This Autumn Statement proves the country needs change. With a government that is laser focused on improving family finances.
Thirteen years of economic failure has left the people of Oldham worse off and paying the price of Tory mismanagement with 25 Tory tax rises since 2019 and households paying £4,000 more in tax each year than they did in 2010.
Only a Labour government will make working people better off as a priority by boosting wages, cutting people’s bills and getting the economy growing again.
Today I have written to the Home Secretary to raise the issue of dangerous driving in Oldham.
On Oldham’s roads alone, since 2010, 65 people have been killed and 755 serious injured, far too many of whom because of dangerous driving.
I have asked the Home Secretary how the government plan to deter dangerous driving in the future, and what more they are doing to secure justice from the start for grieving families and loved ones.
Thank you to those who have contacted my office regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, this will be going out via email as well as on social media.
From the outset of the escalation of the Israel – Hamas conflict I have worked to ensure that the concerns of my constituents are heard in the House of Commons and within the Labour Party.
The scenes we see daily, with the excessive loss of civilian life including thousands of children is a humanitarian catastrophe. It is for the international community to show leadership and set out how we move from where we are today, to where we must ultimately arrive.
This week the Labour Party tabled a motion in Parliament that called for action to see the safe return of hostages and to end the violence and suffering in Gaza.
To this end Labour’s amendment, which I supported, demanded;
• International law: UK’s commitment to the rules-based international order, international humanitarian law and the jurisdiction of the ICC to address the conduct of all parties in Gaza and Hamas’s attacks in Israel.
• Protection of civilians: immediate release of all hostages and reaffirm Israel’s right to defend its citizens from terrorism; believe all human life is equal and that there has been too much suffering, including far too many deaths of innocent civilians and children, over the past month in Gaza;
• Prevent escalation: the Government continue to work with the international community to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict in the region.
• Right to return: guarantee that people in Gaza who are forced to flee during this conflict can return to their homes.
• Illegal settlements: seek an end to the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.
• Humanitarian aid: and, while acknowledging the daily humanitarian pauses to allow in aid and the movement of civilians, believe they must be longer to deliver humanitarian assistance on a scale that begins to meet the desperate needs of the people of Gaza.
• A roadmap to peace: ensuring cessation of fighting as soon as possible and a credible, diplomatic and political process to deliver the lasting peace of a two-state solution.
I know that this amendment covers a lot of ground, and that the standalone demand for an immediate ceasefire might seem more direct, but the complexity and seriousness of the crisis demands nothing less than a fully considered roadmap to peace, grounded in the reality of where we and resolute in our commitment to end the horrors we see.
The brutal fact remains that both Hamas and Israel have ruled out a ceasefire, and we have not yet secured adequate protection of civilians who face a grave and real risk, whether they be the innocent citizens of Gaza, or the Israeli hostages still missing.
It is for them that the Official Opposition must offer more than protest in support. We have a moral duty to set out a roadmap to peace, and we must use what influence we do have to grow domestic and international support in this endeavour.
Labour’s approach is very much about establishing the building blocks that secures a long-term, secure and lasting end to this conflict. I am of course disappointed that the amendment tabled was not supported by the Conservative government, but I can assure you that our resolve remains.
I will continue to do everything I can to work to this end, including continuing to raise the issue in
It was an honour to attend and lay a wreath at the Royton Remembrance Service this morning in remembrance of all those who have sacrificed for our freedom.
Thank you to the Royal British Legion and all those who volunteered and helped in organising this service and those across the borough, the work you do is inspiring and is a credit to you all.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
Today I wrote to the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Steve Barclay MP, with regards to the current situation with the Royal Oldham Hospital and the identified concerns regarding the use of RAAC within elements of the roof of the building.
RAAC is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s. It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, is quicker to produce and easier to install. It is aerated, or “bubbly”, this means that it is less durable and has a lifespan of around 30 years.
