I was delighted to have celebrated 10 years as an MP this month and there’s been so many people who have helped throughout the years, those in my team who made a big impact and supported so many local people, but Shirley has been by my side from the beginning.

Having previously worked for Michael Meacher Shirley brought huge experience with her, and being Oldham through and through she knows the town inside and out.

Thanks for everything Shirley, for me personally and for the thousands of local people you’ve helped make such a difference to.

We couldn’t do without you, and looking forward to the years ahead

A great final week down in Westminster as the house rose on Thursday for the Christmas recess.

The week began in Oldham with the Sports Town roundtable at Boundary Park before heading to the station.

Parliamentary activity began with a Westminster Hall 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁, where I pressed the Government to make sure the law does enough to protect people, especially children, and keeps pace with how fast the online world is changing.

In the Chamber on Wednesday, I made a statement on the 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 and what this means for Oldham and our local frontline services, setting out why fair funding matters and what what will change for local people after years of Tory underfunding.

I met with representatives from 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀’𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 & 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 to discuss a number of fairness campaigns whether it’s council tax collection, parking enforcement or the work I’m undertaking on HMRC mileage allowance payment so it reflects the real costs people face and stops working people being left out of pocket. A long way to go but great to see so many stakeholders & organisations engaging in our campaign.

There were also votes in the Commons this week on a number of Government bills which now mean that both the 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁 and the 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁 are now in law strengthening workers’ rights and helping unlock the homes and infrastructure our communities need.

Then back up home to Oldham for our team Christmas meal at the fantastic Stocco restaurant on Yorkshire Street, and today through the weekend some important meetings, visits & engagements across the constituency before staying put into January.

Wishing everyone in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year

Labour promised a new deal for working people, and we have now officially delivered it:

Exploitative zero-hour contracts – 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱

Fire-and-rehire – 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱

More day-one rights – 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹

A genuine living wage – 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱

Statutory sick pay – 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 to 1.3 million of the lowest earners

Labour’s landmark Employment Rights Act will today be enshrined into law as it makes it way to Royal Assent. We committed to making work pay in our manifesto, and these are the reforms to make that change happen.

While we are acting to drive up employment standards, provide the security & respect working people deserve, and create the level playing field businesses need to invest & boost growth; 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

Their opposition shows they don’t want to tackle low pay, poor working conditions and poor job security.

This is real change for working people across our country which is a core part of our mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country and create opportunities. By keeping this promise, we are showing that politics really can make a difference.

It is a once-in-a-generation enhancement of rights at work delivered by a Labour government, showing it is only us that is on the side of workers and only us who can be trusted to deliver for them.

Council funding matters because it’s about the services people rely on every day, and there is no doubt the 14 lost years under the previous government took it’s toll on the very services which make places decent.

As a former Minister in charge of council funding, I’ve seen first-hand how decisions made in Westminster land on the ground. Today’s Local Government Finance Settlement is about beginning the work of putting things right.

Under the last Conservative multi-year settlement, Oldham was short-changed with cuts after cuts.

Now compare that to this Labour Government’s plan.

For the coming three years, Oldham Council’s budget will increase by £103.2 million, a 37% boost. Of this £52.2m is new funding provided through the Fair Funding Review. I was pleased in my tenure to create the Recovery Grant for councils like Oldham, who have done everything asked by the previous government but the cuts simply went too deep. That £8m a year boost on top of the settlement will continue each and every year for the coming three years.

That’s real money for real priorities:

protecting vital local services

backing our communities

giving Oldham Council the stability it needs to plan ahead

For Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, and right across the borough, this settlement is about fairness and finally giving our towns the backing they deserve.

But it’s not the end of the job. It will take time to repair the services people rely on, and I believe more is needed from Treasury to build back. Councils will still face the difficult decisions with demand rocketing on adult social care, children’s services and temporary accommodation, and they have my support in working through that.

Finally, a Thank You to councillors serving in Oldham. I know times haven’t been easy and you’ve had to fight hard to keep going. I hope you can see that hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

Social media is shaping our democracy but it is not properly regulated. It should be.

That is why I am setting out eight specific actions to bring accountability to online platforms and raise standards across the sector.

Higher standards online are essential for public trust and democracy.

Social media was meant to be a movement of the people; a way for us to connect, organise and be heard. That potential is still there.

But let’s be honest: it’s been deliberately designed not for the public good, and too often it puts profit before people.

The Online Safety Act is a step forward, but it doesn’t go far enough. Too many people are still being exposed to abuse, misinformation and dangerous content.

We can’t settle for half-measures when people’s safety is at stake. Tech companies must be held to higher standards, and government must be prepared to go further.

We owe it to families, young people and everyone online to get this right.

See my intervention in yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on online safety on my Facebook page.

Great to be up in the Oldham Events Centre in the Joe Royle Stand at Boundary Park yesterday for a really positive roundtable discussion about the next steps for the SportsTown project.

This is a project we have supported & championed for a long time and its impact is clear by the wider ranging and high number of stakeholders that Latics have been working with including Oldham Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, universities and others.

Transformational growth is on its way through the new 3,000 seat stand, university centre, wellness suite, 4,000 seat multi-sport arena, outdoor 3G sports domes, and upgraded grass pitches.

We talked through the next steps, the investment needed, what other surrounding institutions can be brought into the project, and how we make sure local people are at the heart of the plans. Plenty of work ahead, but the ambition is clear and the partnership is strong.

None of this would have been possible without the ownership of the club by the Rothwell family and the energy & dedication they have injected into the project, and the leadership of CEO Darren Royle.

Oldham deserves big ideas backed by real action, and Sports Town is exactly that.

Oldham has 𝟲𝟯𝟯 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, too many families priced out of the community they call home, trains running on Victorian rails, and barriers holding back the new schools, hospitals, GP surgeries and police posts we need.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 – 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

That’s why we’ve pushed ahead and delivered. The 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 has cleared every stage in Parliament and is now ready for Royal Assent. And it matters for Oldham – boosting housing, improving transport, unlocking development, and creating decent skilled jobs.

This landmark law means:

𝟭.𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀

𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 this Parliament

𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 to hit Clean Power 2030

Key changes include:

Quicker approvals for infrastructure, from clean energy to transport

Smarter planning with better environmental outcomes

Stronger council powers, including fairer land purchase rules

Better planning for big, cross-region projects

For Oldham, it means putting the right power in the right place. The Council can now set its own planning fees, speed up decisions and shape development that actually works for our area, including tackling poor-quality housing and continuing the work already underway to slow the rapid rise in HMOs with the new Article 4 Direction.

With projects like the 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 bringing 2,000 new homes on brownfield sites, and the Places for Everyone plan for our city-region, we can build the homes local people need 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯, unlike what the local opposition were pushing for.

This Bill also cuts delays to vital national projects – reservoirs, clean energy sites, transport links – getting them built faster and supporting jobs and growth.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗺.