Andrew Mitchell

My views on intentional spending are well known and long established. International development spending makes people ‘over there’ safer and more prosperous. That, in turn, means that problems from ‘over there’ don’t come ‘over here’. It is the other side of the coin from defence. It’s about our national security and it’s spent in our national interest.

PLEASE SHARE: Here’s an important update about a big event this weekend in Sutton Coldfield, which I hope you will help spread the word about… Due to concerns about the weather, the Hindu Community’s Dussehra Mela has been moved from today (Saturday) to tomorrow, Sunday. I encourage everyone across our local community, whatever their background or faith, to join Hindu Community this Sunday at 4:00 pm at Sutton Coldfield Rugby Ground for Dussehra Mela, celebrating the Hindu festival of Dussehra with a Dharmic procession, the traditional burning of Ravana’s effigy (Ravan Dahan) and fireworks. Dussehra carries a powerful universal message: the victory of good over evil. The burning of Ravana reminds us all to overcome the Ravana within ourselves — pride, anger, greed and intolerance — and to uphold kindness, honesty, respect and compassion.  These values sit firmly alongside British values of mutual respect, individual liberty, tolerance and living peacefully together.

This is a wonderful opportunity for people from all communities to experience Hindu heritage and culture, build friendships and strengthen community cohesion. I hope residents will come together to celebrate our diversity, recognise our shared values and help build a stronger, more inclusive community. 
For further information and last-minute updates, please visit suttonparivaar.org.uk/dusseh…

For decades the UK was a world leader in foreign development. Despite all the fiscal challenges we face at home, I remain passionate about not only its importance to our international standing, but also the very real results it delivers in improving lives around the globe. It is the other side of the “ defence coin”. politics.co.uk/2026/10/andre…

Yesterday, I joined a cross-party coalition of parliamentarians and human rights leaders, adding my name to an open letter to @andyburnham. The letter calls on him to take a stand in support of #HongKong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong. Before the UK handed back Hong Kong to China in 1997, both nations signed a Joint Declaration, which was meant to guarantee Hong Kong's freedoms for fifty years. The UK Government has already found China in breach of the treaty. For standing up for democracy, Joshua Wong now faces the prospect of life imprisonment. The Prime Minister must raise his case and that of the others imprisoned for simply expecting China to keep its word.

It is hugely concerning that Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs over the next two years. JLR is one of the most important employers in the West Midlands, and automotive one of the key sectors of the West Midlands economy. The company also sits at the heart of a huge supply chain across our region, which accounts for more than 60,000 jobs here, contributing £8.7 billion to the regional GDP. A number of factors have led to these cuts – from US tariffs to the cyberattack last year that forced a production shut down. It’s also facing significant competition from China and, like all carmakers, navigating the shift to electric vehicles. JLR is a crucial part of the West Midland’s economic make-up, impacting on an ecosystem of businesses and the livelihoods of thousands of people. Many of those employees live in Royal Sutton Coldfield. If Andy Burham’s Government is serious about protecting domestic manufacturing capability, how it supports JLR – and the thousands of people facing redundancy – will provide its first significant test.

I am delighted to report that, after determined campaigning and a huge team effort, Local Conservatives took a seat off Labour in a Town Council by election in Sutton Coldfield’s Vesey ward last night. This is the latest example of a number of positive swings to the Conservatives, since May, from both Labour and Reform. More importantly, it means the residents of Vesey now have an exceptional new councillor in Husham Khan – who has already shown his commitment to the local community by working hard to help save Boldmere library from Labour cuts, among a number of initiatives.

I urge voters in Vesey Ward to go to the polls on Thursday 3 September and vote for Husham Khan, to boost our already strong Vesey Conservative team.    This week I joined a team of dedicated Local Conservatives as they campaigned for Husham in Vesey.    Current Conservative Vesey councillors Anja Pawson and John Cooper, who were both elected this year, have already done a wonderful job making a difference for local residents. Husham would be a brilliant addition to the team.    Simon Ward, leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council,writes:   
“Next Thursday residents of Vesey will return to the polling booths for another election, this time a Town Council by-election caused by a Labour Councillor who resigned after just two months in office, having attended only one meeting.      This unnecessary by-election will cost residents around £50,000, a shameful waste of public money that could have been spent improving our Royal Town.     This is yet another example of the continued financial illiteracy from Labour who bankrupted Birmingham, caused the on-going 18-month bin strike and has consistently neglected our Royal Town and Park.    However, this by-election creates an opportunity to add to our excellent Conservatives Vesey team of John Cooper and Anja Pawson by electing Husham Khan.     Husham is an integral part of our team.     He played a leading role in our successful campaign to save Boldmere Library after Labour Vesey Councillors shamefully voted to close it. Boldmere Library is now flourishing under your Conservative-led Town Council.    He has also been at the forefront of our long-running campaign to see off the previous Labour Birmingham administration’s hugely unpopular plans to introduce parking charges in Sutton Park.     But as important as all of this is, Husham is a proud Sutton resident at heart and cares passionately about Vesey and Royal Sutton Coldfield.      I would be proud to welcome Husham to the Town Council team and I urge Vesey residents to make that happen by voting Husham Khan Conservatives on Thursday 3 September.”

