18Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Gavin Williamson gets a U for exam failure and must go, say Oldham Liberal Democrats

Borough news, Parliamentary news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have backed calls from students and teaching unions that the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson must go for failing thousands of A-level students across the country, many thousands in Oldham alone, over the examinations’ farrago. Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “The Secretary of State Gavin Williamson gets a U unclassified grade from us for his complete inability to perform in his job role, and by letting our young people down so badly. Thanks to his inept indecision, the grades of students were judged by an impersonal computer algorithm rather than assessed by the teachers that they know and trust. “Under intense pressure from students, parents, teaching professionals, politicians from all parties, and the media, common-sense has finally prevailed and this Conservative Government…
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17Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Follow guidance to stay safe, stop Coronavirus spreading, and save Borough from a local lockdown

Follow guidance to stay safe, stop Coronavirus spreading, and save Borough from a local lockdown

Borough news
With the number of people testing positive for Coronavirus increasing in Oldham, Liberal Democrat Councillors are urging residents of the Borough to follow national and local guidance to stay safe, help stop Covid-19 spreading, and save Oldham from the possibility of the reintroduction of a local lockdown. New cases detected in Oldham have almost doubled in just one week.  The latest figures, for the week ending 8 August, show there were 255 new cases detected in Oldham, a rate of 107.5 new cases per 100,000 people.  During week prior to this ending 1 August, there were 137 cases or 57.8 per 100,000.  Leicester was placed into lockdown when it had 135 new cases per 100,000 of population.  The Liberal Democrats are concerned that if the present rate of increase is…
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14Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
£400 million Brownfield Fund ‘welcome but not enough’, says Liberal Democrat Leader

£400 million Brownfield Fund ‘welcome but not enough’, says Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news
“Welcome, but not enough” says the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, in response to the recent Government’s announcement that £400 million will be made available to Mayoral Combined Authority areas, such as Greater Manchester, through a new Brownfield Fund. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “As the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group adamantly favours building new homes on brownfield sites, and as we have previously called on this government to provide the cash to do this, it would be churlish of me not to welcome any announcement of government money to make this happen, but we have yet to see how much of this money comes to Oldham and in any case Oldham’s share will not be nearly enough.” Councillor…
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14Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Water help for customers affected by Covid-19 welcomed by Lib Dems

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed the renewal of financial support by regional water supplier United Utilities for Oldham customers suffering financially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Councillor Sykes said: “At this time of rising unemployment and financial uncertainty, many people in Oldham will be struggling to meet their bills. Any help from utility companies to ease their budget is very welcome. “The Oldham Liberal Democrats have always been concerned about poverty issues in our borough. We have campaigned on food, fuel, period and, most recently, clothing poverty and over five years ago we raised the issue of water poverty in a motion we took to a meeting of the full council in July 2015. “Liberal Democrat…
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13Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Promise of special council meeting on Labour’s green belt homes plan welcomed

Promise of special council meeting on Labour’s green belt homes plan welcomed

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed confirmation from the Leader of Oldham Council that a special meeting of the full Council will be called with a one-item agenda to discuss Labour’s green belt homes plan, called the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, and its impact on the Oldham Borough. Responding to a letter sent from Councillor Sykes 22 July asking once more if such a meeting would be convened soon, and when, the Leader has replied in writing confirming that ‘an extraordinary meeting of the full council (will be held) with a single item agenda to discuss the plans, and that it will take place as an addition to this year’s council meeting cycle’. The Council…
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12Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Making a green difference – 95% drop in single-use plastic bags welcomed

Making a green difference – 95% drop in single-use plastic bags welcomed

Borough news, Campaigns, Parliamentary news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed recent news that sales of single-plastic bags at major supermarkets in England has dropped 95% since the 5 pence charge was brought in. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published date that shows that the main supermarket retailers sold 226 million bags in the 2019/20 financial year compared to an estimated 7.6 billion bags handed out for free in 2015. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “The introduction of a 5p charge for disposable single-use plastic bags was a Liberal Democrat policy in the Coalition Government. We wanted to introduce this to tackle the culture of shoppers routinely asking for a free bag and then disposing…
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11Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader says Council ‘absolutely must’ cover Remembrance Sunday services online

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to Oldham Council to ask that Remembrance Sunday services at war memorials across the Oldham Borough should this year be filmed and made available online for members of the public to watch. In his letter to the Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Lockwood, Councillor Sykes laments that it was impossible to properly mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in May and this will also be the case with Victory over Japan Day on 15 August because of the coronavirus restrictions preventing large public gatherings. Councillor Sykes has asked the Council to now plan for online coverage of the Remembrance Sunday events. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “In Shaw…
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10Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader calls for police to get tougher on Covid-19

Liberal Democrat Leader calls for police to get tougher on Covid-19

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has written to the Metropolitan Mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Andy Burnham, asking him to ‘get tougher to tackle the spike in Covid-19’ with a greater police presence on our streets and on our trams. Councillor Sykes is, like many of his constituents, getting increasingly annoyed and frustrated at seeing the actions of a ‘selfish few’, who are ‘frequently and flagrantly’ flouting the regulations on social distancing and the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport and in shops and takeaways. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Individuals acting in this manner are endangering themselves and others around them and may well be aiding the transmission of this deadly illness. We need to…
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10Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

VJ-Day 75 right time to remember ‘forgotten’ 14th Army says Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Oldham Council Member with responsibility for World War Two commemorations and the Deputy Chief Executive asking Oldham Council to host special events to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan day on 15 August. Councillor Sykes said: “Earlier this year, as every year, there was rightly a focus on commemorating the victory in Europe over Nazi Germany in May 1945. However, in the Far East, young servicemen from Great Britain and the Commonwealth continued to fight for three more months against a ruthless enemy and in a hostile terrain. These were the men of the Fourteenth Army, engaged in heroic actions to liberate Burma from Japanese…
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03Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Greater Manchester Liberal Democrats call foul on the Government’s snap Covid-19 announcements

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leaders from across Greater Manchester have heavily criticised last night's shambolic announcement to impose social restrictions across the 10 Boroughs in the region in response to a rise in Covid-19 cases. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, said: "It would appear that the Johnson administration with its focus on the South-East doesn't have a handle on what's going on in the North.” “As well as sending mixed messages encouraging people to use restaurants and pubs by offering them discounted meals next week, people are feeling scared by confusing messaging about not being able to meet in their own gardens, but a pub beer garden is ok." Councillor Sykes also has real concerns about the timing of…
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