This overwhelming endorsement from investors is matched by the government’s ambition for Britain, given we are levelling the playing field with the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights for a generation, are backing clean energy and growth industries with the National Wealth Fund, and have enacted the Budget Responsibility Act.
The government is building the foundations needed in areas like Oldham to drive-up living standards and create more decent and well-paid jobs.
I had a very enjoyable visit to Gallery Oldham at the weekend to see the Open Oldham Exhibition. The talent of so many local people is breathtaking and I’d like to thank those at the gallery for having me.
The UK is recognised across the world as a cultural superpower and Labour is working hard in power locally and nationally to fight for our creative industries which provide good jobs and enrich our lives.
From saving Oldham Coliseum, to modernising Gallery Oldham and the central library, to then legislating for new tax relief for British films – Labour is backing our creative industries.
An amazing mood in Manchester yesterday for the Co-op Party’s Co-operative Change Conference.
Thank you to those involved for giving me the opportunity to address the conference as our party’s Chair under a Labour & Co-operative Government.
Ownership matters. Having a stake in something and feeling connected to our community matters. That is why we are pushing for more community ownership for local people
At the general election, I prioritised good jobs for the people of Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, and Labour promised to introduce workers’ rights reform nationally – and we are delivering.
Banning exploitative zero-hour contracts
Ending fire and rehire
Delivering a genuine living wage
Strengthening statutory sick pay
Working people’s longing for change over the last 14 years of Tory government has now ended. Our Employment Rights Bill – published yesterday in Parliament – means, within 100 days of entering government, Labour is legislating for the biggest upgrade in a generation to rights at work.
By achieving this, we will drive up employment standards, provide the security and respect working people deserve, and create the level playing field businesses need to invest and boost growth.
Thank you to Rowan Ashworth, Tilbury Douglas, Orange Skips North West, Clear Watch Security and every volunteer and community group for the hard work they put in to clean-up the sports pitches on West End Street in Coldhurst, as well as those from Oldham Council who co-ordinated the event.
After visiting in August to discuss how the site could be put to better use and be revitalised to how it was under the last Labour government, we decided to take the initiative and start the work to clean the pitches to make them more viable as a hub for the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Local Labour councillors have been working tirelessly to bring our vision to fruition. We want this great facility to be refurbished and then, with community ownership being a priority of mine at the election, have it put in the hands of local people. We are committed to securing this site in the long term as an asset by, for, and of the local community.
Several constituents of mine in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton have been contacting me recently regarding inflated housing maintenance and service charges. This is an issue which is affecting many people in our borough and across the country and it is important to me with one of my priorities at the general election being to fight for decent homes.
The underlying problem with expensive service charges is that, while the charge is accepted as a way of facilitating general repairs and maintaining common facilities like shared carparks, there can be a lack of control over the services tenants receive, including rising costs and the level of quality of the services.
In our manifesto at the recent general election, Labour pledged to enact the package of Law Commission proposals along with taking further steps to ban new leasehold flats, ensure commonhold is the default tenure, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges, address the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private housing estates, and end unfair maintenance costs.
In September, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning spoke on this subject in Parliament on behalf of the government. He said that:
“The Government are committed to bringing the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private housing estates and unfair maintenance costs to an end. We intend to consult publicly on the best way to achieve that. In the interim, we will move to implement the new protections against unfair charges that were contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.”
Please be assured that as your local MP I will continue to fight for constituents on concerns and queries like this which matter to you. If you have a specific issue with regards to service charges yourself – please contact me at jim.mcmahon.mp@parliament.uk and my constituency team can deal with it.
I am very glad to hear that Oldham Council have suspended telecommunications development in the borough while health and safety checks take place.
We have been calling for checks like this to take place for a long time now and have been working with different levels of government to see change to the National Planning Policy Framework and to find better ways to improve local connectivity – ways which greatly minimise current disruption.
The work I have done in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton – such as writing to the minister when in opposition, requesting and leading a Westminster Hall debate on the issue, and attending a digital infrastructure roundtable – can be seen in more detail on my website at https://jimmcmahon.co.uk/…/5g-telecommunications…/
I encourage local people to remain vigilant and report any issue with a specific site they may have me. This can be done at jim.mcmahon.mp@parliament.uk and queries raised can be addressed as a matter of urgency by my constituency team.
It was great to see the progress being made at the construction site of the new market and events space at Spindles. This new home for Tommyfield Market in the redeveloped Spindles will be a fantastic new space for our town and will play a big role in the reimagined town centre.
The work done by the Council to regenerate this area so that it can better serve the needs of our borough is commendable. Oldham is a great town with a proud history and huge potential: a modern and forward-looking town centre is what we deserve to drive footfall and create thriving local high street businesses.
Banning exploitative zero-hour contracts
Jim McMahon OBE MP 