News roundup, video and photos

Posted on 2019-11-04 | 01:08

I have always opposed fracking so I am delighted the government said they will ban it, even if their decision was a political one and not a moral one.

Posted on 2019-10-27 | 12:54

Diwali is the festival of lights and is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every year. The festival signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair and extends over a five day period.

I know how important Diwali is to my Hindu constituents and it is also celebrated by my Sikh and Sri Lankan constituents. The festival is one of joy and hope for the future and I offer my very warmest congratulations to all of my constituents who will be celebrating it.

Posted on 2019-10-20 | 02:17

Dear Chief Executive,

Will You Pledge to Help the West Midlands Become the UK’s First Real Living Wage Region?

We write to ask if you can help the West Midlands become Britain’s first Real Living Wage region - where every employer pays its workers and contractors at least £9/hour and is accredited as such by the Real Living Wage Foundation.

As you probably know, low pay is a curse on our region. Since 2015, the number of people across the West Midlands visiting foodbanks has now risen to 142,000 per year - including 51,000 children. Low income is the biggest single reason for food bank use - and in our region, around 1 in 4 workers are paid below the real living wage which is only £9/ hour - that’s 571,000 workers.

However, our region has one of the lowest numbers of employers accredited by the Living Wage Foundation; Just 1 in 1,000 businesses are accredited in the region.

Paying the Living Wage however, is good for business. Ninety-three per cent of Living Wage-paying businesses have benefited from paying the Living Wage since they started. When workers have more money in their pocket, they feel more fulfilled in their career. It is good for their family, as they enjoy a better standard of living, and with the worker no longer needing to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, they have more family time. It is good for the employer as a better paid worker is happier, more committed and less likely to leave. Less churn of staff leads to a more stable and productive workforce. 75% of accredited Living Wage employers say that it has increased motivation and retention rates for employees.

So, we the undersigned are writing to the top 250 employers in the West Midlands Combined Authority area, along with the public sector to ask:

Will you commit to becoming a Real Living Wage employer accredited by the Real Living Wage Foundation, over the next 12 months?

We would be grateful if you could email yes or no answers to , by Monday 4th November 2019.

We will publish all responses to this survey on Monday 11th November, which is the beginning of Living Wage Week. According to the Living Wage Foundation, to become a Real Living Wage employer, “you need to pay all of your directly employed staff a Living Wage and have a plan in place to extend that to regular sub-contracted staff as well. The current Living Wage rates are £9.00 per hour [outside London].”

We have enclosed a guide - which can be found here: -

https://www.livingwage.org.uk/sites/default/files/Living%20Wage%20Implem...

We believe that together we can end the curse of poverty pay. And we hope we can count on your support in making it happen.

Posted on 2019-10-17 | 02:21

Dear Mr Staley,

We were extremely disappointed to learn of Barclays’ intention to end the current agreement with the Post Office that allows our constituents to withdraw cash from their local Post Office branches. This change will only add to the cash crisis many of the most vulnerable and elderly in our communities are currently facing. We would strongly urge you to reverse this decision to prevent your customers – and our constituents – from being left behind in the wake of the banking sector’s digitisation.

As you will be aware, 3,312 high street bank and building society branches closed between January 2015 and August 2019 – at least 481 of which were Barclays branches. This unprecedented and unsustainable rate of closure has left many of our communities with little or no access to face-to-face banking services – with some of our constituencies being left with very few, or even zero, bank branches.

While we understand the impact technological change is having upon the banking sector, we must underline the need to provide people with the basic banking requirements they need, expect and deserve. Free and easy access to cash forms the bare foundation of the service customers should expect to receive.

The Access To Cash Review, the conclusions of which were published in April 2019, found that around 17 per cent of the UK population – or 8 million adults – would find it difficult to function in a cashless society. This underlines the need to maintain a base level of support for people who will undoubtedly struggle to make full use of the digital economy and ensure that nobody is left behind as these economic changes continue to take effect at pace. Data from Which? clearly demonstrates that, despite the increase in digital banking and contactless payments, almost three quarters of people still use cash frequently. For some, this will be a matter of choice, but for others – particularly in more remote or rural areas – this results from sheer necessity.

