Congratulations to Andy Burnham elected as the Labour and Co-operative MP for Makerfield. 

I’m delighted the politics of division failed, and people voted for hope.

Credit to the thousands of members who campaigned in a fantastic constituency and for a great candidate.

The nature and scale of the abuse Preston Davey suffered was horrific. His killers showed a level of callousness and cruelty which is hard to comprehend.

A Serious Child Safeguarding Practice Review will now consider whether there were professional failings and whether opportunities to protect Preston were missed. While that review must be allowed to run its course, the facts already in the public domain raise serious questions about whether more could have been done to identify the abuse and intervene sooner.

Whatever comes from the review we will wait and see, but the senselessness of what that incident boy lived through and died as a result of is overwhelming. He deserved so much better.

A big win for co-operation and great news for communities across the country.

Yesterday, the government announced a new £61 million Community Right to Buy Fund, helping local people take ownership of the pubs, shops, community spaces and sports pitches that matter most to them.

This is a significant step forward. Too often, communities like Oldham, Chadderton & Royton have watched valued local assets disappear from their high street or neighbourhood with little say over their future. At its heart, this is about ownership: who holds power, who makes decisions, and who benefits.

That’s why the given extra powers for a Community Right to Buy, brought forward through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, is so important. It gives important assets greater protection, and communities more time, stronger rights and a genuine opportunity to keep local assets in local hands.

Now we’re backing that new right with real investment.

Government proposals to better protect young people from harm and exploitation on social media are welcome.

For too long, we’ve asked children and parents to navigate online spaces that were never designed with their safety in mind.

That’s why I’ve consistently argued that we need stronger action and why I supported the consultation on social media use under-16s which has brought us to this announcement.

But this can’t be the end of the conversation.

Alongside any age restrictions, we need robust regulation to make social media safer for everyone. That means tackling hate, misinformation and harmful content properly, holding platforms accountable for what happens on them, and considering whether platform owners should be subject to a fit and proper person test.

Technology should serve people, not the other way around. The online world should be a place where people can connect, learn and participate safely. These algorithms which regularly feed people dangerous content are not inevitable.

Today’s announcement is an important step. Now we need to make sure we get the detail right.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴.”

Ten years ago today, Jo Cox was taken from us in an act of far right hatred that shocked the country.

But Jo’s legacy was never going to be defined by the person who murdered her. It would be defined by the values she lived by: kindness, decency, public service and a belief that our differences should never stop us seeing each other as neighbours.

In the House of Commons last week, it was a privilege to speak about how relevant Jo’s message feels today. We also remembered David Amess who was killed by an Islamic extremist during his advice surgery. At a time when division is amplified, outrage is rewarded and too many people are encouraged to fear one another, her words still challenge us to do better.

This year also marks 25 years since the Oldham riots. Those of us who lived through that period remember the damage caused by division and the toxic politics that sought to pit communities against one another. Jo understood that there is always a different path; one built on respect, understanding and finding common ground – where community cohesion is not a passive act.

Strong communities don’t happen by accident but they are built when people listen, reach out and choose unity over division, even when they disagree. In fact sometimes it is good to disagree too, politics would be boring if we all had the same views. The key is mutual tolerance, understanding and respect rather than every issue however small becoming a point of hostility.

Ten years on, the best way to honour Jo is not just to remember her words, but to live by them.

Great to be back at Oldham College with Principal Simon Jordan to talk about the future of the campus and the opportunities it creates for local people.

As someone who went here myself as an apprentice (many years ago now!), I’m especially pleased to see the College awarded £1.5 million from the Department for Education for essential repairs and maintenance.

Combined with investment from Greater Manchester and Oldham Council, this will help improve facilities, create better learning environments and ensure students have access to the skills and training they need to succeed.

We’re also discussing the changes I’m pushing for to apprenticeship vacancy periods, so talented young people training at places like Oldham College have a fairer chance to secure opportunities and employers have more time to fill vacancies with local talent.