News

Oldham Liberal Democrats have hit out at the Conservative government for “neglecting cash-strapped young parents” after it emerged that childcare costs in the region have soared by £225 per year. Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes said, “Cash-strapped young parents are already seeing their income squeezed by the Conservative cost-of-living crisis. Every child and every family should have access to great care; and it shouldn’t break the bank. The Conservatives are neglecting hard working families.” Liberal Democrat analysis of the figures in the 2022 Coram Childcare Report and the 2023 Coram Childcare Report show a £225 rise for parents paying for 25 hours of childcare a week. For children aged two and over, the figures show an average rise of £4.33 a week, meaning an annual rise of…

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called for a higher minimum wage for care workers in Oldham to help tackle chronic staff shortages in social care. Councillor Sykes said, “Too many people in Oldham are left stranded in hospital beds because there aren’t enough carers to look after them at home or in a care facility. This care backlog is contributing to record-breaking waiting times in A& E and dangerous Ambulance delays. The fact that there are 442 care vacancies across Oldham shows that we need to urgently address pay for our carers. The council needs to call for a proper carers minimum wage in Oldham and start leading by example.” Across the country, care vacancies currently stand at 165,000 – an increase of 55,000 on last…

An alarming report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) shows that teacher vacancies in England have increased by 93% since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings also indicate staff turnover is still rising. Vacancies in schools in England are up 37% compared with 2021/22. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes said, “We have a huge problem with recruiting and retaining teachers. The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have put people off the profession. Now we see schools increasingly forced to use non-specialist teachers or teaching assistance to fill a gap where a qualified teacher should be.” The impact of teaching decline is shown in a new report by the Centre for Social Justice. Over 140,000 children were “severely absent” from school last summer. “Severe absence” is defined…

According to a survey conducted by ‘Asphalt Industry Alliance’ (AIA), the nation’s roads are in the worst state ever. A staggering £14 billion is now needed to clear the road maintenance backlog. Liberal Democrat councillor for Shaw and Leader of the Opposition in Oldham, councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Highways teams would need triple the funding they currently get, just to stop our roads deteriorating further. The Government has chosen to neglect our roads so they can raid budgets for savings. Now £14 billion is needed to fix their neglect.” Oldham Liberal Democrats proposed more cash for crumbling Oldham roads and pavements when they set out their alternative budget proposals (March 02). The extra cash for roads was voted down by both Labour and Conservatives on Oldham Council. Councillor Sykes…