Campaigns – Page 8 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

17Nov 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader welcomes Government retreat on fixed odds betting terminals

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s change of heart on the timescale for the introduction of the promised £2 maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in betting offices. In last week’s budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond decided to put off the introduction of the changes until October 2019. This decision caused the resignation, in disgust, of Sports Minister Tracey Crouch MP and criticism from Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Commons Treasury Committee. Councillor Sykes said: “Only in July Oldham Council supported a Liberal Democrat motion calling on the Government to introduce a £2 fixed stake. These machines, which are often located in the high streets of Britain’s most deprived…

15Nov 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat councillor praises Ashbrook and Thornley Brook planning decision – but ready for next steps

Borough news, Campaigns

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani has praised the decision of Oldham’s planning committee to refuse the planning application for the development of 265 houses on Thornley Brook and Ashbrook in Saddleworth West and Lees. Sam said: “This decision – that the importance of the protected open land was greater than any theoretical benefits of the scheme – is a victory for common sense, and for the hard work of so many local people. The Save Our Valleys campaign have been tireless in their efforts. And as well as being able to mark the success of our campaign, It felt good to be one of the residents in the chamber who were able to celebrate the decision. “I have spoken to so many local residents who would be directly impacted by…

05Oct 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats publish plans to cut taxes for businesses by 26% in Oldham

Borough news, Campaigns

The Liberal Democrats have published a comprehensive blueprint for replacing the broken business rates system, cutting taxes for businesses by 26% in Oldham. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has described the plans as “exactly the sort of policy we need to boost local investment and ensure businesses in Oldham thrive”. The report – Taxing Land, Not Investment – calls for the abolition of business rates and its replacement with a tax on land values, the Commercial Landowner Levy (CLL). The levy would remove buildings and machinery from calculations and tax only the land value of commercial sites, boosting investment and cutting taxes for businesses. Liberal Democrat members, including councillor Sykes, voted to support the proposals at their party’s Autumn Conference…

05Oct 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats call for end to bailiff action against poorest council tax debtors

Borough news, Campaigns

The Deputy Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, and Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Chris Gloster, has written to the Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Abdul Jabbar, asking the Council to sign up to best practice standards in debt collection identified by the Citizens’ Advice Bureaux and Money Advice Trust. These include ending the use of bailiffs and enforcement agents to collect debts from the poorest Council Tax payers. Councillor Gloster explained: “On September 6, the National Audit Office published a report highlighting the fact that the debt collection practices in local and central government fall in many instances well behind the standards applied in the commercial lending sector. I want to see Oldham Council become a standard bearer for good practice in this field, especially as many of…

26Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call for council action to tackle HGV gridlock

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News

At the full September meeting of Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Councillors Derek Heffernan and Garth Harkness proposed and seconded a Motion asking for action to tackle the traffic chaos caused by HGVs using inappropriate roads in the Borough’s smaller villages and rural areas. Both Councillors witnessed this earlier this year when on April 26 in their own ward of Saddleworth North a large articulated lorry blocked the junction of Grains Road and King Street in Delph for four hours. Commenting, Councillor Heffernan said: “Garth and I saw then the chaos that a HGV driver can cause in a village when trying to navigate a tight road junction in a small village. These situations usually occur when drivers ignore displayed weight or width restrictions or use satnavs designed for cars instead…

26Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Backroom deal by Labour on 20-year homes plan threatens Green Belt

Borough news, Campaigns

Oldham Liberal Democrats have discovered that the Labour Council leaders of the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester have made ‘a backroom deal’ with Labour Mayor Andy Burnham that only they will need to sign off on plans to build new homes and factories across the city region as proposed as part of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF). Each of the 10 authorities need to agree to the plans but previously it was the councils (and all their councillors) that agreed such matters, this has now all changed. Commenting the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “Local Councillors and local residents deserve a say in how many homes are built, and where and when. The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, when it…

11Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats call for Oldham markets to be fur free

Borough news, Campaigns

Liberal Democrat Councillors Julia Turner and Chris Gloster will be proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 12 September) calling on the Council to outlaw the sale of real fur from all markets in the borough. Councillor Turner, who is proposing the motion, said: “Regrettably customers often have no idea that they are buying products which contain real fur as they are often sold under the guise of ‘faux fur’. Real fur is sometimes used for trims on hats, gloves, and footwear, and pom-poms on hats and clothing. Although the UK banned domestic fur farming in 2000, it is still legal to sell products containing some types of real fur that have been imported. Imported fur can be very cheap, but it comes at a…

11Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems seek to tackle period poverty in Oldham schools

Borough news, Campaigns

At the full September meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 12 September), the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group will be proposing a motion to address period poverty. Councillor Diane Williamson will be proposing and Councillor Hazel Gloster will be seconding the motion. Councillor Williamson said: “It is scandalous that in a country with such wealth as Great Britain young girls should be in a position where they cannot afford sanitary protects and do not want to put pressure on their parents to purchase some, and then they resort to alternatives like using a soak. It is not right that they feel stigmatised in school and bullied for their body performing its natural function.” “I am really pleased that Scotland is tackling this by introducing free sanitary products in all education establishments. In…

11Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat leader seeks council action to reduce male suicide

Borough news, Campaigns

To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, Monday September 10, the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Council’s Chief Executive, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, urging the Council to advertise local and national services that help prevent those contemplating suicide from taking their own lives on its own website and in public buildings. Councillor Sykes has previously raised his concerns about this issue, particularly on preventing instances of male suicide, at meetings of the full Council. He said: “Every suicide is shocking, but the scale of male suicide is especially shocking. Every two hours a man in the UK takes his own life–- it is the single biggest cause of death of men under 45. One of the tragedies of…

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…

Category: Campaigns