Dear John,

On 21st November 1974, the IRA detonated bombs in two public houses in Birmingham, the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town.
 
Twenty-one people lost their lives, and 186 were injured, many grievously. It was the single biggest loss of life in a terrorist attack in Britain until the 7/7 bombings.
 
For the families of those who lost loved ones, those injured, and for the people of Birmingham more widely the trauma remains raw.
 
Forty-seven years on, those responsible have still not been brought to justice. For almost five decades, the Birmingham families have fought a long and determined campaign for justice, backed by the people of Birmingham and across the UK.
 
Two weeks ago, the Government announced proposals that would slam the door shut on the families’ long, brave campaign for justice, with the announcement of a statute of limitations on prosecutions.
 
It’s a grievous insult to the Birmingham pub bombings families that ministers hadn’t even spoken to them about their plan to grant amnesty to their killers. Reports suggest that paramilitaries were briefed on the Government’s proposals while victims themselves were snubbed.
 
That’s why this week I, Louise Haigh, Jess Phillips, and seven other Birmingham MPs wrote to the Government to demand ministers meet with families, look them in the eye and explain why they had chosen to close the book on their case.
 
Following this pressure I am pleased that the Home Secretary has now met with the families, and promised their legal teams can work together "to discuss the way forward”. I will be watching this closely.
 
In March, I asked the Home Office about its promise to look into opening a public inquiry, to which the Minister responded that this would be “inappropriate” while a police investigation is active.
 
I stand four-square with the families in our city who lost their loved ones and never received justice.

This morning, residents in Harborne will be gathering on the high street to protest the closure of their NatWest branch.
 
The news of the branch’s closure is a massive blow for the area which is already facing the closure of the HSBC Harborne branch and Santander only a few doors down.
  
Banks play an important role on our high street, especially for older people who are not always online. Many people I have spoken to say there has been no consultation by NatWest on closing the Harborne branch, especially as nearby Bearwood was recently closed as well.
 
Following a survey sent to around 1,000 people surrounding the high street, I found that 89% of people visit the bank branches on Harborne high street on a regular basis, with 89% of people also unable to travel four miles to the nearest bank, located in the city centre.

I have called for an urgent meeting with NatWest, and I will be at the protest this morning. Please get in touch if you want to join our campaign.

The Triple Zero City Strategy is Birmingham City Council’s plan on how we think we should tackle drug and alcohol addiction across Birmingham, and this important consultation is closing on Monday. They are aiming for:

- Zero deaths due to drug or alcohol addiction 
- Zero overdoses due to drug or alcohol addiction 
- Zero people living with any addiction without the support needed to manage it
 
The strategy has been developed using information gathered from the areas of need in our City in partnership with the Council, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and other statutory partners and service providers.

Now the Council would like to take on board the voices and experiences of people who live, work, study or socialise in Birmingham. 

Click the link below to complete the consultation before the deadline closes on Monday 2nd August.

Nothing is more important than keeping you, your family and your neighbourhood safe. That’s why Labour’s priorities are to drive down crime and antisocial behaviour, tackling the root causes of the problems that communities face and ensuring criminals are brought to justice. 

While the Conservatives have cut policing to the lowest level in a generation, they were happy to waste £283 million on a vanity yacht. Labour would spend that money on keeping our community safe.

This summer we are campaigning on these issues, and we want to listen to you and your concerns. We want to hear about safety in your area, what your priorities are and how you think they should be tackled. 

Please let us know how you feel by clicking the link and completing the survey.