22Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Council tax hikes show Conservative hypocrisy at its worst

Council tax hikes show Conservative hypocrisy at its worst

Borough news, fairer council
Jeremy Hunt has today paved the way for massive increases in Council Tax over the next five years, raising the ceiling on increases to five per cent. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “Local authorities are facing crippling increases in social care costs, especially in Oldham. It is absolutely crucial that we pay for social care to keep vulnerable adults and children safe, and this is the reason why bills go up year on year. “Instead of funding social care properly, Jeremy Hunt has again piled the cost of this on to the local authorities who can least afford it. “In four months’ time, when Oldham’s annual budget comes around, local Conservatives will – as they do every year – complain about the increase which their Conservative Government has…
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22Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Councillor Sykes backs affordable food for all campaign

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has backed a campaign for affordable food for all. A petition has been started by campaign group ‘Which?’, who say that “as food prices continue to increase - and inflation shows no sign of slowing down - it is crucial people get the support they need.” Councillor Sykes said, “More and more people across Oldham Borough are simply unable to cope with the rising cost of food. Food bank usage is skyrocketing and we’re even seeing schools making cuts to school meal budgets. This is shameful in a developed country and the government is refusing to offer meaningful support.” Which?’s latest research shows that over eight in ten people in the UK are making an adjustment to save money on food because…
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19Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

New bins are rubbish for disabled users

Borough news, fairer council, health and social care
The Council has left the town centre filled with new bins which cannot be used by wheelchair-bound residents, after it failed to carry out any Equality Impact Assessment for their purchase. After Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett met with the head of the council’s environmental services team to demonstrate the issues, two of the old bins have been reinstated, but Councillor Hamblett has written to Council Leader Amanda Chadderton to ask why no assessment was carried out, and to ask what the Council plans to do about the rest of the bins. Lewis and Shona Farnworth with Councillor Lewis Hamblett at one of the bins At the site meeting, Councillor Hamblett asked local resident Shona Farnworth – who has multiple disabilities – to demonstrate the impossibility of using the bin from…
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09Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats slam “heartless” Government as more than 74,000 Oldhamers could be hit with benefit cuts

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrats have condemned the Government for their refusal to fund welfare payments in line with inflation. Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, "I’m horrified that support for the most vulnerable, could soon be cut to the bone, just when it’s needed most. I know many people are feeling anxiety over this potential blow, which could push many of them into poverty and hurt their ability to care for their loved ones.” The shocking figures come from the House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats. Councillor Sykes warned that: “These real-terms cuts to Universal Credit do not include any additional cuts the new Chancellor might propose on November 17th.” The research shows that a staggering total of more than 74,000 people across Oldham could…
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01Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

“No Confidence” in Andy Burnham’s handling of Greater Manchester Police

Borough news
Andy Burnham faces a vote of no confidence in his failed leadership of Greater Manchester Police, after Oldham’s Liberal Democrat group put forward a motion challenging his management of the force. In the review of historic child sex exploitation in Oldham, GMP refused to sign a data processing agreement to let the review team have access to information on nine of the 11 cases. Earlier this month, the Met police were issued with a damning report which found systemic racism and misogyny, and that hundreds of officers in the Met should be kicked out of the force. A freedom of information request from Oldham Liberal Democrats to GMP revealed that the equivalent information was not available from GMP, but that there were a minimum of 1,400 cases from 2017. Councillor…
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01Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Council still using CCTV equipment from Chinese supplier linked to human rights abuses

Borough news, fairer council
Oldham Council is using CCTV equipment supplied by Chinese company Hikvision, despite a House of Commons report last year which linked Hikvision to serious human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the Council urging them to blacklist Hikvision and if possible, remove their equipment from sites across Oldham where possible. A breakdown of Hikvision equipment owned and operated by the council was obtained by the Liberal Democrat Group after a freedom of information request was issued by councillor Sykes. Councillor Sykes said, “Hikvision have been blacklisted in the United States because of concerns about their role in human rights violations, targeting Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The firm has provided camera technology which has been used in internment camps in…
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31Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tory plan to build on national parks and green belt rejected

Tory plan to build on national parks and green belt rejected

Borough news
A request for local councils to put forward sites for building in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty or green belt has been firmly opposed by Oldham’s Liberal Democrat team, with local Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani branding the policy “a disgrace”. Lib Dem Councillor Al-Hamdani immediately sought confirmation that the Council had no plans to take up the option – which would have opened large parts of protected land across the whole of Oldham up for development. The Council confirmed that they had no plans to apply for any new developments under this scheme. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “I can’t understand how this Government thinks it can possibly be acceptable to abandon national parks and areas of outstanding national beauty.” Much of Saddleworth falls into the Peak District National Park, and…
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31Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Councillor Sykes welcomes success of dogs on trams trial

Councillor Sykes welcomes success of dogs on trams trial

Borough news
Oldham councillor Howard Sykes has praised the success of a trial allowing dogs on trams across Greater Manchester. He was speaking at the meeting of Greater Manchester Transport Committee on Friday 14 October, where he reminded the committee, they rejected just such a proposal from him and the Liberal Democrats back in November 2015. Councillor Sykes added “This is something I have been campaigning on for years, so I’m pleased to see the trial going so well. This is a common sense move and I look forward to seeing dogs, and their responsible owners, on trams being made permanent.” The GM Mayor introduced the three-month pilot allowing up to two well-behaved pet dogs per passenger on trams and a supporting survey is due to close on 31 October. A decision…
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31Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Final IICSA report lays bare the scale of abuse across the country

Final IICSA report lays bare the scale of abuse across the country

Borough news, domestic abuse and violence
Lib Dem Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani has insisted that the final, damning report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) is on the agenda for the first meeting of Oldham Council’s steering group tasked with tackling child sex exploitation in the borough. Oldham’s senior leadership team have already agreed to Liberal Democrat requests to ensure that any relevant recommendations from the IICSA reports are put into place in the borough. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “This report shows that child sex abuse is a national problem that has been catastrophically under-reported, and the failings that were seen in Oldham have been also seen in cities and towns all across the UK. “We need to support those incredibly committed social workers, who we do have in Oldham, to really make changes that…
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31Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Frustration as Conservatives block disabled access for Greenfield Station

Frustration as Conservatives block disabled access for Greenfield Station

Borough news, health and social care
An amendment to the forthcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which would have delivered disabled access for Greenfield Station, and others like it, has been voted down in the House of Commons, with not a single Conservative MP supporting it. The only train station in the whole of Oldham Borough, the station has no step-free access to the Huddersfield-bound platform, making it inaccessible for anyone in a wheelchair, with a pram or with mobility issues. Local Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It’s all very well making the right noises, but when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, the Conservatives don’t deliver. “The Government keep passing the buck – whether it’s saying it will be part of the line upgrade, or Access for All, or whatever policy this…
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