When we couple this changing picture with the frankly staggering rate of ATM closures across our country, we have to begin to question whether the banking sector is really serious about maintaining the banking provision our constituents need and deserve. Data from Link shows that over 500 ATMs were being closed every month throughout 2018; further removing access points where local residents can manage and access their money. Just after these statistics were released, a spokesperson for UK Finance said: “this is why all the high street banks have arranged for everyday banking services to be available through 11,500 Post Offices across the country”. You will therefore understand why there is such a deep level of anger and concern at Barclays’ latest decision to withdraw services from Post Office branches. Even the thin gruel provision is to be removed, it seems.

Quite simply, amidst the current uncertainty many people face around access to cash and wider banking services, this decision appears to be a retrograde step which will impact your poorest customers hardest. It sends a message – rightly or wrongly – that those who cannot properly access the digital economy will have the carpet dragged from under their feet as our high street banks continue to abandon the communities that have sustained them for decades.

We would therefore strongly impress upon you the need to review and reverse this decision to prevent any of our constituents from being further side-lined in our local and national economies.  

Given the significant public interest around this issue, we will be sharing this letter with our constituents and with the media. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our concerns in person, should you be available to do so.

Thank you for looking into our concerns – we look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.

Posted on 2019-10-11 | 02:30

Dear The Rt Hon Raab,

Re: End the Turkish Invasion of Northern Syria

We are writing on behalf of our constituents and the Kurdish community who have contacted our offices about the Turkish invasion of Northern Syria. It is a sad day to see our Kurdish allies being assaulted by the Turkish military on the orders of President Erdogan. We believe the United States has made the wrong decision to withdraw military support from Northern Syria.

The Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have played the leading role on the ground and have lost over 11,000 men and women in the fight against ISIS. They led this fight willingly and help to bring about a degree of peace and stability in this war-torn region.

Out of the chaos that has consumed Syria for almost ten years, Kurdish forces in North Eastern Syria have not only liberated millions from extremism and tyranny but have in its place established a system of democratic governance, one which is remarkable for its commitment to women’s participation at every level.

In recent days the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Inherent Resolve, compelled the SDF to demolish defensive fortifications along the Turkish-Syrian border. This action was conducted on the
understanding that it would address Turkish security concerns and that US efforts would continue to guarantee the safety of the people of North Eastern Syria from potential Turkish military action. To follow this with the immediate withdrawal of US forces, albeit giving American consent for a Turkish invasion, is nothing other than a gross act of betrayal.

Turkey’s 2018 invasion of the Kurdish enclave of Afrinshows us precisely what President Erdogan has planned for the North East; ethnic cleansing, extensive bombing of civilian areas, the use of proxy
forces including former ISIS fighters and other extremists, and the destruction of any form of democratic governance. We cannot allow this to happen. 

The SDF currently hold tens of thousands of former ISIS fighters and activists in detention. The Turkish invasion represents a clear and significant risk of an ISIS resurgence, fuelled by the escape of many of those previously captured to join the cells still operating across the region. Former US officials familiar with the security situation in Northern Syria have explained this threat at length. The decision should be reversed immediately, and appropriate action taken against Turkey to prevent further loss of life and destabilisation in the region.

We believe the actions of the United States to withdraw military forces from the area after reaching an agreement with Turkey is an act of betrayal and leaves the one region of Syria that is under stable
democratic control open to destruction and ethnic cleansing at the hands of Turkish forces, as well as leading to a resurgence of Daesh in the region.

We urge you to intervene and to outline the steps being taken by the UK Government to halt this assault, and what diplomatic measures are being taken with both the United States and Turkey to reverse their current policies which are causing the destabilisation of the region.

