YESTERDAY I asked the Secretary of State Sajid Javid a number of questions about the latest local government finance settlement. First, does it step up to meet the scale of the challenges facing local public services in England today?

Does it meet the challenge of 1.2 million older people who would have been entitled to social care in 2010 who no longer get the care they need?

Does it meet the challenge of huge increases in the number of child protection and looked-after children cases reported by the LGA?

After nearly a decade of Tory-dominated Government, does it begin to rebuild the essential community infrastructure that was taken away after the financial crash?

My view is that it fails on every one of those counts.

 

Continue reading “Again, councils barely get the crumbs from the table”

A CENTURY ago today the vote was extended to women for the first time in Britain. Although the act stopped short of giving the vote to all women, it paved the way for universal voting rights here in 1928.

The First World War was still raging across the globe when the act was passed in Parliament, but the role of women in the war effort had been recognised. So too had the long-fought and high profile campaign run by the Suffragettes – members of women’s organisations in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries who advocated the extension of the franchise, or right to vote, to women.

Continue reading “100 ago today women were first given the vote. What role did Oldham play?”

I was delighted to be asked to make the Opening speech for the Wayra Fair By Design acceleration programme.

Continue reading “Can technology and innovative business help low income households?”

NEW PLANS to give more young people a say in local democracy in Wales will be announced this week by the Welsh Government (Tuesday 30 Jan).

They reflect last year’s Welsh Government consultation on reforming the electoral system in Wales, which received almost 1000 responses.

Continue reading “It’s time for a united democracy in the United Kingdom as Votes for 16 year olds in Wales shows the time has come for bigger change”

RESEARCH FROM the End Child Poverty Coalition has revealed that Oldham West and Royton has the 10^th highest rate of child poverty in UK.

Almost half (45.58%) of children in Oldham West and Royton are growing up in poverty under a Conservative Government.  Continue reading “Almost half of children in Oldham are growing up in poverty under this Tory government”

LATE LAST NIGHT our local fire and rescue service were called out to rescue two young girls from the roof of Hartford Mill. It’s the latest in a series of events that have all served to underline why action must be taken on the mill. 

Continue reading “Latest development at Hartford Mill is a strong reminder why action must be taken!”

LAST WEEK I attended Oldham Sixth Form College to host a debate on votes at 16. I was humbled as it was a full house. I asked for a show of hands at the start of the session to see what the students thought of lowering the voting age to 16, and was delighted to see that by the end of the session the students had voted unanimously in favour.

Continue reading “Oldham Sixth Form College students say ‘aye’ to votes at 16”