25Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Chancellor needs to be much more ambitious in Spending Review

Chancellor needs to be much more ambitious in Spending Review

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's announcement ahead of the Spending Review, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "For people worried about work now or facing continued exclusion from government support, investment in job centres is no replacement for a serious economic strategy to protect and create jobs. "The country needs a radically new approach to the recovery that tackles deep-seated inequality, prioritises unparalleled infrastructure investment into the green economy of the future and ensures no one is left behind. "Before the Chancellor stands up in Parliament, he still has time to think again and listen to Liberal Democrat calls to support carers with an extra £4bn to local authorities, extending access to free school meals and providing mental health services can support everyone."
Read More
24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Latest COVID move could spell sad end for Shaw Market

Borough news
At the start of the latest lockdown, Shaw market traders were moved off Market Street onto Newtown Street, and the move is killing trade and is not supported by the Council. Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has received reports that Oldham Council has failed to provide stall holders with tables and awnings, and that there has been no signage placed along the main street to say where the Market is. Traders cannot easily highlight their presence as the Council has not dropped the bollards, so they are unable to move forward a little to locate their stalls on the edge of Market Street. Councillor Sykes said: “If there was a textbook strategy of how to destroy a local market, the shameful conduct of Oldham’s Labour Administration towards Shaw…
Read More
24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Online-only consultation now includes those most affected

Online-only consultation now includes those most affected

Borough news
With £8 million in cuts promised for next year, Oldham’s Council was failing to ask for the opinions and feedback from the very people who will be most affected by these cuts. Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Mark Kenyon, had discovered that details of the proposed cuts and the way for residents to give council feedback could only be found online: “Despite Boris’s promises to help with financing, Oldham’s Labour Council is proposing nearly £2.5 million of cuts to services for those in sheltered housing, adult social care and supported living. Many users of these services don’t use the internet.” The proposed cuts are due to begin in April next year, less than five months away. Mark Kenyon continued: “You can’t raise fears in people, then fail to give them any…
Read More
24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
End the retreat in stable public sector funding, says Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader

End the retreat in stable public sector funding, says Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has this week announced an extra £16.5 billion for Britain’s armed forces over four years, saying he was determined to “end the retreat” in military spending, but Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is disappointed that he has made no similar commitment on long-term funding for other public services. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “Whilst this is undoubtedly welcome news for our armed forces, public services such as local Councils, Police, Fire and Health struggle along with year-by-year announcements on funding by central government. We need a similar four-year plan. It would enable us to plan services more effectively and to make better use of the money that is allocated to us. “No one doubts the courage of our armed forces which has been tested…
Read More
24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Government cannot allow repeat tragedy in care homes

Davey: Government cannot allow repeat tragedy in care homes

Parliamentary news
Following the Prime Minister's press conference , Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Mass testing and vaccines are hugely welcome and bring hope for a return to normal life at long last. And I’m pleased governments across the four nations listened to the Liberal Democrat call for a UK wide approach to the festive period. "But it’s so wrong that the Prime Minister still refuses to help the millions of self-employed people excluded from any support for the entirety of this crisis. "Equally, to avoid a wide scale repeat of the earlier tragedy in our care homes, Ministers must guarantee that no care homes are being forced to admit people who are COVID positive.”
Read More
23Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats ensure Oldham Council will adopt recommendations of national Home Office-sponsored review into abuse

Liberal Democrats ensure Oldham Council will adopt recommendations of national Home Office-sponsored review into abuse

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence
Following the last meeting of Oldham Council (11 Nov), the Liberal Democrats have received confirmation that the Council will be taking the recommendations of the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and applying them to Oldham Council and its Safeguarding. The Council will also ensure that the findings of the independent investigation into allegations of historical CSE in Oldham are shared to IICSA.  Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “I really welcome this response from the Council. Challenging this abuse relies on the Council being open to improving its practices. Being ready to listen to the outcome of the IICSA investigation and ready to implement its findings is one demonstration of that. “Every council has a duty of care both to young people and to the wider community.…
Read More
22Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM’s refusal to sack Home Secretary shows one rule for them and another for everyone else

PM’s refusal to sack Home Secretary shows one rule for them and another for everyone else

Parliamentary news
Responding to the resignation of the Government's independent adviser on standards following the Prime Minister's refusal to sack Priti Patel, despite it being found she has breached the Ministerial Code, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Priti Patel has broken the Ministerial Code. Boris Johnson should have sacked her.  “The fact that the independent adviser on ministerial standards has felt the need to resign means that no one can have confidence in Boris Johnson’s handling of these bullying allegations. “Bullying is a destructive force with devastating consequences. We must not tolerate it anywhere in our society – and certainly not at the highest levels of Government.  “The job of the Prime Minister is to set an example, but once again Boris Johnson has failed. He seems to believe there…
Read More
22Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Spending review an opportunity for Sunak to plug gaping holes in Government support

Spending review an opportunity for Sunak to plug gaping holes in Government support

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's comments this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “From the very beginning of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak has been slow to act and allowed millions of people to fall through the cracks. With tougher tiered restrictions on the cards as lockdown ends in December, many will now be worried that once again they will be left behind by this Government. "Ultimately it is the Government's failure to get a grip on the pandemic which has led to the lockdown measures, and the consequences of these failures will continue to devastate people's finances well into the new year. The spending review next week gives the Chancellor the opportunity to fix the gaping holes in the Government’s support and he must take it. “The Liberal Democrats…
Read More
20Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Council fails to deliver equality objectives again

Borough news
Oldham Council has again failed to deliver its new equality objectives and strategy – with them not being ready in time for the November Council meeting. The Council had a statutory obligation to renew the objectives at the start of 2020 – well before any delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but delayed them, claiming that they needed to ensure that they aligned with the forthcoming strategy in order to be effective. However, despite this being repeatedly flagged by Liberal Democrat Councillor Al-Hamdani, the Council failed to bring them forward in June, September and again in November, despite saying that they were a priority and were nearly ready. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “What it boils down to is fairness. That’s what equality policies must deliver – and after a year of waiting for this…
Read More
20Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats welcome Covid mass testing in Oldham

Liberal Democrats welcome Covid mass testing in Oldham

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed the recent announcement that Oldham will be one of 67 new areas to follow Liverpool as locations for mass testing for Covid-19. Councillor Sykes said: “Tragically Oldham has suffered the highest levels of detected new cases of Covid-19 per head of population in the UK in recent weeks. Mass testing in Liverpool has shown that some residents can unknowingly transmit Covid-19 to others by being asymptomatic carriers. “Mass testing will enable us to identify, isolate and support such individuals, as well as those persons who are suffering the actual symptoms of the disease. If we pull together by participating in testing, and by isolating if we receive a positive result, we can all help reduce further transmissions of Covid-19…
Read More