It is our hope as MPs to see an end to violence in Syria. Attacks on the Kurdish population will not assist in achieving peace in Syria. Our constituents ask that you use the UK’s seat on the UN Security
Council and international influence to make it clear, in the strongest terms, to your Turkish counterparts that this aggression is unacceptable and must be halted.

Posted on 2019-10-07 | 04:05

Approximately 180 members – out of a total membership in the Hall Green Constituency of over 1250 – have voted to have an open selection.

The full membership will now have a choice and I confirm I will be a candidate in the reselection and will automatically be shortlisted as a sitting Member of Parliament. 

Posted on 2019-09-30 | 12:17

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day religious festival commemorating the Jewish new Year and the creation of the world. Wishing the Jewish community in my constituency and across the world "Shana Tova."

Posted on 2019-09-25 | 02:05

Dear Roger,

Thank you for your letter of 9th September 2019 to the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister, regarding correspondence from your constituents relating to the possible impact on the NHS of a future trade agreement with the United States. This correspondence has been passed to the Department for International Trade (DIT) and I am providing a response as this matter falls within my portfolio.

The Government has been consistently clear about its commitment to the guiding principles of the NHS – that it is universal and free at the point of need. Our position is definitive: the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The Government will ensure no trade agreements will ever be able to alter these fundamental facts.

Trade is vital for the NHS, which relies heavily on vital goods and services that come wholly, or in part, from suppliers based overseas. Trade enables the NHS to buy the best possible medicines and medical devices that industry – here and overseas – has to offer. That is in the best interests of NHS patients. Additionally, successive Governments have enabled some independent sector providers to provide selected care to NHS patients – and they are permitted to do so, provided they meet UK requirements. Trade deals will not force the NHS to provide preferential access to independent sector providers or to foreign companies.

The UK has a well-established relationship with the US as our largest single bilateral trading partner. The US accounts for nearly a fifth of all UK exports, worth over £100 billion a year and is the single biggest source of inward investment into the UK. Our economic prosperity is enhanced by the depth of our trade, financial, cultural and investment links with the US. Every day over a million Americans go to work for British companies and over a million Britons work for US companies.
Negotiating an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) with the US that maintains our high standards for businesses, workers and consumers is a priority. DIT has completed its public consultation on potential future FTA negotiations with the US. We have analysed all consultation responses and a ‘summary of responses’ has been published on GOV.UK: http://bit.ly/2YU3pnm.

On the delivery of public services, this is safeguarded in the trade in services aspects of all FTAs the UK is party to. In the EU’s FTAs, the UK’s public services are protected by specific exceptions and reservations. As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that public services – including the NHS – are protected in all trade agreements it is party to, whether transitioned from an EU context or as a result of new negotiations. Decisions on how to run public services, including the NHS, will always remain for the UK Governments, including the Devolved Administrations, and not our trade partners.
This position was reiterated in the Government’s response to a recent petition to Parliament which called for the NHS to be excluded from any future trade agreements. Your constituents can find the Government’s response, watch the subsequent debate on 22nd July and read the
transcript of the debate and associated research paper on the UK Government and Parliament Petitions website: http://bit.ly/30coh9K. As the Prime Minister said on 25th July in the House of Commons, "…under no circumstances will we agree to any free trade deal that puts the NHS on the table. It is not for sale".

I hope this information is helpful and of reassurance to your constituents.

Posted on 2019-09-19 | 11:43

Parliamentary Report 

Dear Colleague  

I am setting out my Parliamentary Report which deals with a number of issues which have come up over the last few months, and others which are going to come up in the coming months. 

