News that tighter restrictions will be in place from today in Oldham will come as a huge blow to all of us who were hoping that last week’s decreasing infection rate published by the Mayor of Greater Manchester were a sign that we were heading the right way.

The article I wrote (here) following the publication of those figures gives context as to some of the everyday challenges our borough faces, and so I won’t repeat much of that but instead to focus on where we find ourselves and what the restrictions mean.

In the week ending 25th July we have seen 119 new cases, and for comparison the previous week saw only 26 positive cases. This means the number of positive tests per 100,000 people stands at 50.2, where the week before it was much lower at 10.2.

There is a particular concern around young people, and data still being explored by public health officials on communities dis-proportionally affected by housing overcrowding and occupational risk, which is subject also to national government review.

Some of the increase in detection of Covid-19 could be explained by moving to test all household members when one person is tested positive. In larger multi-generational households (grandparents living with family and children) the risk of spread is much greater.

It is important to say that almost every part of the borough has witnessed positive test results, and as such we all must be vigilant and do all we can.

With many businesses operating as normal safety in the workplace is vital. From the outset of the virus I and other MPs have been supporting hundreds of warehouse and distribution workers where many were being forced to choose between keeping safe and putting food on the table; while our interventions have led to some improvement, we remain concerned.

Nationally, it is male workers in factories and warehouses, security and cleaning, retail workers and those in care, leisure and service occupations who were most at risk of dying from Covid-19, and then other multi contact jobs such as transport workers including bus and taxi drivers. For women care and home care occupations, and those in retail were found to be at an enhanced risk.

Oldham has not been subjected to full lock down restrictions as seen in Leicester, but the government may choose to impose them if the infection rate doesn’t show signs of decreasing. So, we must all take action to prevent what could be a significant impact on our slowly gained return to normality; in the context of none of this being the ‘normal’ we were used too, and it won’t be for some time yet.

The updated local public health guidance which residents are being asked to follow is below:

• Do not make social visits to friends or family, or have visitors to their home

• Do not visit friends or family in care homes or sheltered accommodation

• Stick to social distancing guidelines, keeping two metres away from people not in their household or support bubble – meaning no hand shaking or hugging

• Those on the shielding register should continue to take care

But many other things remain as they currently are. Businesses and community facilities which have been allowed to reopen as part of the easing of lockdown in England will remain open. In addition, the planned reopening of leisure centres will continue.

While inside safe practices can be managed, it is important too that outside people are not gathering with members outside their own household without observing the two-metre rule with no more than six people from different households.

With pubs reopening and the summer season and with many not now going abroad it is important that not just within the pub, but also in the immediate area outside. The same is true of outdoor play areas which in the hotter days quickly become crowded, both will be a focus with the ‘hottest day of the year’ predicted this weekend.

Likewise, as we approach Eid on Thursday the traditional Friday prayers are an important part of observing the festival. With plans to manage safe worshipping inside, the same rules must be adhered to outside to keep us safe.

There is a natural challenge which is the conflict of restricting visitors to a home, but not to a local restaurant, pub, bingo hall, place of worship and alike. The explanation is that in these premises the management/owners will be required to manage social distancing, the wearing of face coverings where required, hygiene measures, and how people practically use the venue, for instance reducing pinch points and marking out safe distancing.

The council has greater powers to close venues which do not adhere to these rules, including workplaces, should the need arise. They do not have the resources, or the powers, to do the same in households across the borough.

I know some of the restrictions will have a significant impact on local people, particularly those moments like visiting a loved one in a care home or sheltered accommodation, a planned children’s birthday party at home, a gathering following a funeral, and visiting friends and family at home during Eid too. None of these will be possible.

But we all must act and reduce the risk that the virus will spread further. The NHS advice to

• try to stay at least 2 metres (3 steps) away from anyone you do not live with (or anyone not in your support bubble)
• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• wash your hands as soon as you get home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
• do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
• If you can, wear something that covers your nose and mouth in places where it’s hard to stay away from other people

We know these remain difficult times and the impact on many has been profound. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 my office in Oldham has supported over 2,200 people and businesses employing thousands more. Please never feel you are alone, and if you are unsure how to get the help you need, we are here to help.

Finally, we cannot repeat often enough our respect and appreciation for our public sector workers, key workers including those in food retail and transport, and volunteers who have worked around the clock to support our community. Thank you to you all.

The restrictions placed are due to be reviewed no later than 11th August 2020.

From the outset of the Coronavirus outbreak my constituency casework inbox has been jampacked with now thousands of individual experiences where local people are feeling the immediate effect; both in health and in the workplace.

