton Station, along with Councillor Carmel Corrigan and Selly Oak MP, Al Carns (although Kings Norton itself is in the Northfield constituency, the boundary runs down the middle of the railway tracks).
The reopening of Camp Hill services – expected in late 2025 – will bring real benefits for Kings Norton. It will mean the restoration of six trains an hour, with two trains initially running into New Street before transferring at a later date to Moor Street. It will also open up new transport options between Kings Norton and Stirchley, Kings Heath and Moseley.
Services could be improved still further (perhaps to eight trains an hour) if money can be found to reinstate the middle platform at Kings Norton, which was last used for regular passenger services in 1978.
At this point, it is necessary to separate some fact from fiction. It was claimed during the election that the Conservatives had ‘secured the funds to re-open the middle platform at Kings Norton Train station.’ But this is not, and never was, the case.
The only money that had been committed was £123 million for design works across the entirety of the ‘Midlands Rail Hub’ project, but not a penny had been put aside for rebuilding the platform or other construction works.
It is a bit like buying an architect’s drawing and then claiming that you are putting up a house.
Decisions are being made soon about the future of these projects. I have raised the matter with Ministers, including in Parliament with the local transport Minister, and with the rail Minister at the Transport Select Committee (Q45).
There is only so much money to go around, but I will keep pressing the case for Kings Norton. Upgrades to Northfield station (where the island platform is in a much worse state) and Longbridge station are harder to achieve, but they also need to be part of the long-term plan for the area.
Small Business Saturday
It was great to pop in and spend some time with two brilliant businesses on Northfield high street – the Clock Café and Mr Souvlaki, which imports almost all its ingredients from Greece. More can be read about it here.
Extreme weather
Multiple trees fell during Storm Darragh which caused extensive travel disruption. The tragic death of a man in Erdington underlined the risk to life from falling trees during storms.
Fallen trees can be reported to the highways department on 0121 303 4119, and if fallen trees are not removed then please get in contact with my office or local councillors.
One related problem is leaf clearance, particularly from drains. Regular checks stopped some time ago and the contractor (Kier) responds instead to reports. But waiting times are too long.
It isn’t good enough and I have raised the issue with the Roads Minister (the highways contract is half-funded locally and half from central government).
I hope that everyone is able to stay safe over the coming days, as snow is forecast.
Hospice funding
I also visited Acorns Children’s Hospice recently, again with Al Carns.
Acorns provides a vital and compassionate service for families across south Birmingham. It is important that local MPs work together to support our hospices.
About a third of hospice funding comes the public purse, which is partly in recognition of the role that hospices play in supporting the NHS.
The Children’s Hospice Grant was scrapped before the election. Back in July, I called on the new Labour Government to bring back the Children’s Hospice Grant. Earlier this month, Acorns warned that the lack of certainty could force them to turn children away.
It is really welcome that £26 million has now been committed by the Government for next year - with £100 million extra for buildings and equipment at hospices that serve people of all ages.
We heard about the good use that the money will be put to. Hospices still need long-term financial security which I will continue to argue for.
Out and about
Other commitments have included speaking at a public meeting organised by Weoley Hill United Reformed Church… holding a busy surgery … meetings about local SEND services, and the future of community services in Allens Cross … Saturday doorknocking … meeting University of Birmingham politics students… and popping in to Kings Norton Christmas Market.
Six months on since the election
Saturday marks six months since the general election. I wanted to report on some of the actions taken between July and December include:
As promised, reinstated an advertised constituency office, held regular surgeries, and sent and published regular and detailed updates.
Resolved more than 500 individual casework problems – including some very complicated housing and SEND cases, and replied to more than 2,100 policy emails (averaging more than 800 policy emails a week).
Knocked on doors across the constituency almost every weekend (weather permitting).
Been active in the House of Commons: with 212 contributions in Parliament (more than the total for Northfield between 2019 and 2024).
Community improvements that I’m particularly proud of include:
Getting a new bus stop installed.
