02Mar 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Save families in Oldham from £500 energy bill rise

Save families in Oldham from £500 energy bill rise

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Oldham’ Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has demanded the Government cancel plans to hike the average household energy bill by £500 in April. Sykes, who represents Shaw and leads Oldham Council’s Opposition Group, says it’s time to tax the “billion-pound profits of energy companies to pay for real support for families.” The Liberal Democrats calling for cuts to people's bills combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals across Oldham. Councillor Sykes said, “In April the Conservatives are planning to hike the energy price guarantee by £500. The Liberal Democrats plan would mean that in Oldham, the average household would be £439 better off. We would save families more than £41,000 across the Borough.” “If the government doesn’t change course, their new…
Read More
28Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Councillor Sykes backs Church of England calls for ‘universal’ social care

Borough news, Campaigns, health and social care, Parliamentary news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has supported a recent intervention by England’s most senior church leaders, who have called for social care to become a ‘universal entitlement’, on par with the NHS. Councillor Sykes said, “If we were building the NHS from scratch today, it would be obvious to everyone that we need a national health and social care service. We have an ageing population and we’re living with increasingly complex physical and mental health needs in our old age. Everyone deserves access to great healthcare and dignity in old age. Universal social care is the step we need to take now, to make sure that our health service is fit for the future.” The Archbishops of Canterbury and York called for a ‘national covenant’ with a…
Read More
28Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats to set out plan for “Fairer futures in a safer, cleaner and greener Oldham”

Liberal Democrats to set out plan for “Fairer futures in a safer, cleaner and greener Oldham”

Borough news
New funding for ’20 is Plenty’ streets New parks and recreational spaces fund More cash to tackle crumbling roads and footpaths More action on enviro crimes (litter, fly-tipping, dog fouling) New children’s social care residential home Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Opposition Group have set out their alternative budget proposals ahead of a crucial Council vote on 1 March, where councillors will agree to spending plans. Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “New funding for ’20 is plenty’ on residential streets, more cash for our parks and green spaces, real action on environmental crime and a new children’s social care residential home.” “We’ve listened to our communities and our priorities reflect what people expect from the Council. Our plan would make Oldham Borough a safer, cleaner, and…
Read More
25Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Council slammed as number of littering and fly-tipping fines fall

Borough news, environment
New figures revealed by Oldham Liberal Democrats show a drastic fall in the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) that Oldham Council is issuing for littering and fly-tipping offences. Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat representative for Shaw councillor Howard Sykes MBE has slammed Oldham Council for “completely failing on the basics.” A Freedom of Information answer provided to the Liberal Democrats confirms that the council issued only 64 littering fines in 2022, down from 194 in 2020, when covid restrictions were still in place. The Council also confirmed that fewer fly-tipping fines were meted out – 33 in 2022, down from 50 in 2020. Councillor Sykes said, “Here we have another stark example of the Labour administration completely failing on the basics. The Council has issued fewer fines…
Read More
21Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

“Abuse of any kind is never acceptable” Sykes issues statement on July 22nd council meeting

Borough news
Following the news that an individual has been found guilty in connection to the sorry events at the Full Council meeting on July 22nd, Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes issued the following statement. “Abuse of any kind is never acceptable in any walk of life. Intimidation and assault of staff and members of the council have no place in Oldham Borough. This individual has been taken to court and punished accordingly, and I welcome that.”
Read More
21Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani
“Burnhams’ broken promise” slammed as PCSO numbers drop by 39% across Greater Manchester since 2015

“Burnhams’ broken promise” slammed as PCSO numbers drop by 39% across Greater Manchester since 2015

Borough news
Leader of Oldham Councils’ Liberal Democrat Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out at Labour’s Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham after government figures confirm that Greater Manchester has 112 fewer Community Support Officers than in 2017, when Mr Burnham took office. Councillor Sykes said, “When it comes to policing in Oldham and across Greater Manchester, the buck stops with Mayor Burnham. He is ultimately responsible for policing. He has promised a PCSO for every ward in Greater Manchester, and he has failed spectacularly.” The Conservative government has a target to deliver 20,000 new police officers by 2023. But analysis of Home Office data commissioned by the Liberal Democrats reveals that Greater Manchester PCSO numbers have fallen by 316 since 2015, a reduction of 39.3%. Councillor Sykes said, “Far from more…
Read More
16Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Conservatives plan to strip £1.29 million from fund for hardest hit blasted

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow member for Finance councillor Chris Gloster has blasted Conservative councillors after they brought forward plans to cut cost-of-living support in Oldham by £1.29 million.   Councillor Gloster said, “The Conservative Group is bringing proposals to Council next month that would hammer any hope we have of offering meaningful cost-of-living support to the most vulnerable people in Oldham.  During the worst fall in living standards for decades, the Conservative’s plan is to cut cost-of-living support by £1.29 million is simply callous.”  Oldham Council’s Policy Overview and Scrutiny committee met the other week to consider Opposition budget amendments ahead of March 1st, when councillors will vote on the council’s budget plans for 2023/24.  Conservative proposals came under fire after it was revealed that their costings included an…
Read More
13Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Councillor Sykes calls on transport bosses to allow bicycles on trams

Councillor Sykes calls on transport bosses to allow bicycles on trams

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE and GM Transport spokesperson has called on Greater Manchester’s transport bosses to consider a trial period for allowing bicycles on trams. Councillor Sykes said, “We should be focused on making public transport as accessible to as many people as possible and as joined up with other forms of active travel as possible. Greater Manchester’s Transport should explore the possibility of allowing people to bring cycles onto trams on a trial basis.” Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) recently concluded a successful trial for dogs on trams, which resulted in the policy being made permanent earlier in January. Councillor Sykes said, “I first called for dogs to be allowed on trams more than eight years ago. Hopefully it doesn’t take TfGM another eight years…
Read More
11Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Clean Air Zone latest: “Burnham and Government must finally show some common sense”

Borough news, road safety
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader and GM transport spokesperson councillor Howard Sykes MBE has again called for “common sense” on Greater Manchester ‘clean air zone’ proposals. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to announce the latest on the Clean Air Zone soon following indications from the government that they will allow/force a charging zone to go ahead. Councillor Sykes said, “The Tory Government and the GM Mayor must finally show some common sense. Everyone can see the original proposals were oversized and ridiculous. If anything, we need a very small city centre Clean Air Zone and for the charges to be scrapped. Why on Earth would we want to see more costs heaped onto the people of Oldham during a cost-of-living crisis?” The Liberal Democrat Leader also slammed a…
Read More
10Feb 2023 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Coliseum has been “failed, failed and failed again” say Liberal Democrats

Borough news
Howard Sykes MBE, and leader of Oldham Councils' Liberal Democrat Opposition said, "For all the talk of levelling up, the Council and the Government have had a decade to really make a difference for our town." In 2013, a ten-year refurbishment of the Oldham Coliseum building triggered a raft of plans to rejuvenate arts and culture in Oldham. Councillor Sykes said, "Instead, plans came and went. The clock was run down, until the Arts Council pulled the rug from under the feet of an organisation that was only just still standing. Now the Coliseum has simply run out of time and resources. A decade of missed opportunities from the Government and the Labour Council have brought us to this situation." In 2013, proposals for a new building collapsed. In 2019,…
Read More