MP Newsletter - Birmingham funding, libraries update, local sport and winter fuel - 08 September 2024

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Good evening. Welcome to this ‘bumper’ newsletter – please excuse the length, which tries to capture activity over the summer as well as events over the last week. Thank you as always for subscribing.

Birmingham news

Birmingham City Council – funding

One of my main focuses since the last newsletter has been Birmingham City Council’s finances. In normal times, council operations would not pre-occupy MPs’ time. But we are not in normal times and there is no single more pressing local issue.

As things stand, under the terms of the September 2023 central government intervention, Birmingham is required to balance its books within two years. This requirement is dictating the pace of the very sharp cuts to services like libraries (there is an update on libraries below) and adult day centres. Those cuts in public services and rises in Council Tax come on top of some of the heaviest funding reductions of any local authority between 2010 and 2024.

None of this is to downplay the problems that need to be addressed at the council. Even with those funding constraints, some services are not as good as residents reasonably expect them to be. Staff turnover is too high and the quality of casework responses that I receive sometimes is sometimes not high enough. Two things are true at the same time: improvements need to be made within the city, and Birmingham has also been exceptionally badly-served by central government.

We need answers on a number of points. Why was the equal pay liability so seriously overstated, at £760 million (all parties now accept that the true cost is likely to be much lower)? Why did the external auditors say last September that the equal pay liability could be over £1 billion? How did the Oracle HR system get as far as the point that it was made ‘live,’ despite the fact that it was clearly unfit for purpose? These are some of the questions that are asked in a new report by Sheffield University’s Audit Reform Lab. You can read the report here.

I have been making the case for looking again at Birmingham’s immediate situation through the press and in Parliament. I was glad to receive a constructive response from the Local Government Secretary, Angela Rayner, this week. She said that she wanted to stop Birmingham’s treatment as a ‘political football’ and build a constructive relationship with the city. Specifically, she said that Ministers were ready to listen to alternative suggestions.

This was an important moment. Long-term budgets for councils are expected to be set out next year, and there is limited time available to make changes ahead of next year’s budget. But it is important that local representatives try – it is about fighting for the future of the city. You can read more about the exchange here, and there will be more to report in future newsletters.

Libraries update

In late August, the Council published an important update on the future of library services. In short:

• The Council is proposing that Northfield Library be kept open full-time as a Community Hub Library.

• Weoley Castle and Kings Norton libraries would be reduced to part-time council-staffed hours (at either 14 or 24 hours per week).

• Frankley Community Library is marked for possible community asset transfer. An additional bus stop would be put in. The future of library is not secure and it is still at risk of closure if an organisation cannot be found to run or fund the library.

Throughout this process, I have argued that it is important that as many services are preserved as possible, for as long as possible, so that irreversible reductions in library services are not made.

It is a silver lining that none of Northfield’s libraries are marked for closure in the short-term, but (apart from Northfield libraries) the deterioration in opening hours looks set to continue, and the future of Frankley’s library is far from secure.

It is important that the community and their representatives continue to engage with the consultation to try to secure the best possible future for all our community’s libraries.

As a reminder, the in-person consultation events are taking place at the below times (the Northfield library engagement session was on Monday this week – unfortunately it coincided with Parliament sitting).

Library	Date	Time
Frankley Community Library	Wednesday 25 September	10:30 to 12:00
King’s Norton Library	Friday 20 September	10:30 to 12:00
Weoley Castle Library	Thursday 19 September	15:00 to 16:30

Dangerous dogs

During August, the shocking news hit the community that a man (who has been named locally as Nicholas Glass) had been killed by dogs in Rubery. West Midlands Police confirmed last week that two of the four dogs that had been seized were of the ‘XL Bully’ breed.

Investigations are continuing, and I think it is best to avoid comments on the specifics of cases that are ongoing. My thoughts are with those loved ones who issued a moving tribute.

I understand from Ministers that they are looking at current dog control rules,  and whether those rules are sufficient.

Bristol Road – bus infrastructure and cycleway extension

A number of residents have asked for an update on the proposed extension of the A38 cycleway (which currently runs as far as Selly Oak).

I attended a briefing recently which was organised by the Better Street for Birmingham campaign group. There were two updates from Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) and the City Council:

• Proposals will be published soon (in September) on bus infrastructure and priority measures along the Bristol Road. The details were being revised, following early comments from businesses on Northfield high street, so there should be more to say on this issue in a future newsletter.

• The potential cycleway extension is at an earlier stage in its development. The City Council is currently exploring different designs and identifying a preferred option for extending the cycleway from its current end in Selly Oak to Longbridge.

I want to see further progress with the cycleway scheme. Both initiatives will receive central government money that can only be spent on transport improvements. We should be encouraging public transport use and cycling and, while the details of both proposals need to be subjected to scrutiny and judged on their merits, I hope that investment can go ahead without the politicisation with has affected schemes in the past.

Local achievement

There was brilliant local representation on the international stage this week as Megan Richter won gold in the triathlon at the Paris Paralympics.

Students also received their A Level, GCSE, and vocational and technical qualifications this month. A number of local schools and colleges have published summaries of their results, including Cadbury College. Congratulations to all involved.

Northfield Town FC

Continuing the theme of sporting achievement, Northfield Town Football Club is going from strength-to-strength on the pitch. The club remains unbeaten in the league this year, following promotion to the Midland Football League’s Division Two.

However, funding for facilities improvements is needed if the club is to progress further. The club is looking for all-weather pitch facilities, and an update is needed to changing facilities if a greater range of women’s and girls’ teams are to be established.