 Brexit  

Brexit continues to dominate the whole parliamentary agenda and has done so since the beginning of the year. Theresa May tried four times to get her deal through the House of Commons but she failed on each occasion and this resulted in her being forced to set a timetable for her departure. Since then we had the unedifying campaign to elect a new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister and this resulted in the election of Boris Johnson. Immediately on taking office he appointed a very right-wing cabinet full of “no deal brexiteers” and he then commenced a tour around the UK throwing money around like confetti. It now appears this was a precursor to calling a general election. The position that he and his Government have taken on Brexit is that the UK will leave the EU on the 31st October, whether a deal is agreed or not and his negotiating position with other members of the EU revolves entirely around scrapping the “backstop.” Up until now the EU have refused to shift on this but if the UK leaves the EU without a deal then it was made clear by Theresa May, and reaffirmed by Boris Johnson, that no border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be imposed. Until now the Irish Government have also said that they will not impose border controls but if this is the case then the European Commission will have to step in and impose their own border controls on goods and people travelling across the border. Alternatively, they will have to have border controls on mainland Europe otherwise the EUs Customs Union will be undermined. However, Parliament has now legislated against “no deal” and instructed the Government to ask the EU for an extension until 31st January if a deal is not agreed by the 19th October. On these votes that took place in Parliament on the 3rd and 4th September I voted in accordance with the majority wishes of my constituents with Labour and other opposition parties to take “no deal” off the table. I will continue to take this line because I recognise that around two thirds of the people in Hall Green voted to remain within the EU. It is now totally unclear what is going to happen next. The Government has prorogued parliament so it will not be sitting until the second week of October when a new “Queen’s Speech” will be introduced setting out the Governments programme. Parliament has already said that if a deal is not agreed by the 19th October then the Prime Minister should seek an extension until the 31st January but, Boris Johnson is adamant that the UK will be leaving the EU on the 31st October. The Government has lost its majority, even with the support of the DUP, in parliament and, therefore, it would seem inevitable that a general election will take place. 

Climate Change  

In late April the Labour opposition put forward a vote in Parliament to declare a National Environmental and Climate Change Emergency. Climate Change has moved up the political agenda, both in the UK and other industrialised countries. This has been brought about by a number of natural disasters that are directly related to Climate Change and also because of the campaigning efforts of activists such as Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old Swedish schoolgirl whose “one person demonstration” has both inspired and galvanised others like the Extinction Rebellion movement whose direct action campaigns I support. The vote in Parliament was carried overwhelmingly because the Government knew that it would be defeated had it tried to oppose. 

 HS2 

As colleagues know I have been a fierce opponent of the building of HS2 and voted against its construction. It now appears that the Government are also having second thoughts, despite £9 billion having already been spent and I very much welcome this review. From the beginning I always felt the economic and business case for its construction was flawed and I thought it would end up massively over budget. This has proven to be the case to such an extent that neither the HS2 company, or the Government will admit to what the projected costs are now going to be. The idea that £32 billion should be spent on enabling business people to travel from Birmingham to London, and vice versa, half an hour quicker never made sense and just about every businessperson I spoke to, who did not have a vested interest in the project, said that this amount of money could be spent in far better ways. I have always said that the money would be better spent on improving transport connectivity between east and west in the country and the building of an underground or other similar transit system in Birmingham. This would bring huge benefits to the city and would provide even more jobs in the West Midlands than are going to be provided by building the vanity project that is HS2. Incidentally, in order to try and contain the costs, it has now been suggested that the speed of the trains could be reduced which undermines the whole premise under which the project was sold! 

Local and European Elections 

The local elections which were held in May were a disaster for the Conservatives who lost over 1000 seats but were not good for Labour either. As time had passed and the Government had became more chaotic, the main opposition party should have been gaining seats on council’s up and down the country but, unfortunately, the Labour Party also ended up with a net loss of seats. The European elections were always going to be difficult for both ourselves and the Conservatives because nobody had thought they were going to take place however, they turned into a catastrophe for ourselves and the Conservatives. The only winners were the new Brexit Party of Nigel Farage and the Liberal Democrats who picked up a lot of votes from Labour remain voters. 

Air Pollution Alert on the BBC  

I raised with the BBC the need for air pollution reports to be incorporated into their weather broadcasts because an increasing number of people are suffering from asthma and Birmingham has, regrettably, been identified as having one of the worst pollution levels in the country. I had a response from Tony Hall the Director General which can be viewed at rogergodsiffmp.co.uk in which he recognised the need to incorporate alerts for “high incidents of pollution” into weather forecasts on TV and radio. He said that they intended to include more air quality data in their broadcasts at national and, possibly, local level. 

