Statement on New Moston Incident

My thoughts are with the family and friends of the young 14 year old boy who tragically lost his life on Nevin Road, New Moston—just moments from the constituency boundary.

This horrific incident has deeply shaken the local community and beyond. The loss of such a young life in these circumstances is both heart-breaking and deeply troubling for everyone in the community, and especially parents with teenagers in the area.

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that suspects are in custody, and it’s vital that their investigation is allowed to proceed fully. They are appealing for witnesses who were in the area at the time to come forward, and have appealed for doorbell or dashcam footage, or eye-witness accounts from anyone who was in the area at the time quoting log 2250 of 8/6/25.

Information can be reported to us by calling 101 or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can also use the reporting tools on the GMP website.

Thanks,

Jim

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-murder-police-release-more-31815055?fbclid=IwY2xjawK0yjZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjFcOf-xsfOT6rnFDBfs1B4FZ9lwNFDvAL3BV7k8J0pZZ6nWJyG_5DYmsOXL_aem_GteaiJ2UIgmONSSTRkKdCw

Thank You Dr. Kershaw’s Hospice

Great to drop-in at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Royton this week to meet with CEO Adele Doherty, thank the staff there for the work they do to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and donate some House of Commons Whisky and golf balls for their next auction.

To see the care and attention staff at the hospice give to those who need it most is a sobering thing to see. Dr Kershaw’s is absolutely vital for those coming toward the end of their lives and the holistic, forward thinking care on offer is absolutely wonderful, it was a privilege to see the facilities and staff in action today.

Although they get funding from the Integrated Care System and act as a business, thy are also a local charity, relying for over two thirds of their income on the generosity of local business and the community to carry out their great work in our borough.

We inherited a hospice system in crisis from the Tories and less than a year into government, Labour has delivered a £100 million boost for adult & children’s hospices and £26 million to support children & young people’s hospices – the biggest investment into hospices in a generation.

Alongside setting up a new commission on adult social care reform and securing an extra £22.6 billion for our NHS which has brough waiting lists down for 6 months in a row; we are building a health, social & palliative care system which is fit for the future.

Weekly Ministerial Round-up

On Monday, rather than making my usual journey down to London, I stayed in Oldham to be present at the Oldham Athletic celebration event held at the Civic and later at Boundary Park. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with a real sense of pride celebrating the weekend’s hard-fought victory.

The rest of the week has been mainly dominated by ongoing work around local government reorganisation. This is a major piece of reform, so I have been speaking directly to MPs whose constituencies are affected by the changes. Our shared goal is clear: to build a more sustainable, efficient, and streamlined system of local government that truly delivers better value for the taxpayer. This means creating unitary councils that are not just bigger on paper, but genuinely stronger and better equipped to lead their communities, manage public services effectively, and improve outcomes for residents in real, tangible ways.

Following up on the plans we laid out back in March, I published a written ministerial statement on Tuesday detailing our progress. We’ve now given detailed feedback to all 21 two-tier areas undergoing reorganisation, and crucially, committed funding to support the development of their final proposals. This is a key moment in the process – backing local areas with the resources they need to get the right outcome for their area.

This week, I also had the pleasure of sitting down with Mayor Steve Rotheram from Liverpool City Region and Mayor Sadiq Khan from London. Central to our devolution agenda are mayors, who act as strategic leaders and pioneers of regional change so regular conversations with them are vital – they help ensure that our approach to devolution is collaborative, responsive, and focused on delivering real improvements for people on the ground.

On Thursday I was pleased to attend the LGA Labour Group meeting, where I had the opportunity to engage directly with council leaders. We discussed a range of pressing issues, from the complexities of local government reorganisation to fair funding formulas and the broader strategic vision for devolution. A key part of our discussion was about how to build flexibility into the funding system so that resources can be targeted effectively – making sure that money reaches those communities most affected by deprivation.

Ahead of next week’s Spending Review, it’s been a particularly busy and productive period working closely across government departments. The goal is clear: to prepare thoroughly and ensure that local government secures the best possible deal going forward.

Labour commits billions to Greater Manchester transport projects

✅ New tram stop at Cop Road, serving constituents in Heyside

✅New tram-train route connecting the Oldham-Rochdale line to Heywood & Bury

✅ Extensions to give a direct tram route from our borough to Stockport

✅ Better direct access for local people to North Manchester with a new tram stop

✅1,000 new electric Bee Network buses, setting the network up to be carbon neutral by 2030.

In neighbouring Rochdale today, the Chancellor announced a £15.6 billion in transport investment outside of London and the South East. This includes £2.5 billion for Greater Manchester transport over the next seven years.

These announcements build on the work already being done to transform our local public transport network. Milestones we have already met include completing the Bee Network takeover of all Greater Manchester bus services, integrating ticketing & timetabling across all buses & trams, the tap-and-go system for payment, extending the £2 single bus fair cap, and commuter rail across our region being brought into local public ownership, including at stations at Mills Hill and Moston by 2028.

