Author Archives: JimfromOldham

Another good advice surgery this week helping local people with some complex cases, thanks to those who came along. My fantastic team of caseworkers support many thousands of individual cases and lobbies every year, but it’s important to meet personally on some cases, especially when they might need raising in parliament or directly with governmentContinue reading “Advice Surgery”

Huge congratulations to Lucy Powell as our next Labour Deputy Leader, a formidable Northern voice – and also of course a Co-op Party MP too. It is great to see a fellow Oldham MP hold this important post, and surely a record for Failsworth folk to have been represented by two Deputy Leaders. It isContinue reading “Lucy Powell elected Labour Deputy Leader!”

Great to speak with 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸 and friends in Parliament. A nice way to start the parliamentary week ahead I gave an oral statement in the Commons on the 𝗶𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲, and asked the Safeguarding Minister to confirm that arrangements are made to have an independent “frontContinue reading “This Week in Parliament”

Thanks to everyone who came to the Westminster Hall Debate in Parliament about government support for the co-operative sector. With 2025 being UN International Year of Co-operatives, it is right to celebrate the contribution of UK co-operative retail societies to local communities and national economic life which contributes an estimated £179.2 billion to the UKContinue reading “Government support for the Co-operative Sector”

Over a decade ago I wrote; “Anyone who shies away from accepting that in Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale and here in Oldham – and that this particular form of abuse is predominately Pakistani men targeting white girls – is not helping the victims, and nor is it helping the Asian community at large. “Our own experienceContinue reading “Oral Statement on the Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation & Abuse”

It was great to join the fantastic Co-operative Members Council in Manchester with Co-operative Party General Secretary Joe Fortune to talk all things co-operative and how we can realise our ambition to double the size of the sector, and more! There is real power in our movement with over 7,300 co-ops in the UK backedContinue reading “Co-op Group National Members Council”