08Nov 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Better health services for Saddleworth

Borough news
At the Oldham Council meeting on Wednesday 7th October 2018 Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness called for the council, as part of the Health Impact Assessment to bring more varied health services to Saddleworth. Councillor Garth Harkness said: “Liberal Democrats have long since campaigned for better health outcomes in this chamber including creating health equality for mental health and more access to defibrillators – both 24 hours and in public buildings. I support the creation of a Health Impact Assessment to make improvements in health and wellbeing.” Councillor Garth Harkness argued that evidence from government papers clearly points to delivering services locally and that the new cluster structure can be an opportunity for Saddleworth. He said: “The creation of the clusters lends itself to developing better local services. Saddleworth is almost…
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03Nov 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats seek renewed action on pot-hole danger roads

Borough news
The Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council have tabled a motion for discussion at the next full meeting (7 November 18) of the Council calling for greater action in tackling damaged road surfaces that represent a danger to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.  This is part of an ongoing Liberal Democrat campaign to raise the dangers of poor road surfaces with the current Labour Administration and to call for a change in policy so damage can be repaired if it is dangerous. The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Chris Gloster, is proposing the motion: “This issue is of great concern to Liberal Democrat Councillors on Oldham Council.  My Shaw colleague, Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes, has written to the Council Deputy Leader about this and my Crompton colleague,…
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09Oct 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats suggest new measures to address speeding

Borough news
Saddleworth North Councillor Garth Harkness has written, on behalf of his colleagues in the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group to the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Arooj Shah, with some suggestions to help tackle speeding in the borough. Councillor Harkness said: “Many residents contact me about speeding concerns. In Saddleworth myself and Derek Heffernan have arranged for a number of surveys across some of the Saddleworth villages and it is clear in a number of places there is a problem. “Speeding is one of those issues that every ward councillor receives complaints about on a regular basis. At the last Council, several members representing different parts of the Borough raised their concerns about speeding. Like them, I too receive complaints about speeding in Saddleworth North, and as this is a…
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16Jul 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call to address mental ill health in schools

Borough news, Campaigns
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Saddleworth North Garth Harkness proposed a motion to Oldham Council on Wednesday 11 July addressing issues around young people’s mental ill health, seconded by Shadow cabinet member for education and Shaw Councillor, Hazel Gloster Councillor Garth Harkness has been working with MIND to improve mental health understanding in Saddleworth along with financing mental health courses for residents in Saddleworth and young people of the Saddeworth youth committee to increase awareness, identify warning signs and promote self-resilience. Councillor Garth Harkness said: “I have been working on mental health in my own school around mental health strategy and policy. The problem is huge all staff need training, there needs to be mental health first aiders in schools with clear guidelines for staff and a designated mental health lead…
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27Jun 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Moor fires devastating Saddleworth

Borough news
It has been a very difficult week for Saddleworth, but as always during these difficult times the community has come together to help each other out. Our fire service has worked tirelessly with the Police, Mountain Rescue and now the Army. The Salvation Army, Tesco, residents and others have been looking after our emergency services. They have done a great job in sweltering conditions, and not helped at all by the acts of nature. In recent weeks we have seen some great collaborative working – at Dovestones Reservoir marshals have been appointed to work alongside the Police to ensure that people behave responsibly and they have been very successful. At this time we need to show our support to all those trying to keep us safe, check in on those…
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01Jul 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
North West Ambulance Award for Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

North West Ambulance Award for Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

Saddleworth News
[caption id="attachment_160" align="alignleft" width="300"] Cllr Garth Harkness with Lisa Stanway from NWAS (who supported us with the scheme and supported the nomination)[/caption] Oldham and Saddleworth Liberal Democrats have won an award from North West Ambulance Service. Councillor Garth Harkness attended the North West Ambulance Cardiac Smart award on Friday 23rd June 2017 in Leyland. The awards were presented to groups who have helped make the local area more resilient in terms of improving the clinical outcomes of those who have unfortunately suffered a cardiac arrest. Saddleworth based Liberal Democrat councillors Alan Roughley, Garth Harkness and Derek Heffernan ran a campaign to get a defibrillator in every village in Saddleworth to be accessible 24 hours. Councillor Garth Harkness said “It is a great privilege to be receiving such an award which…
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21Jun 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Garth Harkness writes to Manchester Mayor

Garth Harkness writes to Manchester Mayor

Borough news, Saddleworth News
Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness wrote the following letter to Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham: Congratulations on being elected Greater Manchester’s first Mayor. I am sure you are aware that this week is Refugee Week. On behalf of the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group, I would like to raise with you the issue of the support we offer in Greater Manchester to refugees seeking employment and how we could enhance it. As you will be aware, refugees are former asylum seekers whose claims to remain and work in the UK have been allowed by the Home Office. Refugees in Greater Manchester want to work, but experience unemployment on a scale hugely disproportionate to the wider population. According to research published by the Manchester Refugee Employment Partnership in 2013, at that…
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31May 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
There would be more nurses, teachers and Police in Oldham area under Liberal Democrats

There would be more nurses, teachers and Police in Oldham area under Liberal Democrats

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats plan for a brighter future, with pledges to reverse Conservative cuts and increase funding for the NHS, schools and police. The Liberal Democrats would put a penny on income tax for health and care would raise £18m for the NHS in Oldham enough to fund 107 more nurses and £7m for social care. An additional £36.37m of funding for schools in Oldham paid for in part by reversing Conservative cuts to corporation tax, would be enough to pay for 200 more teachers. Meanwhile an additional £15.6m funding for Greater Manchester Police would pay for 312 more officers, helping to cut crime and ensure a stronger police presence in the area. Other key policies in the Liberal Democrat manifesto include plans for a £100bn infrastructure fund to build more homes, improve road and rail links and install fibre-optic…
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19May 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Tories lunch grab of children in Oldham

Tories lunch grab of children in Oldham

Parliamentary news
Conservative plans will take lunches away from 7,766 children in the Oldham borough 7,766 schoolchildren in the Oldham borough will lose out on free lunches, under plans announced in the Conservative manifesto. Free school lunches for pupils from reception to Year 2 were introduced by the Liberal Democrats in government, but Theresa May now plans to scrap them. The changes would cost families an average extra £480 a year for every child. The Liberal Democrats have called on Conservative candidates Kashif Ali and Christopher Glenny to make it clear whether or not they would vote for the plans. The Conservatives are also proposing to make older people pay for social care costs from the value of their own homes when they die. This means on average, families across Greater Manchester…
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09May 2017 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Lib Dems penny for the NHS would raise £25m extra for the Oldham area

Lib Dems penny for the NHS would raise £25m extra for the Oldham area

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have announced they would plug funding gaps for the NHS and social care by putting a penny on income tax, in their first major manifesto commitment of the election campaign. The tax would raise an additional £25 Million for the Oldham area, with £18 m for the NHS and £7m for social care each year. The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto will also set out a ‘five-point recovery plan’ for NHS and social care services in their manifesto. At least 70% of Britons would happily pay an extra 1p in every pound if that money was guaranteed to go to the NHS, an ITV poll found last October. Jonathan Smith, Parliamentary candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth said: “Only this weekend a lady in Saddleworth told me she had to go all the way to Bury by…
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