 Support for Birmingham Taxi Drivers 

Birmingham’s black cab drivers are protesting as a consequence of being forced to pay Birmingham City Council’s Clean Air Charge, while simultaneously carrying the bulk of the cost of ensuring their cabs meet the council’s clean air objectives. I tabled an EDM supporting the black cab drivers and calling for additional financial support to be made available to fund the cost of converting vehicles and for an extension of the deadline beyond the end of this year. 

 National School Breakfast Programme 

I have met with representatives of the organisation running the National School Breakfast Programme. This is an excellent way of ensuring that children, particularly from poorer families, who cannot always provide an adequate breakfast are properly fed at school before they begin their days lessons. Two schools in the Hall Green Constituency are currently participating – Heathmount Primary School and Nelson Mandela School and I am urging other schools to also sign up for the programme. 

Sarehole Mill  

I have had meetings with the Birmingham Museums Trust who run the historic facility at Sarehole Mill where work is continuing to restore the historic machinery to full operation so that they can produce their own flour and bread on site. Unfortunately they have run into a problem because the government are currently considering a proposal to add folic acid to flour which is going to impact on Sarehole Mill and other small scale traditional mills who do not have sufficient budgets to invest in equipment to evenly distribute folic acid. On behalf of the Museums Trust I have written to Nicky Morgan and Theresa Villiers, the two ministers involved, to ask that an exemption be granted for traditional wheat and water mills producing less that a thousand tons of flour a year. 

Proton Beam Therapy and Schooling 

I have been working with the family of a child due to transfer to secondary school in September. He contracted a cancer which was suitable for treatment by Proton Beam Therapy and, as I have previously dealt with a constituent who had this treatment at a facility in the Czech Republic, I provided a prize – “Tea on the Terrace” as a part of their fund raising efforts to pay for the cost because the NHS does not pay for this treatment in the Czech Republic or Germany. I also pressed the Education Department at the City Council to allow him to go to a mainstream school, rather than a special need school, because he is a bright young child and the only reason he is behind in his work is because of treatment he has had to have, not because he has an ongoing disability. I am pleased to say that, after a lot of lobbying, a place was found for him at a mainstream secondary school and the parents and grandparents were enormously appreciative. 

 London Capital and Finance 

 A number of constituents have been affected by the collapse of London Capital and Finance which went into administration early in the year. More than 11,000 investors were affected, and they are owed £236 million. It is quite clear that there has been an appalling lack of regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and, bearing in mind the Serious Fraud Squad are involved, there is high likelihood that criminality has taken place. I have put down a large number of questions to the Treasury regarding the lack of proper regulation of this company and I also put down an EDM saying that the head of the FCA, Shaun Bailey, should not be considered for the position of Governor of the Bank of England, bearing in mind his organisation had failed lamentably to investigate LCF, despite the fact they were warned about its promotional activities more than three years ago. The FCA actually assisted in the deception of people because they gave part regulation to LCF for its promotional activities but not full regulation and therefore, LCF were able to advertise to potential investors that they were regulated by the FCA. I am pleased that the government, in view of the seriousness of the scandal, have appointed a high court judge to investigate exactly what has happened and I hope that my constituents who were affected will at least be able to get part of their money back. I also hope that those who ran the company like a “ponzi scheme” will be brought before the courts. 

 Debt and Loan Transparency  

I was one of the signatories to a letter to the Chancellor calling for loans, particularly to impoverished countries to be transparent and I am pleased that the Labour Party has committed itself in government to pass “an overseas loan transparency act” which will set up a public register of any loans made to a foreign government, including state owned enterprises. Any loans not disclosed on that register within 30 days will be unenforceable in British courts. 

