Dear John,

Following the Conservatives move to cut Universal Credit and increase national insurance contributions, this week we’ve seen more financial hits hammered down on working people. Thousands of working families are now facing a very difficult winter as a result of this government’s choices. Rising food costs, tax hikes, the energy crisis and cuts to Universal Credit are a perfect storm. 
 
Labour is on the side of working people. That's why we would maintain the uplift Universal Credit, increase the minimum wage and and urgently help households with the cost of rising bills. It’s why we opposed the National Insurance increase that won’t solve our country’s social care crisis. It’s why we’ve called out the Government for their failures that have paved the way for the energy crisis including axing the Green Homes Grant, scrapping the zero carbon homes standard and losing the storage facility that held three quarters of our gas. 
 
These situations aren’t unavoidable. Politics is about choices and I’m proud to stand with hard working families of this country against this sustained attack on their living standards.

A few months ago, I met with residents in North Edgbaston who were concerned about a piece of enclosed land that backs on to their houses and gardens, being developed into supported living accommodation. While the land used to be a green space and garages for residents, developers last week disclosed their plans to build 17 units of housing for vulnerable people needing 24/7 care.  
 
This was extremely disappointing to learn. No consultation or engagement has happened with residents about what they would like to see this space become and they have been given just two weeks to submit their comments to the council’s planning department regarding the current proposals.  
 
The space is an extremely small area with neighbours in very close proximity. When I previously spoke to commissioners, I was informed that 8-10 people needed housing, none of whom had a local connection to the area. As such, I have questioned why there is a need for 17 units to be built. 
 
In my view, it isn’t an appropriate space to place residents with serious conditions. Anti-social behaviour and crime has risen with Police resources overstretched. There is no green space or any type of outdoor area for them to use and the building itself is far too large for the land available. 
 
I have strongly objected to these plans and have offered my supports to residents who have until 1st October to share their thoughts.

This week there was a huge victory for the West Midlands 3 and the Sikh community. Piara Singh Gill, Amritivir Singh Wahiwala and Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala, three men all from the West Midlands, were accused by the Indian authorities of being involved in a high-profile 2009 murder plot. In 2011 this was investigated by West Midlands Police investigation who found absolutely no evidence to support this. 
 
Yet in December 2020, the Home Office certified an extradition request from the Indian authorities which, according to Edward Fitzgerald QC, was "made on the basis of wholly unsubstantiated allegations”. 
 
On Wednesday, the three British Sikhs, were in court to decide whether their extradition to India would go ahead, despite the Indian Government having dropped all charges. 
 
While the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case, it has led to many questions being raised on the decisions made by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, to allow the extradition to go ahead, despite poor-quality evidence against them. 
 
According to the highly respected human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce, not only had the Indian authorities brought a case without evidence, but the prosecution had failed to tell the court that there had already been trials of other men in India in the same case and all had been acquitted. The prosecution had tried to reuse evidence that had already been judged in such cases to have been fabricated, as witnesses had been coerced 
 
I am extremely concerned that an extradition request for these innocent men has been certified by the Home Office despite multiple previous investigations and no credible new evidence having been brought forward. It raises serious questions about how a campaign against three British citizens has been allowed to drag on so long, costing the British taxpayer thousands of pounds, and putting the accused, their families and community through a harrowing ordeal in the bid to clear their names. 
 
In my capacity as Chair of the APPG for British Sikhs, I have written to the Home Secretary to ask four important questions: 
 
1) What process did the Home Office follow to lead it to certify the request to extradite the West Midlands Three to India?  
2) Was the Home Secretary aware of the previous investigations into the allegations made against these three men?  
3) Why has thousands of pounds of British taxpayers' money been spent on a case based on already discredited evidence?  
4) What discussions will the Home Secretary have with the Foreign Secretary and counterparts in the Indian authorities to raise concerns about the troubling implications of this case and ensure that further baseless and discredited charges cannot be repeatedly brought against British nationals by a foreign power? 

I recently met with headteachers from primary schools across the city. It was shocking to hear stories from headteachers about how students' needs simply aren't being met. Schools were already struggling to balance the books having faced 11 years of Conservative cuts. Now, we are truly seeing the impact of Tory austerity that has decimated school budgets as well as those public services that work in tandem with early years provision like children's services, mental health provision, youth services and the Police.  
 
Fundamentally, teachers are no longer being asked to simply teach. Schools are now having to act as social services and mental health workers. I have seen first-hand how schools have set up foodbanks, supported homeless families and spent huge proportions of their school budget on mental health care for their students.  
 
While it's fantastic to see schools stepping up, all of this takes time away from teaching and from pupils being educated. With children's services facing huge demand and with resources overstretched, we need to start seeing those who commission early years services work in partnership with headteachers and other sectors so that the services being commissioned are the right services that schools most need. 
 
The Government has been entirely unrepentant on the impact their cuts have had on teaching. This has again been demonstrated by the Conservative's woefully inadequate catch-up plan that will not see the needed funding or support delivered to children. Labour's bold Children’s Recovery Plan would deliver the support for teachers, tutoring and breakfast clubs that every child across Birmingham needs to thrive. The Conservatives need to step-up, match Labour’s ambition and deliver for our children’s futures. 

This weekend the Labour Party will be back hosting its annual conference in Brighton. It’s an opportunity to hear inspiring speeches, gain invaluable training and a real chance to be a part of democracy in action. I am excited to see conference return and to meet as many members as possible.  
 
I have also been asked to deliver the Co-operative Party's "fraternal greetings" to Labour Party conference on Saturday. Here I will speak about the shared values long held between our sister parties, why I am proud to be a Labour and Co-operative MP and the campaigns we have yet to win but will work tirelessly to achieve.