15th September 2008

British Pakistanis can help fight poverty

Ambitious plans for the UK to reduce poverty in Pakistan were today unveiled by International Development Minister, Shahid Malik and Liam Byrne, Regional Minister for the West Midlands.

The launch of the Pakistan country plan in Birmingham marks the beginning of an unprecedented tour around the UK to meet people of Pakistan origin. During the next week Shahid Malik will meet with MPs and local residents in Birmingham, Bradford and London to outline the UK Government’s £480 million package of assistance to
Pakistan.
For the full story please click here

Byrne on West Midlands Manufacturing Mission

Liam Byrne today got straight down to business shaping plans for the West Midlands' new €120 million Manufacturing Technology Centre with high level talks at Jaguar Land Rover. The Manufacturing Centre was given the green light by Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, a month earlier than anticipated, when the Cabinet met in Birmingham on the 8th of September.

The Minister started talks at the Jaguar Land Rover plant today to follow up a visit by the Prime Minister, Alistair Darling, John Hutton and John Denham, where the Cabinet colleagues helped launch the Government's Manufacturing Strategy. Talks centred on what world class manufacturers needed to see the centre deliver.
For the full story please click here

15th September 2008

'A More United Kingom'

Click here to download the pamplet written for the think tank Demos.

12th September 2008

Labour is the traditional party of fraternity, says minister

The Minister for Immigration Liam Byrne today claimed that Labour is the only party that can ‘refresh’ Britain’s sense of community.

In a pamphlet written for the think tank Demos, ‘A More United Kingdom’, he says that Labour is built on ideas of fraternity and fairness, and must not allow the Conservative party to claim the notion for itself.

While the tactic of right is to revert to a set of traditional institutions to renew our sense of belonging, Byrne argues that the institutions and standards that sustained it in the past have been weakened by the pressures of modern life. The solution, he suggests, is a new spirit of ‘civic inventiveness’, where ordinary people find news.
For the full story please click here

8th September 08

Building Prosperity and Fairness in the West Midlands

Liam Byrne, Minister for the West Midlands, along with the Chair of the Labour Party Harriet Harman and the Prime Minister Gordon Brown formally launched the next phase of the consultation on a fair future for the West Midlands. Click here to download Harriet Harmans message to all West Midlands Party members.
For the full story please click here

1st September 2008

Byrne Calls Time on Tesco Plan

Liam Byrne today demanded more time for residents to be consulted on Tesco’s plan to put a superstore on Brockhurst Playing Fields.

The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill has battled against the supermarket giants since being elected in 2004. He was appalled when the corporation were granted outline planning permission to build on playing fields that are used by local youth for sports. Now he is shocked that residents have been given just one month to respond to detailed plans.
For the full story please click here

5 August 2008

Liam Byrne welcomes first Cabinet in the West Midlands

Liam Byrne, Minister for the West Midlands, today welcomed news that the Cabinet will come to the region for its meeting on 8th September.

The minister, who was involved in planning the meeting with No 10 last week, said:

"This is a huge vote of confidence on the progress we've made in the West Midlands this year."
For the full story please click here

28 July 2008

Boosting West Midlands' businesses - an action plan for India

An action plan to forge new business and academic ties between the West Midlands and India was launched last week by Minister for the Region Liam Byrne MP.

More than 30 Indian-owned businesses now operate in the region and the new “ India and West Midlands Business Action Plan” sets out proposals to explore, improve and promote links with one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
For the full story please click here

To read the India & West Midlands Action Plan in full please click here

22 July 2008

West Midlands economy stronger thanks to Advantage West Midlands says Byrne

Liam Byrne, Minister for the West Midlands today congratulated Advantage West Midlands - the Regional Development Agency - on their performance for 2007/08.
For the full story please click here

22 July 2008

West Midlands economy stronger thanks to Advantage West Midlands says Byrne

Liam Byrne, Minister for the West Midlands today congratulated Advantage West Midlands - the Regional Development Agency - on their performance for 2007/08.
For the full story please click here

15 July 2008

Byrne pulls pints at Fox & Goose Pub to celebrate Pub Week 2008

Liam Byrne MP will be dropping in at the Fox & Goose Pub in Birmingham Hodge Hill as publicans across the country celebrate the second Proud of Pubs Week.

The public are being urged to join them as the fightback to keep the great British pub alive begins.
For the full story please click here.

14 July 2008

Byrne wins Tesco toilet victory

Liam Byrne met with representatives from Tesco following the city council’s decision to sell off Brockhurst Playing Fields in Hodge Hill. Tesco have agreed to work with him to regenerate the Fox and Goose shopping centre to make it a more desirable place to shop and relax.

The MP for Hodge Hill has vigorously opposed the development with local residents for several years. The council has not paid any attention and pushed the superstore through.

Recently Liam conducted a survey of local residents who were desperate for toilet facilities at the Fox and Goose shopping centre. The MP won a victory for shoppers when Tesco agreed that their toilets would be open to the public – but that people won’t have to walk through the store to get to them.

For the full story please click here.

8 July 2008

Byrne takes Hodge Hill 2020 plans to the top

Liam Byrne took his plans for Hodge Hill in 2020 to leading regeneration agencies Advantage West Midlands (AWM), and East Birmingham and North Solihull Regeneration Zone (EBNS) last week.

