24Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Change in law barring sex offenders from standing for or holding elected office is welcomed

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence, fairer council
After years of campaigning, Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has welcomed the news that laws will be changed to prevent people on the sex offenders register holding elected office. Councillor Sykes said: “I am pleased that the common-sense law change is finally coming into effect. Rishi Sunak announced that the government would adopt this proposal back when he was a Local Government Minister in 2018 but he’s dragged his feet on getting the law changed.” The changes to the Local Government Act were finally put before MPs in June and were signed off by both Houses of Parliament on July 6th. The Statuary Instruments (S.I) to make this law have now also been approved. The new regulations come into effect immediately for all local elections in England.…
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18Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Elections Bill: Johnson’s Government ducking and diving from accountability

Elections Bill: Johnson’s Government ducking and diving from accountability

Parliamentary news
Responding to the votes on the controversial Elections Bill, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Political and Constitutional Reform, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: “Rather than strengthening our democracy by getting behind efforts to build a better politics with a fairer electoral system, Conservative Ministers have instead voted to expand the use of the clapped-out First Past The Post, all while making it harder for people to vote. It really does beggar belief. “Their voter ID proposals are not only discriminatory, but a blatant undermining of our democratic rights. Whether it’s this, thinly veiled threats to our national broadcaster or a draconian clampdown on protests, Boris Johnson and his Government are hell-bent on ducking and diving from accountability at every turn - hardly surprising given their recent exploits. "What comes as no surprise,…
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07Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Part Two of Labour’s Green Belt Homes Plan now expected after 2021 Elections

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition, received an unwanted Christmas present - confirmation that a revised version of Labour’s plan to build thousands of new homes on Oldham’s green spaces will be brought back in 2021. It is likely that this, so-called, ‘development plan of the nine’, a reference to the fact that Stockport Council has now withdrawn from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, will not come back for consideration before the local and GM mayoral elections this May. Councillor Sykes wrote to Oldham Council Chief Executive, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, enquiring when another meeting would be convened to reconsider the plan and to seek reassurance that the period of public consultation would not be curtailed because of the legal requirements attached to ‘purdah’, a period of several…
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15Oct 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Millions missing from electoral register could mean less cash for councils and other public services

Borough news, Campaigns
Research published by the University of East Anglia says there is no efficient tool to know if people are missing from the electoral register.  The report notes that up to eight million people could already ‘be missing’ from the register in the UK.   Councillor Howard Sykes MBE fears thousands of pounds will be lost by Oldham Council and other public services like health, police and fire.  Population and electoral register figures have a huge say on how much money public bodies can receive or access.  Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wants to know how many electors the Oldham Council thinks ‘are missing’ from the electoral register in the Borough. Councillor Sykes MBE says: “If we appear to have less population in the eyes of the Government, this will leave…
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