Social Care workers need protection

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep banging this drum, we take our social care workers for granted. And right now we can’t afford to be doing that. We need to make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t spread like wildfire in care homes. The easiest way to do that is to make sure those working inContinue reading “Social Care workers need protection”

Helping Oldhamers stuck abroad

Parliament may have been in recess for the last few weeks, my and my team have been working from home but that doesn’t mean we’ve not been doing anything. In fact we’ve been busier than usual with the sheer amount of casework that has been generated due to Covid-19. One of the most concerning developmentsContinue reading “Helping Oldhamers stuck abroad”

Employers have to act responsibly

It’s really important that employers act responsibly and keep their workers and their families safe at the moment. The video below is my reponse to this story that aired on Granada Reports tonight, for every brave worker like Joe who speaks out there are ten more who are experiencing the same worries. Over the lastContinue reading “Employers have to act responsibly”

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

You may have seen the news already, but I’m both delighted and humbled to join the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and thankful to Keir for the opportunity. Transport is critical to our economy and society, for both to succeed we must plan well in advance. As much as the big-ticketContinue reading “Shadow Secretary of State for Transport”

If we value the work social care workers do, then we should be prepared to pay for it

Last Saturday I wrote a twitter thread on social care workers, but I still had more to say, so I wrote an article that was then published in Politics Home here. Our nation is feeling the pressure of the COVID-19 outbreak, and as the country braces itself for the coming weeks and months, we willContinue reading “If we value the work social care workers do, then we should be prepared to pay for it”

Seeking Support for Local Newspapers

Last week I wrote to the Secretary of State at the Department for Culture Media and Sport highlighting that lots of local newspapers across the country are reliant on advertising for funding. The Governments steps to help business over the last few weeks have been really welcome, but in the cases of some organisations –Continue reading “Seeking Support for Local Newspapers”

Coming soon: Video Surgeries

I’ve been encouraging people to stay at home and save the NHS and lives as the Covid-19 virus spreads wider. And we are leading by example in my constituency office by introducing remote working for our team. But doesn’t mean the pressure to support local people has lessened, the opposite is true as local peopleContinue reading “Coming soon: Video Surgeries”