Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a lovely, relaxing Christmas and is looking forward to 2024.
As Keir Starmer laid out in his first speech of 2024, this is a year of choice.
With a general election due this year, whether in the spring or later on, the country has the chance to vote for change.
This year, you have the chance to choose the hope of national renewal, the responsibility of service, what politics can and should be, and reject a party with nothing good to show, mired by sex scandals, expenses scandals, waste scandals and dishing out contracts for friends, even in a crisis like the pandemic.
The Tories can’t change Britain, so they will try to undermine the possibility of change itself, kicking the hope out of us all.
Only Labour, dedicated to serving working people, can change Britain and we will.
Labour has five national missions that will sweep away the era of Tory division:
Get Britain building again, with a target of 1.5m homes
Switch on Great British Energy, with families £1,400 better off a year with GB Energy
Get the NHS back on its feet, with 2m extra appointments a year
Take back our streets, with 13,000 more police officers and PCSOs
Break down the barriers to opportunity, with New Technical Excellence Colleges
This year, in Britain, the power to shape the future of our country will rest in your hands. Unlike the Conservatives, Keir Starmer is ready to renew our politics so it once again serves our country.
Switch Radio
On Christmas Day, I appeared on Switch Radio to run through some of my favourite songs and discuss my journey into politics.
If you missed it, you can listen to the full episode here:
New Years
I celebrated New Years with my local congregation at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick this year, praying for the betterment of all. It was lovely to gather with so many to welcome in the new year, striving for peace, justice, and love.
Woodhouse Primary Academy
I was thrilled to see Woodhouse Primary Academy achieve the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status. A massive thanks to all the staff at the school for their dedication and commitment to the young people they teach. Well deserved!
Bolingo Care Birmingham Branch
I was glad to see Bolingo Care Birmingham Branch be awarded a ‘Good’ rating by CQC. Patient care and safety is of paramount concern to all of us – I really appreciate the care staff for all the brilliant work they do.
I will be following up on progress in areas of improvement required.
Art and Culture
The UK is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to art and culture. Although, many of my constituents are concerned that the policies being pursued by this government will damage British arts and cultural exports. I wrote to the Education Secretary, expressing their concerns that the government ought to be making it easier for young people from all backgrounds to aspire to the cultural industries, rather than creating barriers.
Local News
Dentistry U-Turn
I've been concerned to discover that dentistry in the West Midlands is to be significantly impacted, due to a withdrawal of proposed NHS funding. West Midlands ICBs have said that this decision has been taken as a result of financial pressures in the NHS elsewhere.
I will be writing to regional ICBs, asking them to explain why there has been no transparency around this decision, and for their assessment of how this will impact residents of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Advice Surgeries
No advice surgeries will be happening in January. Surgeries will resume on Friday 2nd February, and Thursday 8th February. In the meantime, if you need to contact me, please call 0121 392 8426 or email preet.gill.mp@parliament.uk.
Police Surgery
The next West Midlands Police surgery will be taking place at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre on Friday 12th January from 16:30 until 18:00. Please come along to share any concerns you may have and to fill out a short anonymous survey about how you feel about your local police team.
Primary School Places
Reminder that if you have a child starting primary school in September 2024, you need to apply for a place by 15th January. Follow the link below for more info.
MHRC
Next week, the MHRC will be visiting Simmons Drive (next to the shop), B32 1SL, on Monday 8th January, Metchley Drive, B17 0IX, on Tuesday 9th January, and The Holloway (in the car park), B31 1TR, on Friday 12th January. The centre is open between 07:00 and 12:30, so please come along if you’re local and have bulky household waste to dispose of.
Campaigning
If you would like to support me campaigning and join me doorknocking, please contact: officeofpreetgill@gmail.com.
Best wishes,
Preet Kaur Gill MP
Birmingham Edgbaston covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton
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