25Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats seek ‘rolling’ criminal records checks for all Councillors

Borough news, CSE, Parliamentary news
Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors want to see ‘rolling’ criminal records checks introduced for all elected members as part of an ongoing campaign to improve safeguarding and reassure the public. The Liberal Democrats have previously called on the government to bar Councillors from office, or standing for office, if they are convicted of an offence requiring them to sign the Sex Offenders Register. They have also asked the government to tighten up existing legislation to ensure that all persons in a ‘position of trust’ who are currently exempted, such as sports coaches, cannot lawfully engage in sexual activity with a young person in their care. At present, all Oldham Councillors must apply for an enhanced criminal record check at the start of every four-year term of office. This is vetted by…
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21Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader questions GM Mayor over Crime Support Line

Liberal Democrat Leader questions GM Mayor over Crime Support Line

Borough news
Questions over the operation of the new Crime Support Line, established by the Greater Manchester Labour Mayor after the damning revelation that 80,000 crimes reported by the public had gone unrecorded by Police in a year, have led to the Leader of Oldham’s Liberal Democrats, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, to write to Andy Burnham seeking answers. In his letter, Councillor Sykes refers to the ‘calumny’ of the 80,000 unrecorded crimes, and explores the support offered to victims who ring the helpline, and clarification about how the information will be used by Greater Manchester Police to improve their future performance, and, most importantly, secure justice for the victim. Councillor Sykes said:  “I welcome the establishment of this telephone service as a small step in the right direction to address the terrible…
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21Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conservative Government under greater pressure to make £20 Universal Credit rise permanent

Conservative Government under greater pressure to make £20 Universal Credit rise permanent

Borough news, Parliamentary news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have welcomed the vote in Parliament earlier this week as a sign that there is cross-party support for the £20 weekly uplift in Universal Credit, introduced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, to be made permanent. At the end of an Opposition Day debate in the House of Commons, 278 Members of Parliament voted for the rise, putting pressure on the Conservative Government to extend it beyond the 31 March cut-off date. Amongst those MPs supporting the extension were all eleven Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament. There were no votes against, but, unfortunately, the vote is only advisory and not legally binding. Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wrote to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP last October asking him to ‘make…
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19Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Potholes, can we fix them? With Pothole Pro, we can

Potholes, can we fix them? With Pothole Pro, we can

Borough news
Tests conducted by the company JCB with partners, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, have shown that potholes can be fixed four times quicker and at half the cost with a new and revolutionary machine – the Pothole Pro. Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has just written to the Chief Operating Officer of Unity, the organisation responsible for fixing the borough’s roads, requesting Pothole Pro be brought to Oldham. Councillor Sykes said: “Potholes represent a real bugbear for drivers and for cyclists; not only do they make journeys uncomfortable; they also endanger lives and damage vehicles. In a survey conducted last week for National Pothole Day, some of our residents reported road surfaces across Oldham that were badly in need of repair. “Fixing potholes is a high priority for many of…
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19Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Holocaust Memorial Day remembered

Borough news
Holocaust Memorial Day is on Wednesday 27 January, but like the rest of the world, it will have be done in a different way. “In normal times, we would have held our service at Crompton War Memorial with members from the community, but due to the national lockdown and previous tier restrictions, this year we will have to remember at home,” said Liberal Democrat Shaw and Crompton District Lead, Councillor Diane Williamson. This year’s theme is ‘Be the light in the darkness’ and it encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. It is also an affirmation and a call to action for everyone marking H.M.D. This theme…
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18Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
On the wrong track: cuts to Northern rail investment condemned

On the wrong track: cuts to Northern rail investment condemned

Borough news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have condemned the Conservative Government for once more derailing plans for significant investment in Northern rail services. The government has decided that Transport for the North will lose 40% of its core funding, down from £6 million from £10 million, and a fifth of its total annual support, in the next financial year. The Department of Transport has also cancelled plans to introduce contactless ticketing, like London’s Oyster card system, across the North of England. For Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of Oldham Council’s Liberal Democrat Group, who also serves as one of Oldham’s representatives on the board of Transport for Greater Manchester, the latest news is a significant blow. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Whilst the London Crossrail project receives ever more government funding, Northern rail…
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18Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Shaw residents urged to have their say over Shaw ASDA 24-hour delivery plan

Borough news
Residents have contacted Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors after receiving notification that Asda in Shaw has submitted plans for 24-hour goods deliveries to be made to the site, via Dawn Street, which is located at the opposite side of the site to the public entrance. This is not the first time that Asda have attempted to obtain planning permission to make deliveries 24 hours a day, but previous applications have been refused because of the noise and disturbance that would be caused to Dawn Street, Duke Street, Eastway residents who live immediately adjacent to the access point. Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “Everyone will be aware that ASDA Shaw is very busy and we all recognise that deliveries have to be made to replenish the store, but these should take…
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13Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conservatives should buzz-off with their pesticide threat to British bees

Conservatives should buzz-off with their pesticide threat to British bees

Borough news
The Conservative Government has just overturned a promise they made not to allow farmers to use bee-harming pesticides on their fields. Use of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam has just been permitted for emergency use on sugar beet seeds this year, despite an explicit pledge the Government made to maintain a ban. Neonicotinoids are known to be extremely harmful to bees, and Britain’s bee population is already in serious decline. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, thinks the government should buzz off with their threat to one of Britain’s best-loved insects. Commenting he said: “Conservationists are clear that the use of this pesticide will threaten not only bees, but also wildflowers and the human population itself as water courses could be contaminated. “It is notable that the ban on neonicotinoids…
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12Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Councillors ensure public response heard on Weavers Arms plans

Councillors ensure public response heard on Weavers Arms plans

Borough news
A Planning Application has been submitted to Oldham Council seeking to convert the former Weavers Answer public house on Milnrow Road, Shaw into an 18-room temporary homeless hostel. A planning application was eventually submitted towards the end of November after Shaw Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors asked Oldham Council planning enforcement officers to visit the premises twice to investigate apparently unauthorised works that were taking place. After their intervention and to ensure that the planning application is properly considered in the public arena, local councillors exercised their right to ask that the application be considered by councillors at a meeting of the full Planning Committee rather than decided by planning officers under delegated powers. Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Shaw Ward, Howard Sykes OBE said: “Once we became aware of the…
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08Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Barred! New Year blow to hospitality industry

Borough news
Under the latest government lockdown restrictions pubs and restaurants will be barred from selling alcohol to take away from their licensed premises or by click and collect. The new ruling means that from January 7 they can only sell alcohol if it is delivered to their customers’ homes. Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, thinks that is just plain wrong. Commenting he said: “Anyone can go to a supermarket, corner shop or off-licence to buy booze and take it away, but from this week our struggling pubs, micro-breweries and restaurants will be unable to. They can continue to sell food to customers from their premises, so why can’t they buy a few pints of fresh cask ale to go with it. “I asked the Council Leader at the December…
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