Itโs been another full-on week in Westminster, covering everything from supporting workers & families to protecting our communities, strengthening democracy, and backing co-operative farmers, all while keeping an eye on the big challenges facing the country abroad.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐
I raised an Oral Question to the Chancellor asking HMRC to refresh mileage rates for workers using their own cars for work. The Chancellor confirmed a review is under consideration ahead of the next Budget, a big step forward in our campaign to end this injustice.
๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐
Parliament passed legislation abolishing hereditary peers, another manifesto pledge delivered while we modernise our democracy.
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ
Members voted on measures in the Childrenโs Wellbeing and Schools Bill that will expand access to free school meals and help lift around 100,000 more children out of poverty.
๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
During the votes, Parliament also backed flexible powers for ministers while the Governmentโs consultation continues on a possible social media ban for under-16s.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ-๐ ๐๐๐น๐ถ๐บ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐
The Government set out a definition of anti-Muslim hostility to help strengthen action against discrimination and hate crime. Almost half of all religious hate crimes target Muslims, and numbers are at a record high.
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ-๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
I pressed the Leader of the House to make time for a debate on strengthening agricultural co-operatives. Food security is national security, and co-ops have a huge role to play in building stronger supply chains.
๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐
Some encouraging news: waiting lists fell by 43,000 in January, down 374,000 over 18 months. Ambulance response times for heart attacks & strokes are now the fastest in five years, and A&E waits the shortest for four years, despite a hugely demanding winter.
๐๐ผ-๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐
As Chair of the Co-operative Party, it was great to catch up with colleagues at the Parliamentary Group to keep pushing the case for co-operation and community empowerment across our economy.
Heading back home now to Oldham for the weekend to reconnect with the community, and keep listening to the people who matter most – local residents in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 