Labour in government is working in lock-step with our Labour Mayor to set the framework to turbocharge our transport revolution, including our recently enacted Public Ownership Act to bring rail back into public hands across our country; our Buses Bill which will take the trailblazing success in Greater Manchester across England; and our English Devolution White Paper which will take power & resources from Westminster and put them in the hands of local people.

This better connectivity, reliability & accountability will create the environment for more well-paid and secure jobs – a local priority we put forward at the election in July. In this way, we are easing cost-of-living pressures, boost economic growth in our region for the long term, and driving-up living standards.

Encouraged by this progress and plans to introduce tram-trains to take the network to more places, I will continue, as your local MP, to push for more: the reopening of Middleton Junction station (as is happening in Golbourne and Cheadle), and taking tram network from the existing Bury, Oldham town centre & Ashton routes via Middleton, Chadderton, & Oldham.

Local people rightly demand change after 14 years of chaos & decline under the Tories. By growing & transforming the Metrolink tram network right here in Oldham, integrating local rail services into the Bee Network, and moving to a fully electrified bus fleet by 2030 – Labour is acting to deliver that change.

Statement: Operation Sherwood Arrests

Greater Manchester Police have today confirmed arrests at addresses in Oldham, Tameside, and Manchester in connection with child sexual abuse investigations.

While it is essential that we do not prejudge or interfere with the legal process—and I remain cautious about commenting ahead of any proceedings—it is important to acknowledge that this action, I hope, marks a significant and welcome step forward through Operation Sherwood, the dedicated police response to historic cases.

For many years, we have campaigned for GMP to reopen historic investigations, to centre the voices of victims and survivors, and to follow every line of enquiry to ensure that justice is done and that no perpetrator remains beyond accountability.

As a constituency MP, I have witnessed the deep and lasting harm that child sexual exploitation and abuse has inflicted on victims and survivors. Too often, their trauma has been compounded by inadequate responses from authorities. That must change—and taking action today is a vital part of putting things right.

Thank you,

Jim

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-police-storm-homes-sudden-31784027?fbclid=IwY2xjawKtQElleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjolz6E05zrlfyMRi6mSXIxc2DIIUA87Xcv1B5BTffJq4cr9MicYYefvjo1Q_aem_DkRqB0DI5ks8DxRYeGj57Q

Royal Oldham & North Manchester General to get a share of £1.2 billion funding boost

Labour have announced that we will deliver vital maintenance in hospitals to help prevent cancelled appointments and operations, with patients in our borough set to benefit from the Government’s Plan for Change.

Across the country, over 400 hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites will be handed £750 million to tackle long-term problems such as leaky pipes, poor ventilation and electrical issues, helping to prevent thousands of cancelled operations and appointments.

This includes £𝟏𝟎,𝟕𝟐𝟗,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 like Royal Oldham Hospital and £𝟔,𝟖𝟑𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 like North Manchester General Hospital. This funding is vital and another step in this Government’s mission to fix the dire state of public service infrastructure we inherited from the Tories.

The projects include much needed fire safety, drainage, electrical & energy systems and roof works at these hospitals which will help patients in Oldham, Chadderton and Royton benefit from better services and facilities throughout the health system. Across the country, fixing the backlog of maintenance at NHS hospitals will help prevent cancellations, with services disrupted over 4,000 times in 2023/24 due to issues with poor quality buildings.

The hospital funding package was confirmed in last year’s Autumn Budget, in which an extra £22.6 billion was secured for the NHS by the Labour Government.

The Tories inherited an NHS from the last Labour government which delivered the lowest NHS waiting lists on record, then left NHS waiting lists peaking at their highest level ever of 7.8 million. However, already we have delivered 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐰. Labour pledged at the election to deliver two million more NHS appointments a year as our first step and we hit that target seven months early.

We promised to get the NHS back off it’s knees and make it fit for the future after 14 years of chronic underfunding and mismanagement, and we are delivering on that promise.

The Heroes Return!

What a home coming! It was great to be back in Oldham today at the Civic Centre and then Boundary Park to celebrate Oldham Athletics’ play-off final win at Wembley and promotion back to the Football League after a 3 year absence, attended by a record-breaking 52,115!

It was fantastic to see so many fans gather in Oldham to see the team bus return and then thousands at the parade and Party in the Park at Boundary Park.

Local clubs have to be a businesses, that’s the reality of paying the bills, but they are much more than that. They are part of a town’s identity, and owners who understand that and embrace it as true custodians are rare. We are incredibly fortunate to have the Rothwell’s at the helm with Oldhams own football “Royle family” driving its future alongside them.

And there is something very special about so many Oldhamers singing, clapping and even crying together – in joy – it really lifts the soul.

This is a new era and the future is bright!