Dear John,

After campaigning for many months, a 21-day notice of closure was placed on an unsafe and substandard exempt property and today the case will be heard in court. If granted, it will be the first time a property of this type has been granted a notice of closure in the constituency. 

Saif Lodge, managed by Midland Living, has been running as an exempt property for a number of years, providing support and accommodation to some of Birmingham’s most vulnerable residents, including those with substance misuse issues and mental health support needs. However, for as long as the property has been running, there has also been longstanding problems with anti-social behaviour and with the property attracting drug dealers and sex workers. 

On a personal note, I’m delighted to see this progress. Residents of Saif Lodge shouldn’t have to live in substandard accommodation without the support they need, and neither should the business operating be able to impact the community so critically.  

I would like to thank the residents for working so closely with myself, the Police and the Council. Their knowledge, passion and drive, has really made the difference and has shown us what we can achieve working together. In this case it has been so important to really make people understand the devastating impact that unregulated accommodation providers, like those at Saif Lodge, can have on a community and I will keep fighting to make sure that all exempt providers are operating at a standard that makes us proud to have them as part of our communities. 

Last week, the Foreign Secretary exposed his fear of scrutiny by trying to sneak out a written statement on his callous aid cuts. Slashing humanitarian support in the middle of a global pandemic is incredibly short-sighted and people will lose their lives as a result. That’s why I stood up and asked an urgent question on Parliament.

For the last month now, we’ve heard about more and more new scandals that have come to light. Whether it’s about the dodgy PPE contracts, the Greensill Scandal that could cost taxpayers as much as £5bn, and the PM’s own conduct with payments for revamping his flat. But why this matters and what the Conservatives have failed to grasp, is that hospital waiting lists are rising. Crime is going up. People are worried about their jobs. And almost 130,000 people across the UK have died. Yet, Boris Johnson’s only priority is covering up Tory sleaze. We need a Prime Minister who always puts the British public first. 
 
The conduct of this Government is shameful. I truly find the way that they are behaving reprehensible and far below the standards I would expect for those in office. This week you might have caught me on Sky News and Radio 5 Live standing up to Conservative MPs who have backed the Prime Minister and held them to account.  

Next Thursday will be election day which means we have the opportunity to make some changes for the better. Over the last four years, not only have we been stuck with a Conservative Government who have stripped away our resilience and crippled the country, but we’ve also had a Conservative Mayor who hasn’t been willing to use any of his so-called connections with Government to get a better deal for the region.  
 
On May 6th, we have the chance to elect a Labour West Midlands Mayor in Liam Byrne who will lead our region and stand up for what we deserve. With Liam as Mayor, he will fight to create new, green, high-skilled jobs that are so sorely needed and back plans to really provide the infrastructure and support our city needs to thrive. 
 
We have Simon Foster standing for Police and Crime Commissioner. Vote for Simon and he will fight against the cuts our Policing has faced over the last decade and look to improve community policing and community safety. 
 
We also have Elaine Kidney who is campaigning to join Cllr Kate Booth and represent Quinton in Birmingham City Council. Elaine knows Quinton and has lived in the area with three generations of her family. She understands what the issues are and what needs to be done to address them whether that’s with speeding, flytipping or improving housing for the area.  
 
But, to see these changes and to be able take positive steps forward, we need you to vote for them. If you’d like to do even more to get the message out and help to get involved in doorknocking or delivering (particularly on the 6th May), please contact our campaign organiser, Patrick Saunders, on 07944 198 319. 
 
#VoteLabour