It should come as no surprise that those most impacted by the pandemic were those already left to fight to keep a roof over their heads, money coming in from work, and get through a stressful and demanding everyday experience. Add a global pandemic, chaotic intervention, fragmented financial support and an already fragile underlying economy; it shouldn’t have taken the government so long to fully realise this.

As we approach summer and school children already broken up for the summer holiday (for those who were in school to begin with), and with the natural human tendency to want to get back to normal we mustn’t allow ourselves to believe we are through the worst. For many much more is still to come, not least of all as the governments Furlough scheme reaches its cliff edge by October, and councils will be forced to make in year cuts to essential services, almost entirely because of the failure of central government to meet its promise to cover all the costs of Covid response.

Our borough has made huge progress, after months and months of constantly demanding up to date and accurate contact tracing we are beginning now to get a better overview of the infection rates across the area. What the latest data shows is encouraging, where reports four weeks ago placed us at 33.3% positive tests per 100,000 population, compared to 16.3% average across Greater Manchester. The latest figures show the largest reduction which now stands at 14.8% against a GM average of 12.3%.

There are many reasons why we remain at a higher risk including the nature of employment. We have been actively supporting workers in warehousing and distribution where social distancing and safe working practices were not being adhered to, while some progress has been made this remains a risk. We also have a large number of multi-generational housing and overcrowding which creates a greater risk of transmission. And of course, we have many in frontline work such as care home workers, transport workers and retail workers who are more exposed than the general population to becoming infected, and in fact of dying from the virus.

I have remained critical of the lack of financial support for those who become reliant on Statutory Sick Pay, which is nowhere near enough to cover the bills, and for those whose employment falls through the gap of existing support, nationally this is over 1 million people. And we know just how frustrating the support for newly self-employed people especially has been, with many of them finding that not only do they not qualify for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme – but that they are barred from accessing Universal Credit too.

Public events and gatherings also provide an increased risk and that was evident at Easter, the VE day celebrations, and the upcoming Eid celebrations where we all have to be vigilant, however difficult it can be, and that’s before you come to the illegal gatherings which beggar belief such as the scenes at Daisy Nook. But aside from this, more, much more, must be done to keep people safe in the workplace.

I find it staggering, but not surprising unfortunately, that our care home workers were ignored and denied the right protective equipment they deserve, which of course impacted on the high level of infection and deaths too. Even now as the government make much of the pay increase offered to doctors, our nurses and social care staff (many just on the minimum wage) are left ignored.

I want to thank all of our key workers across the public, voluntary and private sectors who have kept the country going. I’m incredibly proud of the work of Oldham people in that task, and for the care and commitment shown to those most effected. You are the best of us.

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/18595995.oldham-children-living-poverty-anywhere-else-uk-shock-government-data-shows/

This is obviously not a leaderboard any of us here in Oldham want to be anywhere near the top of, young people in the most deprived areas of our country are suffering after ten years of Tory austerity.

Since 2010 almost nearly one-billion pounds has been taken out of youth services nationwide alone. When you take into account the impact of Tory cuts to our social security system it is no wonder these stats show what they do.

We know on the ground here in Oldham the Council and our fantastic community and voluntary sector are trying everyday to improve the lives of our young people, but the fight against poverty is not an easy one when these organisations have had the rug pulled out from underneath them.

The Covid crisis is likely to make this fight more difficult over the coming years, these stats do not take into account the job and income losses that we have already seen and the ones we know are coming.

We need to invest in all of our young people, we need to let them flourish and enjoy their youth no matter their background. Government needs to step up to prevent more young people from being trapped in a cycle of poverty.

I have been contacted by a number of constituents concerned about the proposal to demolish the Bowling Green public house on Manchester Road. The plans submitted seek to replace the current pub with a drive thru KFC and Starbucks.

I have been a longstanding campaigner for local pubs, I believe they are important to community life and the decline over decades across the country has meant the loss of too many neighbourhoods. It should be said that JW Lees as a local brewer and pub operator do a great deal to ensure the viability of local pubs, and that is seen in its number of thriving venues with investment across the borough.

In the North West alone we’ve seen a loss of 27% of pubs, and that number of repeated in the Oldham West & Royton constituency where we’ve seen 20 lost since 2010. But that in itself doesn’t tell the full story because smaller pubs which you would think about as the ‘traditional pub’ have seen a rapid decline of 25 closures (-38%) but larger pubs (employing more than 10 people) have increased from 10 to 15 in the same period.

