04Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Christmas burglaries in your area going unsolved

Borough news, Saddleworth News
Figures reveal over eight in 10 Christmas burglaries in Greater Manchester go unsolved Most burglaries committed in Greater Manchester during the Christmas period go unsolved by the police, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. 3,555 burglaries in the Greater Manchester area went unsolved by police in the period between October and December last year. Overall, 87.6% of burglary cases in the Greater Manchester area recorded between October and December over the past five years went unsolved. This compares to 84.6% burglaries going unsolved during the rest of the year. The figures also reveal there is usually a spike in burglaries over the Christmas period in the area. In the last five years, police recorded an average of 402 domestic burglaries per week in October, November and December. This…
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23Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader ‘delighted’ Queen’s portraits on display for Platinum Jubilee year

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has received an early Christmas present – confirmation that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait will be on display at the Civic Centre by the start of HM’s Platinum Jubilee year in 2022. In late October, Councillor Sykes wrote to the Council Leader and Chief Executive asking for portraits to be displayed in the Council Chamber and at the Civic Entrance Reception, and he is ‘delighted’ that his request has now been agreed to. Commenting on the good news, Councillor Sykes said: “Our Queen is both our country’s longest reigning monarch and our ultimate public servant, having for seventy years served this nation faithfully as Head of State. In 2022, we will have the opportunity to celebrate this achievement and to give…
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23Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Boundary Park re-listed as Asset of Community Value

Boundary Park re-listed as Asset of Community Value

Borough news
After several months of procedural delays, Boundary Park has again been listed as an Asset of Community Value, with Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation getting it successfully added to the listings. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, who has been working with the Foundation to get the status for the ground said: “It is a great relief for the listing to go through. It’s by no means perfect protection, but with the previous listing due to expire in the New Year even that protection has been under threat. It has taken several months of chasing to ensure that it has been renewed.” The listing, which covers Boundary Park and the Little Wembley training ground, means that the owner cannot sell the ground without notifying the Council, and puts a set time…
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15Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Extend Trusted People scheme

Borough news
Crompton Liberal Democrat councillor Diane Williamson has welcomed the new scheme that has been launched to help women and girls feel safe on the tram network. “In this day and age, we should not have to be doing something like this, should we? Our girls and young women should feel safe and able to travel on the trams without fear of being verbally attacked or something more serious,” said Cllr Williamson. The teams are offering a friendly face around the Oldham tram stops in case residents are feeling uneasy, especially as the winter nights draw in. Until March 2022, the Youth Service are covering the stops between Freehold and Oldham Mumps at times when they are busy with school pupils and college students, with the Street Angels covering the later…
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14Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Law Commission backs street harassment campaign

Law Commission backs street harassment campaign

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence, Parliamentary news
The national body which reviews laws has recommended that public street harassment (PSH) should be made a specific crime, a great step forward for the campaign, says local councillor and supporter Sam Al-Hamdani. After successfully getting Oldham Council to back the campaign, the local Liberal Democrat councillor has been working nationally with Our Streets Now to get the issue recognised by councils across the UK, and deliver tailored education in schools to combat harassment. The Councillor, who is also a White Ribbon Ambassador – a charity challenging male violence against women, was delighted with the news, although he warned that it still has a long way to go before it is on the statute books. He said: “When I heard the recommendation, I was delighted, although it was tempered by…
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08Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Councillors call for fair play in the world of football

Borough news
With the publication of the fan-led review into football thrusting governance of the fair game into the spotlight, Oldham Liberal Democrats will propose a motion in support of Fair Game to the next meeting of Oldham Council (15 December). Fair Game is a national campaign that seeks radical reform in the way football is managed to make the ‘beautiful game’ more fan-focussed and financially sustainable. Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani will propose the motion. He explained: “I’m a City fan – I was there when we were losing games in the third tier, and I have seen us ride the rollercoaster all the way to the top. As much as I love watching the great players it has brought to my club, I don’t think that the way football works is even…
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07Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

More cash needed to warm homes this winter

Borough news
As Oldham Borough residents face massive hikes in fuel bills this winter, local Liberal Democrats are furious that the Warm Homes Discount, which helps our poorest residents heat their homes, will only go up by £10. Liberal Democrat councillors Hazel Gloster and Dave Murphy will be calling upon Oldham Council at the next meeting (15 December 2021) to support a demand to the UK Government that the Warm Homes Discount be increased to meet the new reality. Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing the motion: “Homeowners face up to 40% price increases this year while many of our oldest and poorest residents have seen the Conservative Government betray their promise to increase state pensions by the Triple Lock and also scrap the £20-per-week Universal Credit top-up for the needy.” “For…
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04Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Revealed: Areas with most small businesses set to pay new National Insurance levy

Borough news, Parliamentary news
New analysis reveals 144 constituencies have more than 2,000 small businesses set to pay Conservative manifesto-breaking tax rise. Hardest hit areas include Cities of London and Westminster (28,500), Manchester Central (4,500) and Bristol West (3,500). Together, the two Oldham constituencies have 2,500 businesses that will be affected. Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey will call for the planned tax hike to be scrapped during a visit to North Shropshire to mark Small Business Saturday. Research published by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the areas of the country with the most small businesses set to be hit by Boris Johnson’s manifesto-breaking National Insurance tax rise. Analysis by the House of Commons Library commissioned by the party estimates that in 144 constituencies, over 2,000 small businesses are set to pay the new levy.…
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03Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Andy Burnham and GMP fail to provide matched funding for child safeguarding

Andy Burnham and GMP fail to provide matched funding for child safeguarding

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence
A year after the child and safeguarding teams in all 10 areas of Greater Manchester wrote to highlight the failure of Greater Manchester Police and the GM Mayor to provide equitable funding for child safeguarding across the whole of the region, there has been no change to the funding made. At November’s Overview and Scrutiny meeting in Oldham (14/11/21), Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Kenyon identified the funding gap, and demanded to know why it still existed. Councillor Kenyon said: “Safeguarding children is crucial work in Oldham and across the whole of Greater Manchester so I was alarmed to see that despite the funding inequalities being highlighted to the GM Mayor’s office over a year ago, nothing has changed.” Government guidance indicates that safeguarding partners – in this case the local…
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01Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat call for Oldham Borough to support Small Business Saturday

Liberal Democrat call for Oldham Borough to support Small Business Saturday

Borough news
This Christmas, Liberal Democrat councillors are once more calling on local residents to support their local retailers on Small Business Saturday (4 December). Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, explained why: “Local shops, cafes and pubs are the lifeblood of our high street; without them our district centres would be ghost towns. Every pound spent with a local retailer is a pound that goes into our local economy. It supports local business owners, helps support local jobs and sustains local suppliers, instead of going into the back-pocket of a multi-billionaire with enough money to go space travelling!” Small Business Saturday was first started in the United States in 2010 to highlight the criticality of shoppers spending with independent small businesses, rather than big chains. The campaign is now…
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