With this issue, the safety of patients and staff in the hospitals today should be the highest priority, their safety and well-being need to be the top of the asking price when considering the impact of RAAC and the cost of bringing the buildings up to standard.
The potential consequences of not taking timely and adequate action risks the safety of staff and patients, so the government must act immediately to rectify the affected roof section.
I expressed that the news that the government will be taking action to address this is a step in the right direction, however I am concerned that the scale of the works required will need a robust plan and timescales to be completed with minimal disruption to patients and staff members daily lives.
I have therefore requested that the government make a robust and publicly available work plan with reasonable timescales for completion of the work and that this is published as a matter of urgency alongside a commitment that those in hospitals, including staff and patients have a managed plan to nullify or avoid large-scale disruptions in their work or treatment plans.
Finally, I asked that the government provide all funds needed for the project direct from central government and that this will not directly affect local health service budgets.
It’s been a hectic few days at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool and it’s straight back to constituency business today.
I had the opportunity to speak in a number of discussions on building a coalition across the country to win across our towns, rural and coastal communities; doubling the size of the co-operative and mutual economy, and on skills, drawing on my experience as an apprenticeship who left school at 16 and straight into the world of work.
The mood was very positive but also realistic about the challenges ahead and what is needed to rebuild our country after a wasted decade which has left households on the brink, the national debt now a trillion pound more than when the Tories took office, and inflation still running at a 40 year high with all of us feeling it’s impact.
As a former councillor and now supporting the local government association and the cooperative council innovation network I was really pleased to hear a clear ambition for devolving power to communities; for too long things have been done to people and not by and along them. That has to change.
But that can only be done with a solid economy which can grow and create decent working class jobs in all parts of the country, and public services which are there when you need them.
Today I have written to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities following the announcement that Chadderton will be included in the “Long-Term Funding” scheme, which will include the setting up of a Town Board similar to that in Oldham town centre.
Our constituency is made up of three towns in Oldham, Chadderton & Royton, therefore I find it striking that we now find ourselves in a position whereby Royton will miss out on the same level of attention and investment as a result, I have therefore asked the government to include a scheme for Royton.
Oldham, Chadderton and Royton all have distinct heritage and cultural assets that lay the foundation for funding and they all have district centres. This is an opportunity for all three to come to par and have success in the coming years.
The council has already set out on the road well in Royton with investment in the town hall and library, and local people are self organising to invest their own money into small businesses which is creating great places to meet and socialise in the town centre.
It also has significant employment sites, housing development is planned alongside a new tram stop, as well as it having wonderful natural assets like Tandle Hills.
The crack down on Nitrous Oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is long overdue, and it’s use has been a significant concern in Oldham, with public use seemingly increasing during the period of lockdown when younger people would meet in car parks and other public spaces.
Over the last year I have been increasingly concerned about the scaling of use from small silver canisters which could be found in their hundreds scattered across the borough, to commercial size canisters used on foods such as whipping cream. During community litter picks it would be common to collect smaller units in the hundreds in some locations.
Nitrous Oxide is a colourless, slightly sweet smelling, non-flammable gas which has become popular recreationally because of its euphoric effects. It has been used by around 1 in 12 young people aged 16-24 in the last year making it the second most common street drug after cannabis.
I have asked Oldham Council in its capacity overseeing public health, and Greater Manchester Police for greater awareness raising to be increased both with young people and their parents.
The council report that; The number of deaths and demand for treatment for problematic use of nitrous oxide remains low compared to other drugs with deaths linked to nitrous oxide use are primarily due to oxygen deprivation.
There have, however, been reports of an increase in neurological harms, including nerve and spinal cord damage, related to heavy and persistent use. Long term effects and known harms are limited but regular use can lead to red blood cell problems that could result in anaemia.”
The link to the use of Nitrous Oxide related to anti-social behaviour is reported to be weak, but the harms are of a concern enough to invest in raising awareness to see it’s use reduce.