For those who frequent the pub I have also provided a link to a scheme called the Asset of Community Value. The Co-operative Party, whose Parliamentary Group I chair, has been active in promoting the ‘Love it, list it’ campaign. https://party.coop/loveitlistit Beyond this application many community facilities are being lost, and they materially affect how it feels to live in a neighbourhood.

By listing them, though not offering unlimited protection, does give greater protection and rights for the community than had it not been listed.You can read more on Assets of Community Value here https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06366/

Today Oldham West and Royton MP, Jim McMahon, has backed Oldham’s campaign to Save Our Services, since the start of the pandemic Team Oldham have been working round the clock to do what needed to be done. They were promised that government would fund ‘whatever it takes’ only to have that retracted at a later date.

Jim said, “From the very beginning Team Oldham, it’s volunteers and the community sector have been the front line. They’ve been caring and providing for our most vulnerable and at-risk residents. It is simply unacceptable that central government would turn it’s back on Oldham and towns like ours across the country.”

“Government told local councils to do whatever it takes before they recklessly performed another one of their many U-turns and left Oldham with a bill of nearly £19m. It really makes me wonder how the government think they’re going to level up any bit of the UK if they can’t provide for towns in need in the middle of a global pandemic.

“They’re in for a short sharp shock if they think they’ll have any success without first supporting local councils to do their bit in a time of crisis.”

You can sign the letter and back the campaign here: oldham.gov.uk/SOSOldham

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Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon made his first constituency visit since lockdown began in March, to Chadderton’s Butler Green House. The site located off Wallis Street in South Chadderton, provides enhanced intermediate care for those with short-term care needs; whether it be upon discharge from the hospital for rehabilitation or to regain independence or an admission from the community when a hospital setting isn’t the right fit.

Whilst visiting BGH Jim saw the hard work and dedication of the multi-disciplinary team, commenting after the visit, Jim said: “It was wonderful to meet with frontline NHS staff at Butler Green today, they have been working around the clock to support out community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and they’ve done so with real compassion.”

“I heard some incredibly touching personal stories from staff where they have supported local people and their family members in their hour of highest need. Without a doubt our frontline healthcare workers are the very best of us. I am glad they’re starting to get the recognition they deserve, it’s about time they got a pay increase that they deserve too.

“At the start of this pandemic the government let our care workers and care system down, we urgently need to protect our key workers, like those here at Butler Green, by implementing a national plan to ensure supply chains are developed that guarantee PPE to all key workers and publish a plan to deal with the Winter flu season, it is likely that this year’s flu season will put our NHS under an even greater strain than usual.”

Vicki Elcock, Head of Services, Urgent Care at Butler Green House said, “I’m delighted that Jim chose to come and visit Butler Green House as his first outing. We’re all grateful that Jim came to visit us and talk to the staff about our experiences over the last few months.”

“This pandemic has been hard on all of us here, staff have had to deal with an immense amount of change in such a short period of time and it’s permanently changed the way we will work going forward in some cases.”

“So, thanks to Jim for coming down and listening to our stories and experiences, I know all our staff appreciated the visit and his thanks too.”

https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/139/main-news/135113/local-mp-calls-for-government-support-on-rough-sleeping

Here in Greater Manchester we urgently need the government to do more to help out locally, there’s almost 800 people still in hotels in GM and it can’t be right that they just be kicked out back onto the streets when the funding runs out.”

The action government took in March shows that rough sleeping in particular was a political choice, where this is a will to give people safe and secure accommodation there is a way. We’re nowhere near the end of this crisis, there’s a real danger of a second spike on the way and the idea that people could evicted into the streets is dangerous.

Government can start by ensuring that Greater Manchester’s A Bed Every Night Scheme is funded properly. So that it can provide support to all those who need it during this crisis and beyond. Since the start of this crisis we have seen the fantastic work that councils across the country and GM have done, and in particular the work that Oldham Council and Street Angels, have done here to help our homeless residents, so government must back them further.

Just after I’d finished filming the above video, the government announced that it was once again U-turning. This time it was on providing Free School Meal vouchers to children that need them over the summer holidays.

We must of course pay a massive thank you to Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford for using his platform to ensure so many kids get the food they need this year.

But the point still stands, there are too many kids in the position of needing this help. We’ve got to tackle the long term causes of poverty, to make sure that the number of kids needing this provision decreases.

It also needs to be said that government shouldn’t have had to make this U-turn, it should have done the right thing from the start and made sure that kids don’t go hungry. Society as we know it exists to prevent injustices like this, and it is shameful that it took as long as it did for government to see the error in its ways.

There are over 4,500 kids in Oldham West and Royton that will benefit because of this victory. I am grateful to all involved in forcing the government’s hand on this.