After many promises not kept under the previous government, we now have a plan to allow Northern Powerhouse Rail to finally move forward – and it’s a £45 billion boost for the North.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

Starting with the Manchester–Liverpool link, this is about properly connecting our great northern cities and towns so opportunity spreads, living standards rise and growth reaches every community.

A review of the business case for the vital underground through-station at Manchester Piccadilly to future-proof capacity. Without it trains will continue to pull in and back out of the station slowing travel times and leading to bottlenecks.

Then to wider improvement to links from our city region to Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, as well as connections to Newcastle and Hull, setting the North up for a new route from Manchester to Birmingham and through HS2 to London. This is how you build long-term prosperity.

With Labour delivering at every level – locally, regionally and nationally – we’re already seeing progress: the Bee Network, integrated ticketing, the £2 fare cap, new tram stops on the Oldham-Rochdale line, commuter rail being integrated into the Bee Network at Moston & Mills Hill, and plans trams & trains in the centre of our city-region to go underground.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀.

The government has announced a new road safety strategy and steps being taken in this to make our roads safer such as action on pavement parking, ghost number plates, and drug driving are welcome. Our borough has seen to many lives lost as roads become racetracks.

It’s encouraging that the government is acting to support our recent local work to tackle dangerous driving in 2025: attending a roadside operation on Broadway with the Oldham Road Policing Unit in Oldham; hosting concerned residents before a community meeting in Chadderton; and writing to the GMP to press them to make local roads safer with increased visibility of road safety officers in hotspot areas, more physical safety measures, & greater education.

But if we’re serious about safety, we also need to fix what’s happening before people even get on the road.

Right now in Oldham the waiting time is an unacceptable 24 weeks. That’s half a year of delays for young people, key workers and anyone needing to drive for work or family life.

Long waits don’t improve safety, they hold people back and pile pressure onto learners and instructors alike.

I’m continuing to push for more to be done to bring down waiting times and make sure Oldham gets its fair share of tests. We need safer roads and a system that actually works for local people.

Back in Parliament this week after the Christmas break. I hope everyone across Oldham, Chadderton & Royton had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It was a busy first week back.

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗴: I intervened in the Commons on the Road Safety Strategy which is out to consultation. There is much to welcome such as action on pavement parking, ghost number plates and drug driving and more, but I’m not convinced asking drivers to wait 6 months between theory and practical tests is the answer. The fact is that more is needed to tackle the unacceptable driving test delays affecting our area, and pressed Ministers on the government’s newly announced plans to prevent dangerous driving and get waiting times down. People need fair access to tests, not the current 24 weeks of delays holding them back.

𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗯𝘀: I also raised the case for proper banking hubs in Chadderton and Royton. With so many high street banks gone, communities and small businesses still need face-to-face banking services. I’ll keep pushing this hard and hope to secure a debate in Parliament to really get to the bottom of the criteria and how we can ensure that every town has access to a bank.

𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲: this has been a big constituency issue alongside gang activity and child criminal exploitation. I met this week with researchers from the University of Manchester to discuss evidence-led approaches to preventing youth knife crime. This is about early intervention, support, and making sure young people have better opportunities and safer futures.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: MPs representing Metropolitan council areas like Oldham met to discuss the current consultation on Fair Funding. Significant progress has been made to redistribute funding to areas of higher need, but some modest changes could make life much easier for councils struggling with rocketing demand for services in adults, children’s and temporary accommodation who’ve generally been badly hit over the 14 years of the previous government.

𝗖𝗼-𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲: we’re covering so much ground on really great things like growing the co-operative economy, expanding community ownership, and building out more to support credit unions and building societies. There is a lot to come in the weeks and months ahead and the first week back was planning ahead for that.

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Members voted on the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, an important piece of legislation to strengthen protections for vital services and infrastructure in an increasingly digital world.

As usual we run through the list of ongoing cases, campaigns and projects.

Plenty more to do as I head back up North for the rest of the week, and I’ll keep speaking up for Oldham, Chadderton & Royton every step of the way.

Oldham Council has taken an important step by implementing a borough-wide Article 4 Direction from 1st January this year, after their consultation last year. Removing permitted development rights to convert a standard house into a HMO will now mean anyone wanting to create a small HMO must now apply for planning permission.

It is a win for all those who made their voices heard during the consultation period since now the council will have more control over the number, location, & quality of these properties to protect decent family housing.

This is about getting the balance right: supporting good quality housing, while protecting the character of our neighbourhoods and the stability of our streets – exactly wat I was pushing for in my submission to the consultation.

Too many communities feel change is happening 𝘵𝘰 them, not 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 them. This decision gives local people a stronger voice and brings common sense back into the planning system.

We need homes people can afford, but we also need places where families can put down roots and communities can thrive.

This is a fairer, more responsible approach and the right call for Oldham.

Wishing everyone across Oldham, Chadderton & Royton and beyond a Happy New Year.

I hope the opportunities ahead are many, the challenges few, and that you enjoy the love and support of family and friends throughout 2026.

Best wishes,

Jim

Congratulations to all those recognised in the Kings New Years Honours.

To Chadderton’s Peter Fitzpatrick, Station Manager, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service who has been recognised with an MBE for services to Burn Victims.

And a BEM goes to The Reverend David Ireland, minister at the Union Street Methodist Church, and formerly Chief Executive, Francis House Children’s Hospice.

An MBE also goes to John Pickford, previously the News Editor In Chief, Bauer Media whose stations include Oldham’s Revolution Radio, for services to Broadcasting and Local News.

I’d also extend congratulations to Julia Heap, formally of Oldham Council and now Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Hopwood Hall College, who has been awarded an OBE for services to Further Education. I had the pleasure of catching up with Julia at a recent meeting of Greater Manchester college principals and her commitment to her students was clear, as was her affection for Oldham.

And to Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council who has done an outstanding job in our neighbouring council and in her role as Leader of the Local Government Association Labour Group.

And a belated congratulation’s to First Choice Homes Mark Gifford who received his OBE from The King last week at an investiture in Windsor Castle. Mark has given the housing association the boost it needed and we are seeing the benefits with more new homes being built and social focus back at the heart of its business.

A wonderful way to go into 2026!