 TV Licenses for Over 75s  

I have, together with a huge number of MP’s have made representations to the Government and BBC over the outrageous decision by the BBC to scrap the universal provision of free TV licences for over 75s households and to, instead, restrict them to certain categories who are in receipt of some kind of benefits. The Government, when it transferred responsibility to the BBC denied that it was doing so as a precursor to restricting the universality of free TV licenses to the over 75s, but this is exactly what has happened and it clearly demonstrates the total hypocrisy of the Government who were only too happy for the BBC to do “its dirty work!” 

 The Football Pools 

 Although the Football Pools are played much less regularly nowadays since the introduction of the National Lottery they are still played by 152 of my constituents in Hall Green. I was, therefore, happy to support the campaign to reduce the Pools duty to 10% in line with the same rate charged for bingo. 

 Rail Fares 

I was one of many MP’s who complained to the rail minister about the announcement by the train operating companies that rail fares will rise by 2.8% this coming January. This will mean that a season ticket between Birmingham and London Euston is projected to cost £11, 205 from January – a rise of £3188 since 2010. These latest rises demonstrate, once again, why our railways should be taken back into community or public ownership so that they can be run for benefit of the public and not private profit. A copy of the EDM that I submitted on this subject can be viewed at www.edm.parliament.uk and searching Roger Godsiff. 

 Balsall Heath Forum Site 

As many of you are aware the Balsall Heath Forum has been wound up. It was, for many years, only existing from hand to mouth and there have been many criticisms of poor management. My concern, and that of many local residents, is that the site , which is owned by the council, will now be sold for housing and I have strongly opposed this because Sparkbrook is one of the most congested areas in the city and the forum had built up a gardening offshoot which, if run properly, could be economically viable. It also provided a pleasant “haven” where people could go to escape the noise of the surrounding roads. I will continue to press the council to engage with a number of groups whose names I have passed onto the council who are prepared to takeover the running of the facility and bring both investment and managerial expertise into its running. 

 Kashmir 

Ever since being a Member of Parliament I have championed the rights of people in Kashmir, on both sides of the line of control, to determine their own future. I was, therefore, horrified by the decision of the Modi BJP Government to annex Indian held Kashmir and to incorporate it into the Indian state. This is a total betrayal of the Kashmiri people who were given the special status, under Article 370, when the then Maharaja opted for the state to join with India after the withdrawal of the British Raj. The decision to annex the Indian controlled part of Kashmir not only undermines the birth right of the Kashmiri people, who will lose their national flag and control over their domestic affairs, but will also mean that the provision that prohibits non Kashmiri’s from buying land in Kashmir will also be scrapped. I have attended and spoken at a number of rallies against the decision of the Indian Government to rescind Article 370 and I will bring the matter up in Parliament when it resumes. 

 Hong Kong 

I have written to the Foreign Office urging them to make representations to the Chinese Government about the way in which the protests in Hong Kong are being brutally suppressed. When the UK handed Hong Kong to the Chinese, there were special provision made to ensure that their way of life, including their democracy and various freedoms were preserved, but the new law being pressed by the Chinese Government to have extraditions to the mainland for people to be tried under Chinese law totally undermines these freedoms. I attended a meeting at the House of Commons where the representative of Carrie Lam the Chinese Government puppet chief executive, tried to blame the unrest on “local agitators” and I was pleased to be able to point out to her, along with others, that these were not “agitators” but people who did not want to lose, or have undermined, their democratic traditions. 

 Probation Service 

After five years of disastrous involvement of 21 private companies who were responsible for the supervision of 150,000 low to medium risk offenders the government has now bowed to the inevitable and brought the Probation Service back into full public ownership. This is yet another example of the Tory ideology of “privatise everything” even when there was never a logical case for the Probation Service to be privatised and all that has happened is that the service has drastically deteriorated, experienced staff have been cut, and the public purse has ended up paying for the private profit that these firms made. 