Saul and Alan from the club reached out, and I was glad to be able to visit the club and arrange a helpful discussion with the Football Foundation in Parliament this week. There are a number of leads to follow up as we try to secure funding for those improvements. I have written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and I am due to meet the Minister who covers grassroots football this coming week.

Local visits

In the wake of the disgraceful scenes of rioting that shamed our nation, I joined Friday prayers at the Al-Mahdi Institute in Weoley to show support as a community representative.

No one should feel unsafe because of their religion or skin colour. In many ways, the response to the riots – the actions of the majority who came together to repair physical damage and build new links across communities – showed us at our best. But the fact is that some additional support is needed.

I have written to the Home Office in support of the Al-Mahdi Institute’s application for additional security measures, and raised the eligibility of educational and research centres for that support directly with Ministers.

I have also visited or otherwise met a number of organisations, including the Nationwide Caterers’ Association (which is based in Kings Norton) to discuss some of the challenges that independent food and drink retailers face.

I have also met or visited: Northfield Arts Forum (congratulations to the NAF on securing new premises on Church Road); GMB and Unite (to discuss Birmingham City Council and the upcoming equal pay hearing in November); a number of people at Birmingham City Council, in part to progress casework; and the Bishop of Birmingham.  

Constituency office update

When I was elected, I pledged to set up an advertised office in the constituency, with all my public resources based there.

I am glad to be able share those contact details (please note that, due to unfortunate security threats that all MPs have to contend with, meetings are by appointment):

Postal address

Office of Laurence Turner MP
1 Devon Way
Longbridge
B31 2TS

Landline (active from 16 September)
0121 516 5770

Email
laurence.turner@parliament.uk

The location is a serviced office, and likely temporary, and I will advertise any change of address in this newsletter and on my website.

Staff have been hired and are starting work following completion of notice periods. I want the office to be an asset that works on behalf of the community, and I look forward to it being up to capacity soon.

In Parliament

Winter Fuel Allowance

There will be a difficult vote on the future of the Winter Fuel Allowance on Tuesday. I wrote about the background to the change in the last newsletter, and I will try not to repeat myself.

A number of people have written to ask how I will vote. Everyone will get a detailed reply (including with the latest information on Pension Credit applications and other forms of support). But in short: I will be voting with the Government. I do not think there is another practical choice.

No-one joins the Labour Party to cut social security or to retreat from the universal principle. I know there is scepticism about the description of what Labour has inherited. But it absolutely true.

The last Government did exactly what the Conservatives always accuse Labour of: they traded votes for empty promises, over-committed the public finances, and hid the liability from Parliament. The cost of overspends on asylum and immigration alone are greater than the entire cost of providing the Winter Fuel Allowance.

This isn’t abstract. For example, it will take years for the country to recover from the disastrous Liz Truss ‘mini-Budget.’ Without emergency action then the cost of borrowing would have risen sharply and further cuts to public services and social security would have been needed.

I know that many people feel that they have been singled out. I think that the intention of giving people as much time as possible to prepare in advance of winter was honourable, and the truth is that more cuts are coming.

The savings from the Winter Fuel Allowance work out at less than 10 per cent of the in-year liability that was inherited. Had there been a Conservative Government then they would have had to make similarly deep cuts – the difference is that they hid that reality from the public.

I spend each Saturday knocking on doors in the constituency, and I have found that a large number of people may be eligible for Pension Credit (and would continue to receive the Winter Fuel Allowance), but the eligibility criteria are not well known. Those criteria extend to disability status and people with caring responsibilities, alongside the income threshold.

If you are in any doubt about your eligibility then please do:

• Phone this DWP number – 0800 99 1234.

• And if you need advice then you can contact the Independent Age national helpline on 0800 319 6789.

I am speaking to the Independent Age charity about campaigns to reduce pensioner household costs. I am glad that the Government has now extended the Household Support Fund – this fund provided grants worth up to £200 in Birmingham for households in hardship. The State Pension increase is estimated to increase by around £400 (a real increase after inflation) in April, and if this is a particularly cold winter then £150 should be automatically discounted from electricity bills.

I know that many people feel passionately about this issue. Please do reply to this email if you would like to make your voice heard and I will do my best to respond. I will be working to make sure that as many people as possible are signed up to Pension Credit between now and the December deadline.

Legislation and other debates last week

I was proud to vote in favour of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, which will start to turn the page on rail privatisation (a rushed and disastrous decision of the John Major Government).

It was really positive to hear that funding has been secured for 131 low-carbon energy generation projects – compared to zero last year, because no bidders came forward.

I had hoped to speak in a Westminster Hall debate on SEND last Thursday, but unfortunately I wasn’t called.

International

Open Doors

One cause that I know is important to a lot of people in Northfield is the persecution of Christians internationally. I met recently with a local representative of the Open Doors charity, which campaigns on a non-denominational to highlight sectarian persecution and harm to faith communities as a result of conflict.

I was grateful for the meeting, and I have submitted a request to the Government that they fill the vacant post of Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. It is really positive that an international organisation in support of this cause has such a strong local presence, and I will support its work as best I can.

What do you think?

Ahead of the Budget on the 30 October, there has been some speculation about what might be announced. These stories are hard to confirm or deny – the measures in the Budget will only be known to a very small number of people. But it is helpful to me to know if there are particular issues of concern.

Are you worried about particular measures that might be in the Budget? Are you affected by the means-testing of the Winter Fuel Allowance? If so, are you eligible for other forms of support, and what will the likely effect be on you?

As always, any response will be treated in confidence.

Best wishes

Laurence Turner
Labour MP, Birmingham Northfield

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This newsletter is written at the weekend alongside domestic duties so please excuse any typos.