Great to be in central Manchester yesterday to visit Channel 4’s new office and spend time with the team there.
We had a good conversation about my push for more working-class representation in our country’s world-class creative industries, something I’ve been raising in Parliament with ministers through written questions. Talent is everywhere in Oldham, but opportunity still isn’t.
It was also great to hear about the work Channel 4 are doing reaching out to schools, including here in Oldham, and championing high-quality apprenticeships. As a former apprentice myself, I know just how powerful that route into a career can be.
The UK is recognised across the world as a cultural superpower and Labour is working hard in power locally and nationally to fight for our creative industries which provide good jobs and enrich our lives.
From saving Oldham Coliseum, to modernising Gallery Oldham & the central library, to then making law new tax relief for British films – Labour is backing our creative industries.
What’s important is connecting the dots. Here in Oldham we’ve got a growing creative ecosystem which includes the Oldham Coliseum, the Oldham Theatre Workshop, the Lyceum Theatre Oldham, and The Sharp Project right on the boundary of our borough, as well as across our city-region from MediaCityUK to Aviva Studios.
Institutions like Channel 4 have a real opportunity to tap into that talent and help open the door to the next generation. Thanks for having me!
Jim McMahon OBE MP 