5G Masts – Westminster Hall Debate

Today I held a Westminster Hall Debate in Parliament regarding the current issue with the installation of 5G & telecommunications masts and changes to national planning law which make these installations, among other issues like HMO conversion, far too easy for developers to secure.

The installation of equipment, whether it’s 5g or wireless broadband covers three main areas;

Firstly, Planning policy and permitted development. Secondly, guidance on siting of cabinets and poles. And thirdly, access to the existing network. I covered these areas in the debate, which you can view below.

In Oldham, we are seeing these main issues reflected in the installations in our communities. At Chadderton Hall Park, the installation abuts the children’s play area and the café, with no effort made to minimise the impact. This is mirrored at Denbydale Way in Royton, where we are seeing residents left feeling powerless to stop the installations outside their homes.

I have urged IXWireless to review the installation on Denbydale Way and suggested they remove it entirely or use infrastructure already available.

Our residents need a voice; we need to change the law to make meaningful consultation with residents a legal requirement, guidance on siting made legally binding to mitigate impacts on communities and finally to legislate to force companies to share the same infrastructure to fundamentally reduce the number of installations on our streets and in our communities, without reducing connectivity and capacity.

We have had success, however, in Oldham my office held a workshop in July last year, with residents from all communities coming together to meet with IXWireless to discuss the siting and appearance of poles, with many moved, though not all. Alongside this, the company have reached an agreement with the Council to seek ‘prior approval’ which does allow for more community consultation, however in law they could remove this good faith and continue under permitted development rules.

In response to the debate, the Minister offered a roundtable between MP’s to review and discuss how rules and changes to enforcement could be tightened up, this would be a welcome start.

Consistent Conservative top-down implementation must be changed, and community power respect.

You can view the full debate here;

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3b5d1bc0-1c14-4bfc-bf43-ce72089d5fda?in=16:00:00

Tomorrow’s Parliamentary Debate on 5G Masts

My office has been supporting a number of residents from across the constituency impacted by the roll out of 5g/wireless masts.

We have been engaging with the main equipment installer, IX Wireless, and held a residents workshop to go through each of the sites where concerns were raised.

Some progress has been made, and following our representations some have been removed or relocated. But there remains a big problem with the legal powers given to equipment installers and the weak protections for local communities.

I have secured a debate in parliament, tomorrow Wednesday at 4pm in Westminster Hall. Though I have raised the issue in the Commons before, this format allows a more detailed exchange to take place.

Thank you to residents who have contacted my office already but I’m keen to hear from anyone who has yet to get in touch to ensure we don’t miss any key points or issues.

After moving the debate the Government Minister will respond and I’ll ensure a full update is provided.

Thank you.

Visit to Boundary Park with Frank Rothwell

It was great to join the inspiring Frank Rothwell last month at Boundary Park for a celebration of his stunning achievement rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic (for the 2nd time!!) in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK, raising over £1.3 million with his latest magnificent effort.

Though we didn’t secure a win at home to Kidderminster, it was a great day for the community with the highest attendance in 16 years at over 11,800!

Great to see another local hero in Professor Brian Cox, together with Council Leader Arooj Shah and many others in support.

I put on record my amazement at Frank’s achievement yet again and asked the Government to commit to debate the very real issue of the near million people who are affected by Alzheimer’s in the UK and the need for more funding and early diagnoses.

Reaction to the Budget

This budget revealed that the British contract is broken.

Working people are being failed, the idea that if you work hard you can get on in life and you can build something for yourself and your family has been taken away from people.

This hits at the heart of our country on a fundamental level. The economy is broken and we need a rewritten contract. We need a General Election where Labour will deliver the change Britain needs.

In my speech to the House today I spoke on the state of the economy & how Labour will fix it, how Oldham has been left behind by the government and how co-operative ideas will help spearhead our economy into the future.

Levelling-up Fund

It’s time to end the sticking plaster politics and have a long term plan for all of our communities sakes.

Local councils and communities are on the brink due to decisions made in Downing Street. Funding has been slashed, the fair funding review delayed, business rate reset postponed, reserves are depleted, community assets sold off and accounts go unsubmitted.

