Labour Deputy Leadership Election

Pleased to have cast my vote for Lucy Powell to become the next Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Lucy has been endorsed by each of the three Oldham constituencies and by the Co-operative Party, and carries the support of many MPs, unions and affiliates.

If you are a member you should have been emailed the ballot link. Nominations close on 23 October.

Technical & academic education routes finally on a level playing field

I’m proud to have started my career as an apprentice, and my sons have followed the same path. I know the power it can have in transforming people’s life chances and delivering the services communities need. For too long skills haven’t been taken seriously and the Tories kicked away the ladder for working class kids by this lack of focus and by scrapping maintenance grants.

With a Labour government, the change begins. This has to be the start of that change and further progress follows, for instance on the disconnect between apprenticeship opportunities and the academic year leading to gaps, sometimes significant between young people leaving school and being able to get on into the world of work and training.

The start of this work includes:

✅ a new target – 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 after leaving school

✅ targeted 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 for disadvantaged students

✅ More than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers will get cutting edge skills to get Britain building at state-of-the-art 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀

✅ Establishing 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 to ensure better coordination between different areas of education & industry and apprentices are best prepared for jobs of the future

✅ Boosting local economic growth, 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, and extending opportunity to all

The last Labour government set the ambitious target of getting 50% of kids to university which was met in 2019, when half of those under the age of 30 had gone into higher education. However, we know this target is no longer right for our times.

Putting both technical and academic pathways on a level playfield is right for the future of our economy and right for our young people. This target also includes seeing at least 10% of young people pursuing higher technical courses or apprenticeships by 2040 – nearly double the current level.

The Tories scrapped maintenance grants, kicking away the ladder for working-class kids and discouraging so many from going to university or college. That’s why we’re bringing targeted grants back.

We prioritised good jobs at the election for the people of Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton because we want local people to have more opportunities & drive up their living standards. From establishing Skills England, to ending fire-and-rehire, banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, and increasing the National Living Wage rising by £1400; Labour is committed to the providing opportunity to the next generation.

This government is ambitious for all our young people, no matter their background or what they wish to pursue in their career.

Work to transform technical education is not just being done at a national level. Mayor Andy Burnham’s plan to create an equal alternative to the university route in Greater Manchester called the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate will mean two equal routes at 14 – one academic, one technical. I pay tribute to the work here in Greater Manchester where the Mayor, Andy Burnham, has been leading the charge.

Our Plan for Change matches people’s desire for change and is working, shown by the fact the UK is the fastest growing economy in the G7 and our city-region is the fastest growing in the UK – these latest reforms will take that progress further.

Have your day on HMOs in Oldham …

Oldham Council have begun the consultation on greater powers over the increasing number of HMOs in the borough.

The Council is seeking comments on this Article 4 Direction from 6 October until 11:59pm on 16 November 2025.

It’s welcomed progress and I urge local people to have their say 👇

https://bigoldhamconvo.oldham.gov.uk/oldham-hmo-consultation

Oldham Business Awards 2025

Wishing everyone who was shortlisted and the ultimate winners congratulations for an amazing Oldham Business Awards at the QE Hall last night.

The spirit of the borough was on full display and the pride shown by everyone was really inspiring – and the huge successes life changing businesses are making to our community!

Well done to all and especially the hardworking organising team and their sponsors.

Refurbished permanent Post Office branch in Oldham Town Centre to be completed next week – with all services returning

Post Office Ltd have confirmed to us – on the back of the recent announcement that the building of their permanent branch at the site of the current temporary reduced service will be completed next week – that the new permanent branch will properly replace the former branch hosted by WHSmiths by including the reintroduction of all services at the new branch.

The temporary Post Office branch opened in June after work we did with the Council, and local stakeholders to save Oldham Town Centre’s branch after the one hosted by WHSmiths closed in May. As promised when the new branch was confirmed, a new fitted out permanent branch which is being built in the same unit as the current temporary branch has been confirmed to be completed next week.

