07Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Oldham Liberal Democrats ‘disappointed’ at Boundary Commission’s refusal to cut councillor numbers by a third and save cash

Oldham Liberal Democrats ‘disappointed’ at Boundary Commission’s refusal to cut councillor numbers by a third and save cash

Borough news
The Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group was disappointed to hear that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has refused to cut Councillor numbers and costs. Liberal Democrats suggested a reduction in Councillors in their submission to the LGBCE late last year. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council currently has twenty electoral wards, represented by sixty elected councillors. The Boundary Commission called for responses to a consultation to review the number of councillors in November. At the meeting of the full council (4 November 2020), the Labour Administration backed a report proposing that the status quo be maintained, but in the vote the Liberal Democrats abstained. The Liberal Democrats instead submitted their own proposal that the number of Councillors be reduced to two per ward believing that less councillors are now…
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07Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must protect businesses and jobs

Government must protect businesses and jobs

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for the government to suspend business rates through next year, extend furlough and support the self-employed as the UK enters its third lockdown. Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the Chancellor to take real action to save people's jobs as businesses face months of hardship. Ed Davey said: “This lockdown should have come sooner, Boris Johnson has once again ducked making a difficult decision and as a result we are now in a critical situation. "But we must all support it now and do all we can to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. "We also need real action now to save people's jobs, their businesses and their livelihoods. "Small businesses have shown incredible resilience but now they worry…
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07Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Council staff can be ‘eyes and ears’ in ongoing fight against child sex abuse

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors want Oldham Council staff to be trained to become ‘eyes and ears’ in the community to help detect instances of child sexual exploitation. Oldham Council has recently asked all Councillors to complete a mandatory training module into combatting child sexual exploitation. This is being delivered by experts in this field from the renowned Barnardo’s Charity. Councillor Sykes would like to see similar training made available to Council staff who regularly meet the public in person or speak to residents over the telephone, such as street cleaners, refuse collectors or call centre operatives. He said: “Although social workers and child care workers would routinely receive such training and would be aware of what signs to look out for, it would be very valuable to have other council…
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06Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems back high standards for British food and farmers

Lib Dems back high standards for British food and farmers

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Lords helped defeat the Government by backing a cross-party amendment to the Trade Bill ensuring that future trade agreements meet the UK’s high standards of animal welfare and the environment. The Conservatives have consistently failed to support such a measure, risking that future trade deals could permit the import of food that fails to meet the UK’s high standards. This puts significant pressure on British farmers. Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Farming said: “Farmers across the country are worried about their future - they’re worried that the UK will be flooded with poor quality food that undercuts the food they produce to high environmental and animal welfare standards. “The Conservatives have continually failed to protect our farmers from these risks. This amendment will ensure that our farmers…
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06Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Teachers must be vaccinated to protect them against coronavirus

Teachers must be vaccinated to protect them against coronavirus

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for teachers to be vaccinated against coronavirus after the government admitted schools were the epicentre of high community transmission. Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, has written a letter to Gavin Williamson and Matt Hancock to ask them to vaccinate teachers as part of category seven. This would make them a top priority after everyone working in the NHS and social care and those most at risk by virtue of their age, being clinically vulnerable or having an underlying health condition. It comes as the Secretary of State for Education announced that teachers' estimated grades will replace GCSE and A-level results. Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Education, said: “Teachers and school staff have put themselves at enormous risk during this pandemic in order…
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06Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Moran: PM must condemn violent Trump supporters

Moran: PM must condemn violent Trump supporters

Parliamentary news
Responding to Trump supporting protestors storming US Capitol in Washington, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for foreign affairs Layla Moran said: “The scenes coming out of Washington tonight are an attack on democracy. Liberal Democrats call on Boris Johnson to condemn the violent actions of President Trump's supporters breaking into the Capitol. An attack on democracy anywhere is an attack on democracy everywhere.”
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17Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Flood approach in Saddleworth questioned by Liberal Democrats

Flood approach in Saddleworth questioned by Liberal Democrats

Borough news
With winter in sight, flooding issues are increasingly a concern for people in Saddleworth. With questions being raised about the approach taken by the Borough Council, the Liberal Democrats on the Parish Council have asked for the evidence that is being used by Oldham Borough Council to make decisions. They have asked the Borough Council to provide proof that their approach to cleaning drains and gullies works, given the conditions faced in Saddleworth; for the information that OMBC is using to check the impact of housebuilding in Saddleworth on flooding; and how they’re keeping an eye on locations which flood frequently, and what measures they use to address them. Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “This is such a concern to people in Saddleworth, and we want to see is…
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17Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Chancellor must act as 1 in 4 pubs worry they will go bust in less than three months

Chancellor must act as 1 in 4 pubs worry they will go bust in less than three months

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to intervene and save pubs from going bust after new statistics revealed just than 1 in 4 pubs (28%) have "no or low confidence" that they will survive the next 3 months. Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper said: “Pubs are a hugely important part of our social and cultural fabric, and are community hubs often run by families for the love of the trade. "With so many pubs worried that they wont be able to survive the next few months of the pandemic, alarm bells should be ringing across government. “The Chancellor must take radical action: he must increase grants so they cover fixed costs during restrictions, guarantee that furlough will be extended for as long as pubs can’t…
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17Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader’s welcome for promise of a town centre powered by Oldham’s industrial past

Liberal Democrat Leader’s welcome for promise of a town centre powered by Oldham’s industrial past

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed news that Oldham Council’s Towns Fund application for £41 million includes a commitment to powering the town centre with geothermal heat from former coal mines. In October 2014, Councillor Sykes first asked the then Council Leader if officers could investigate this possibility and six years on it appears, they are doing so. Councillor Sykes said:  “Anyone who has gone into Gallery Oldham and looked at Squire Knott’s photographic panorama of our historic town centre will have seen that there are coal mines scattered amongst the buildings.  In nineteenth- century Oldham, coal was the lifeblood of our textile and engineering industries, and many people lived and worked cheek-by-jowl with a pit.” Oldham’s mills and…
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17Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Wool Road/Sugar Lane speed limit change

Wool Road/Sugar Lane speed limit change

Borough news, road safety, Saddleworth News
Following successful campaigns by Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness and local residents to get 20mph speed limits in Uppermill, Dobcross and Delph and a commitment for a principle of 20mph limits across Oldham borough, residents have been contacting Councillor Harkness and Al-Hamdani about the fact that the roundabout at the junction of Sugar Lane/Wool Road is in a 40mph zone. Councillor Garth Harkness said: “Suggestions to reduce this limit have been put forward so we have asked officers to look at this. An order is being processed to change the location of the speed limits, and reduce the speed limit on the roundabout from 40mph to 30.” Garth Harkness at the new 20mph zone in Uppermill Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: "Unfortunately the legal process is slow-moving – which is why…
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