 Wes Streeting Letter 

 I added my name to a letter sent by Wes Streeting to the Ambassador, Dr Husam Zomlot the Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, regarding the reports that the Palestinian Police had banned the LGBT rights group Al-Qaws from organising activities in the West Bank. A response was received from Dr Husam Zomlot who assured us that the Palestinian State did not “tolerate any form of discrimination.” He also said that the views expressed were not those of the Palestinian State but of the individual police spokesperson and that the “statement was immediately removed at the instruction of the government.” He went on to say that they have a firm commitment to ensuring that such forms of discrimination were not acceptable and were incompatible with the values of the Palestinian State. 

 Whirlpool Tumble Dryers 

Many of my constituents have Whirlpool tumble dryers and they were naturally alarmed when signs of fire occurred even after Whirlpool had modified their machines. I wrote to the Consumer Affairs Minister urging that Whirlpool should accept responsibility and take back these machines and I am pleased, at last, the government has agreed to take action to ensure Whirlpool take their obligations seriously. 

 We live in extremely unique and challenging times. The two-party system in the Westminster Parliament is well and truly broken and it is obvious that the “first past the post” system of elections can no longer fulfil its historic role of ensuring stable governance. I had always supported the “Alternative Vote,” which is a variation of the first past the post system, which ensures that every MP elected receives at least 50% plus one of the votes in their constituency. However, since seeing the chaos over the recent past I now believe that a system of proportional representation would be more reflective of the wishes of the electorate and although such a system would inevitably mean that there are coalition governments in the future, this has to be better than the totally “broken system” that we now have. I end by saying that I have no idea for certain what is going to happen over the next 6 weeks. 

 Kind regards

Roger Godsiff MP

Posted on 2019-09-15 | 10:52

Posted on 2019-09-10 | 02:36

That this House deplores the actions by Indian Prime Minister Modi and his BJP Government to revoke article 370 which guaranteed Jammu and Kashmir special status within the Indian Union; records that this article dates back to 1949 and was promised to the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir when he led his majority Muslim state into the Indian Union; notes that the revoking of article 370 was a unilateral decision by the BJP Government which undermines the traditional position of the United Kingdom Government which is that the future of Jammu and Kashmir was a matter to be resolved by bilateral decisions between India and Pakistan; and believes that no UK government should, therefore, support any future application by India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council until it has facilitated a final settlement of this disputed region in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the line of control.

Posted on 2019-09-02 | 02:58

After the referendum result was announced I made plain that, irrespective of my personal views, I would represent the clear majority opinion in my constituency and I would:

1. Not vote to trigger Article 50. And I did not.

2. That I would press for any agreed deal to be put to a full vote of parliament, and I did.

3. And that the final agreed deal should be put back to the electorate in another referendum.

If you look at my voting record you will see that is exactly what I have done.

The majority in all the 4 wards of my constituency was in favour of Remain and it is quite obvious that the clear majority opinion, particularly in the Moseley and Kings Heath area, is that:

1. The Referendum result should be annulled.

2. If this is not achievable, then another referendum should be held.

3. If this is not achievable, then any final agreed deal should be put back to the people of the UK in another referendum, with only 2 options on the ballot paper – to agree the deal or to Remain.

That is the way that I have voted since the Referendum and that is the way I will continue to vote irrespective of my personal opinions because that is what I believe representative democracy is about.

So far as proroguing parliament, I have gone on the record to say that I agree with the Speaker that it is an outrage and that the Prime Minister is well on his way of creating a full-blown constitutional crisis.

I hope this makes my position absolutely clear.

Posted on 2019-07-15 | 03:18

Dear Roger

I hope you are well, 

We would like to say big thank you for everything and the support you have shown the Somaliland community in Birmingham as a friend of Somaliland we could not have done this without your support, we really appreciate it and forever grateful.

Roger as you maybe aware Birmingham city council has Recognise Somaliland as an independent state on the 08/07/2019.

On behalf of the Somaliland community in Birmingham we say thank you again Roger.

Best wishes

Shukri J Mohammed

Co-founder Dery Foundation

Restorative Justice Practices

Mental Health Support officer

Leadership Management with Common Purpose 

(Somaliland Recognition Support Group Birmingham and West Midlands)