Yet again, footage has appeared on Social Media showing young yobs causing damage in #SuttonColdfield town centre. I am appalled that this kind of anti-social behaviour is becoming more and more common, and share the anger and frustration of Sutton people who simply want it dealt with. I will be setting up an urgent meeting with Sutton police to ask what is being done to stop this sort of thing. Yes, there is new CCTV on the way for our town centre, but that will only be effective if there is a suitable response when utterly unacceptable loutish behaviour is caught on camera. There must also be consequences for those who misbehave. There is so much effort going into revitalising our town centre centre, to support traders and attract shoppers. This kind of brainless behaviour undermines the work of so many. It has to stop.

As always @simonmontefiore is a voice of reason, bringing much needed balance to the Midde East debate.

I am disgusted by the footage of young yobs needlessly ruining a floral display in Sutton. This kind of mindless anti-social behaviour undermines the hard work that is being done by so many people to improve our town centre. I can only hope that the improved CCTV coverage which will soon be installed, paid for by the Pride in Place fund, will help stamp out this kind of pointless vandalism.

Celebrating 60 years of @AstonUniversity with Paul Faulkner, fellow member of the Royal Town’s Pride in Place Board. I congratulate Aston University on this milestone and on its outstanding success and contribution to higher education.

Withholding UK support for action in the Middle East on legal grounds totally neglects the fact that Iran has been in violent breach of international law for decades. Yesterday in parliament I urged the prime minister to reflect on the analysis of the shadow AG (@DXW_KC) which concludes military intervention is perfectly proper under international law.

I am very conscious of the profound anxiety the ATLP strike has caused for parents, children - particularly young people in exam years and of course teachers and staff facing a very uncertain future. Following discussions behind the scenes that are taking place, I wanted to let you know that I hope we will hear reassuring news shortly.

There were clearly serious failures within #WestMidlands Police that lead to the outrageous decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv’s travelling fans from Villa Park last November. However, the actions – or inactions - of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) throughout this debacle must also come under serious scrutiny. When we, in government, set up the PCCs in 2010, the aim was that they should represent our constituents to the police. Sadly, the reality has been the reverse, and nowhere more so than in the West Midlands, which is why I strongly support the Government’s decision to abolish the PCCs.

The massacre of innocent Jewish people at Bondi Beach has profoundly shocked many in our local community and is further evidence of the antisemitism, hatred and terror which afflicts so many members of Jewish communities around the world. Our hearts surely go out to those who have lost loved ones and are grieving the loss of dear friends and family.

Across the world, vital work towards improving women’s rights is stalling. We must not allow the progress made over the last century to be undermined.

This week I have been campaigning on behalf of Natalie Queiroz – who was the victim of one of the most shocking crimes in the history of #SuttonColdfield. In 2016 Natalie was attacked with a carving knife by her then partner, Babur Raja. She was eight months pregnant with their baby at the time. This attack happened in broad daylight, on the street, in Sutton Coldfield town centre. She was stabbed 24 times - and the knife missed her unborn child by just two millimetres. If it had not been for the actions of three brave passersby, West Midlands Police being in the area by chance and the Air Ambulance being instantly mobilised, she would almost certainly have been killed, along with her baby. It was a crime that deeply shocked our community, which many will vividly recall. Subsequently, her ex-partner was jailed for 18 years. Natalie, after much painful recovery, went on to become a powerful advocate for victims, was awarded an MBE for her efforts and is now the Victims Commissioner for the West Midlands. However, having worked so hard to rebuild her life and use her experiences to help others, she says she is now living in a state of fear. Why? Because she has been given the shocking news that her ex-partner is soon to be transported to a category D open prison - four years earlier than it was under the former guidelines! What’s more, recent changes under Labour would have brought this forward again by another two years, had Raja not already been up for consideration. Clearly, this is fundamentally wrong. Surely it is unthinkable to include those convicted of #DomesticViolence and Abuse in this already questionable policy, given the dynamic that exists between perpetrator and victim? Domestic Abuse involves a targeted victim, unlike most crimes, and in many cases that focus and hostility does not diminish all the time the perpetrator is in prison. This is why Domestic Abuse crimes must be treated differently. It’s why people convicted of Domestic Abuse are rightly excluded from the Standard Determinate Sentences 40 process, that allows certain prisoners to apply for parole after serving 40% of their sentence, instead of the standard 50%. Surely Domestic Abuse offenders must also be excluded from early transfer to Category D Open Prisons, for the same reasons. Why are they being sent EARLY to open prisons? Only last week, the Prison Governors Association came out publicly stating they have serious concerns for public safety with these changes, as they are now seeing people in the open prison system whom they would not have seen before. They are also seeing significant rates of absconding from open prisons, which is clearly highly worrying. I agree with Natalie, who believes they should only be eligible for such a transfer a MAXIMUM of 12 MONTHS before and not the now 5 YEARS, as it is under current guidance. This week in the Commons, when Labour Justice Secretary David Lammy gave his statement about the recent accidental release of prisoners, I raised Natalie’s case – and asked him why domestic abusers aren’t excluded from this dangerous policy of sending prisoners earlier to open prisons. You’ll see from this clip that his response was far from satisfactory – and will do little to reassure Natalie or other victims of Domestic Violence. The Government are causing them to live in fear. Indeed, I now urge the minister to urgently block the transfer of Natalie’s ex-partner to an open prison, while the impact of this shocking move is properly assessed. Since she nearly lost her life to a vicious attack, @NatalieQueiroz1 has devoted herself to protecting victims. Surely now we must do the same for her, and other victims of domestic abuse?