More and more councils are lining up for emergency support amid concerns of bankruptcy.

The government have no plan, it seems they are doing as the country is and waiting for a Labour government.

Labour secures Immediate Ceasefire support in parliamentary vote

Yesterday evening, Labour moved a motion demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, mirroring calls from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, alongside the release of hostages and the supply of aid.

The humanitarian crisis engulfing the nation has led to the deaths of around 30,000, including many children. As civilians were displaced to the south, Rafah is now home to 1.5m people, 600,000 of whom are children. With nowhere to escape, and Israel looking to expand the offensive, it presents an immediate and grave threat to innocent civilians at a scale not yet seen.

We must demand the same value of life for every child. No if’s, no buts, the UK must not support the offensive into Rafah.

The motion also called for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a foundation of a lasting two state solution, an end the illegal settler expansion violence in the West Bank and urges Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures.

The Tory government, who sought to water down the demand and push back a ceasefire, eventually withdrew its amendment allowing Labours motion to go through unanimously, replacing the much weaker proposal submitted by the SNP, and ensuring for the first time the UK parliament spoke with one voice in demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Labour’s full motion agreed by the UK Parliament reads.

“believes that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences and therefore must not take place; notes the intolerable loss of Palestinian life, the majority being women and children; condemns the terrorism of Hamas who continue to hold hostages; supports Australia, Canada and New Zealand’s calls for Hamas to release and return all hostages and for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which means an immediate stop to the fighting and a ceasefire that lasts and is observed by all sides, noting that Israel cannot be expected to cease fighting if Hamas continues with violence and that Israelis have the right to the assurance that the horror of 7 October 2023 cannot happen again; therefore supports diplomatic mediation efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire; demands that rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief is provided in Gaza; further demands an end to settlement expansion and violence; urges Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures; calls for the UN Security Council to meet urgently; and urges all international partners to work together to establish a diplomatic process to deliver the peace of a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state, including working with international partners to recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to rather than outcome of that process, because statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and not in the gift of any neighbour.”

Local Government Finance

The local government finance settlement proves to be just another example of the sticking plaster politics we have come to expect from this government.

Council’s are at the forefront of our communities. They provide the local services that we all rely on in our daily lives. From waste management to road maintenance to housing and supporting businesses. Councils allow our communities to thrive and realise their full potential and for 14 years they have done this admirably, even with their hands tied behind their backs.

Today could have been the day the government, after 14 years in power, finally fixed the crisis in local government.

And after a lost decade, today should have been the day to begin turning the tide on the unsustainable and growing crisis in adult social care, children’s services, and homelessness services; and to end the postcode lottery in the vital services which create the communities working people deserve to live in; ones which are clean, green and safe, in return for the now record taxes they pay.

But on every test the government have failed. Councils, of all political stripes up and down the country, covering cities, towns and counties are being forced to the edge.

Labour will ensure that, should we be privileged enough to be elected to government, we will oversee a radical transfer of power out of Westminster and into the hands of the British people through a landmark Take Back Control Act. But we won’t wait, where we can accelerate improvement, we will.

We want a new relationship, between central and local government as genuine partners in power.

We want to see the right powers in the right places.

Our communities are resilient, and so are the Councils that represent them. It is time for Labour to be in government, and ensure that this is finally respected.

Labour’s Plan for Dentistry

After 14 years of Tory rule, Dentistry in the UK is in decay.

8 out of 10 dentists in the UK are not accepting new patients, people have no option but to suffer along or attempt dangerous ‘DIY dentistry’ which can cause serious long term issues.

The collapse of NHS dentistry has left millions of patients unable to get an appointment when they need one. Analysis of patient survey data suggests that last year, 4.75 million people were either told there were no appointments available or the practice wasn’t taking on new patients, when they last tried to book an appointment.

In Oldham, 64% of reporting practices were not accepting new adult patients last year.

It is a crisis of health and we need action now to save our country’s dental health.

Labour has committed to a fundamental reform of the Dentistry contract and our plan to rescue NHS dentistry provides 700,000 appointments for urgent treatment.