HH2020 is the vision for the future of Hodge Hill developed by the MP in a series of residents' meetings, roundtable discussions and conferences with residents. It focuses on four themes: a sport corridor, an urban village to provide high quality housing, an engineering sector to provide local jobs, and a retail quarter to increase the opportunities in Washwood Heath and Alum Rock.

30 June 2008

Byrne celebrates new spirit of ambition in West Midlands

Liam Byrne MP, Minister for the West Midlands, today celebrated a 'new spirit of ambition' in the West Midlands in his first 'one year on' report to the region.

Speaking to regional leaders in Birmingham, the Minister announced the results of Government delivery deals covering billions of pounds of public spending for the next 3 years negotiated with local councils and their partners, celebrated the key breakthroughs for the region of the last year and set out ten key challenges to bring new jobs and new homes to the West Midlands.
For the full story please click here.

To read Liam's speech please click here.

Hodge Hill youngsters pride at prizegiving

Liam presented prizes to students who had taken part in an innovative educational programme to develop character at a ceremony last week.

The programme was run by Learning for Life, a charitable organisation who started the Values Award programme in 2005. The project enables students to reflect on human qualities such as enthusiasm, courage, honesty, generosity, trust, and perseverance.

The students designed posters by reflecting on their personal influences, values and morals.

5 secondary schools from Hodge Hill took part and the MP awarded prizes to 12 students who had completed exceptional posters.
For the full story please click here.

Byrne negotiates fair deal for residents

Liam met with representatives from Central Networks and local residents this week to put forward concerns about the disruption that a new energy sub station in Shard End is causing.

The Hodge Hill MP was outraged that designers from Birmingham City Council who had worked with Central Networks had not consulted with local residents about the fencing for the site.

Liam supports residents in protest

Liam Byrne today organised a protest outside Birmingham Council House to highlight the council's failure to demolish two high rise towers.

Birmingham City Council promised to demolish the towers 3 years ago. The 231 flats have since been emptied at a cost of nearly £1m to taxpayers - but the tower blocks are still standing.

Residents want the towers demolished as they are a magnet for anti-social behaviour and drug dealing.

The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill is calling for the Bromford Estate to be prioritised for regeneration. The planned demolition would open up 3 acres of land for housing, business and community use.
For the full story please click here.

Liam launches the Progressive Challenge

Liam was asked by the Progress think tank to launch their series of speeches addressing 'The Progressive Challenge'.

Liam's speech this evening argued that Labour can win a progressive argument for carefully controlled migration - by combining a celebration of migration's benefits with a determination to see newcomers honour their 'contract' with Britain.

He added that Labour needs to lead a new debate about how “shared standards” in Britain can be strengthened in political and civic life and called for a 'great British weekend', combining national and local events, to give people the opportunity to celebrate the best of being British.

The speech was coupled with the publication online of a pamphlet written by Liam, 'The progressive challenge: can migration benefit the whole nation'.
Please click here to read Liam's speech.

Please click here to download Liam's pamphlet.

Byrne calls for shopping centre superloo

400 local residents have backed Liam Byrne's campaign for public toilet facilities at the Fox and Goose Shopping Centre.
The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill started the campaign after numerous complaints from local people.

Liam said:
"I want to encourage shoppers to use the Fox and Goose shopping centre and to spend their pounds they need to be able to spend a penny."

He added:
"This is a serious issue. The people of Hodge Hill are entitled to the same facilities as those who shop in the city centre or Sutton. I have asked the council for help to resolve this issue and suggested that the neglected public toilets are reopened.

"Another option is a ‘superloo' that would guard against drug users and anti social behaviour."

Liam kick-starts health centre talks

Liam has kick-started talks with health chiefs about a huge new health centre for the Bromford and the Firs.

The Hodge Hill MP invited 400 local residents to meet NHS officials to talk through plans and to flag worries about how cars should access the site. Local residents have welcomed the new health centre but have been worried about cars coming in from Firs Farm Road instead of Shawsdale Road, which is wider.

Liam said:
"It’s fantastic news that we’ve won our battle for an incredible new health centre in the heart of the Bromford and the Firs. A huge £10 million is on the table to build what will be similar to a micro-hospital.

"But my message is, the local community has to be in charge of change. The NHS has to listen to the needs of local residents and their worries about new and noisy traffic in the wrong place."
For the full story please click here.

Liam leads Hodge Hill delegation to study UK’s top social enterprise

Liam Byrne today took a delegation of community leaders to Bromley-by-Bow in London to study how Lord Andrew Mawson has used entrepreneurship and the creative arts to regenerate one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

The Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill said:
"Last week I launched Hodge Hill 2020 to create a new blueprint for the future. Now what our community wants is action not words, so we went to see how the most successful regeneration projects are done."

Hodge Hill's young people show vision for 2020

Primary age students from across Hodge Hill have responded to a questionnaire issued by Liam and told him what they want to see different in the constituency over the coming years.

The Hodge Hill MP asked children what they wanted to see more and less of in their community as part of his big conversation with residents to find out how they wanted the area to change by 2020.
To find out what the results were and to read the full story please click here.

And please click here to send Liam your vision for Hodge Hill in 2020.