This milestone represents the end of a long period of hard work. Back in 2019, when the future of the Crown Post Office on Lord St. was in doubt, we made it clear that moving our Post Office into a private franchise left it vulnerable. Even then, WHSmith’s long-term future in the shopping centre was uncertain. Despite thousands signing a petition, a Westminster Hall debate, and repeated warnings, our concerns were ignored.

Earlier this year, the situation we feared played out. Despite writing to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in January to seek support to safeguard the future of the Post Office in Oldham; and to Post Office Ltd in March to receive assurances that there would be a continuity of a post office service in Oldham, we lost our service following the closure of WHSmith’s in May. Thanks to the hard work of the Council and Post Office Ltd., the loss of the town centre service was very short lived.

We believe that this solution has sufficiently mitigated further disruption since in the short term there was some continuity of service – albeit a bare bones operation – and in the long term, it has successfully ensured a stable future for the branch which looks to be even better than the one it has replaced. Services added to the current temporary services include digital & paper passport applications, SIA licence applications, DVLA applications & renewals, and MVL (car tax renewal).

The completion of a new permanent branch with a wider array of services and more secure future in its own unit which reverses the fading profile of the branch is a win for the people of Oldham and thanks to those who made their voices heard. The Post Office is a pillar of our community, we will continue to work with all partners to make sure Oldham town centre isn’t left behind when it comes to access to key services.

A secure long-term future for post offices, high streets and town centre more widely is still an ongoing battle we are committed to fighting so we can remake these areas and deliver more good jobs for local people. From our business rates reforms which give a permanent rate relief for services like the Post Office and helps businesses which operate at multiple premises; our successful campaign to make violence against shopworkers a standalone offence; and ongoing regeneration work of core civic & cultural institutions which encourage town centre visits: we are delivering for our chain high street retailers, that are essential for driving footfall for independent and smaller retailers.

We’re pushing ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool & Manchester

✅ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 between two great city regions

✅ Increasing capacity to 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 & 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀

✅ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 across our city-region, already the fastest growing in the country

✅ The North 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱 by Westminster

In her speech to the Labour Party Conference, the Chancellor confirmed that the government will push ahead with our plans to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail by starting with the East-West link between Manchester and Liverpool. With Labour in power at every level – a Labour-led Council in Oldham, a Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, and a Labour government – we are focused on driving up living-standards in our borough and across the North of England.

Work of our Greater Manchester Mayor has meant so much progress has already been made over recent years in our local public transport network: delivering Bee Network buses to all of Greater Manchester, integrating ticketing between buses & trams, 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 £𝟮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽 in place, delivering 𝗕𝗲𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 in phases in 2028 and 2030, completing an orbital tram route from the 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗺-𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱, announcing 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 set to be added to our line in North Manchester & Cop Road starting in 2030, and approval being given for work to begin on the development of a plan for an u𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Government transport infrastructure investment and devolved local leadership are having a real impact.

A single London-style transport system for Greater Manchester which is clean, green, affordable, reliable, accessible & publicly owned is what we are creating. Now is not the time to be complacent, but instead to double down & go further.

Over many years as local MP in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, I have called for an extension to our tram route so it can serve more communities and connects differing areas without having to go via Manchester City-centre.

Encouraged by this progress, as your local MP, I will push for more by continuing to advocate for the reopening of Middleton Junction station (as is happening in Golbourne and Cheadle), and for 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻 & 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻. This proper orbital route which connects neighbouring towns properly and brings them into the wider network is the only way of getting the most out of Northern Powerhouse Rail for local people.

Greater Manchester is already the fastest growing city-region in the UK, and we are ensuring this growth is not held back by putting the infrastructure investment in place to attract more good quality and well paid jobs to our borough – one of the priorities we put forward for Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton at last years general election.

While the Tories promised but failed to deliver the project they announced over a decade ago and Reform are levelling down on every front by promising to scrap it all-together.

Only with Labour will local people get the investment in their future that they deserve.