Permanent changes to remove a flytipping hotspot in Frankley.
Getting dangerous and longstanding waste removed from an area that children play in, in Weoley Castle.
Securing important individual changes that have been denied to people for too long (such as long overdue housing repairs, and matching vulnerable constituents to social workers so they can get the support they need).
Politics isn’t for the faint hearted but most people come into it with the simple aim of wanting to make things better, and those tangible improvements make it all worthwhile.
In Parliament
Birmingham pub bombings
There was a late-night statement earlier this month on the repeal of the Northern Ireland Legacy Act.
As the Birmingham MP in the Commons at the time, I raised the 50th anniversary of the pub bombings and the ongoing campaign for answers and justice.
You can watch the exchange (with subtitles) below.
Birmingham City FC briefing
One issue that never fails to get interest is the future of the city’s football clubs.
I hosted a briefing in Parliament for the city’s MPs with Birmingham City’s owners. The focus was on the stadium redevelopment project. It was the first such meeting, and more are intended.
The Birmingham City Foundation already does good work in our area, and the I have seen first-hand how important the club’s support is for Balaam’s Wood Academy.
The club’s plans for the Birmingham Wheels site are impressive and Tom Wagner has brought off-field stability at the same time that the club’s fortunes are improving on it. Up to £3 billion could be put into the stadium move (the point was made about rare it was for a club to be talking about staying within a city, rather than moving out-of-town). Depending on planning consent, construction could start in 2027.
Paulette Hamilton (Erdington) and I raised the need for transport links from outer areas to be up to handling the increase in travellers that the club wants to attract. There are issues to work through, but there is no taking away from what should be a major investment and good news for the city as a whole.
Supporting local business groups
Back in September, I wrote about the Nationwide Caterers’ Association (NCASS), which is based in Kings Norton and has strong links locally, including to Herbert’s Yard in Longbridge. I was glad arrange a meeting between NCASS and Gareth Thomas, the High Streets Minister, to talk about some of the challenges that face small catering businesses. We extended an invitation to visit which will hopefully be taken in 2025.
Rights at work
I won’t go into detail in this newsletter due to space, but most of my time in Parliament at the moment is taken up with the Employment Rights Bill Committee, which sits all day twice a week until the end of January.
This is a landmark piece of legislation that will make work better for millions of people. I am proud to be involved in passing and improving such an important new law.
On a related issue, I spoke in a debate on the treatment of terminally ill people in the workplace. There are gaps in the law which, sadly, do not always protect people as they approach the end of their life. The ‘Dying to Work’ campaign is a great cause and I hope the law can be looked at again.
What do you think?
We talk a lot in politics about preventing crime and punishing offenders. But what about support for the victims who are left behind?
One issue that I want to highlight in 2025 is the failures of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The scheme is supposed to provide compensation to victims of serious violent crime. A payment is often the only official recognition that a victim gets of the harm they have suffered.
But the scheme doesn’t work as it should. It hasn’t been updated since 2012. The rules sometimes seem strange and arbitrary (and some people who suffer horrendous injuries get no compensation at all). On average, people wait more than a year for a decision. It just isn’t good enough.
The government consulted three times on possible reforms between 2020 and 2022, but nothing further happened. It’s high time that progress was made on this issue.
If anyone has any experiences of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that they feel up to sharing then please let me know. It can be in strict confidence.
Housekeeping
As 2024 ends and 2025 begins: the readers of this newsletter are one of the best resources that I have to draw on. While we might not always agree, the replies make me a better MP. I am grateful.
My thanks are also due to the office team, who work hard and largely without public recognition. They are all dedicated to right thing – helping people individually, and making the constituency a better place to live. I am lucky to have a strong group around me.
Here’s to happiness and health in 2025.
Best wishes
Laurence Turner
MP for Birmingham Northfield
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These newsletters are mostly written at the weekend alongside domestic duties so please excuse any typos.