Dear Constituent,

Hello and welcome to the Denton and Reddish Weekly News! 

I hope you've had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. There's been lots on this week, so make sure to check out the 60 Second Recap below to see what I've been up to.

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has criticised the government after new data revealed that around 121,000 people died across England last year while still waiting for NHS care, double the number of people who died on waiting lists in 2017/2018. The figures are also higher than in 2021, when the country was still in the midst of the Covid pandemic.

In Tameside, 94 patients died while on waiting lists. The NHS constitution states that patients should not wait more than 918 weeks for treatment, but almost half of patients in England today wait longer than that to receive healthcare. 

The public now face the longest waiting lists in NHS history, with a record 7.6 million people waiting for treatment. At Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust alone, there are currently 21,968 people on NHS waiting lists.

Rishi Sunak promised to cut NHS waiting lists, but there are 600,000 more patients waiting for NHS care today than when he became Prime Minister. 

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said: 

“It is just beyond tragic that we now have record numbers of people are spending their final months in pain and agony, waiting for treatment that never arrives. 

“Local people deserve an NHS that will be there for them when they need it. But that basic promise has been broken by this Government. The longer the Conservatives are in office, the longer patients will wait.

“Only Labour can rescue the NHS from this crisis and restore it to good health. We will train the staff needed to treat patients on time again, and reform the service to make it fit for the future.”

On the 24th of September, the long-awaited Bee Network will launch in Greater Manchester.

Integrating Greater Manchester’s new bus and existing tram services in one place, this system will be nothing short of revolutionary for local residents.

Those of you who know me will appreciate that it takes very little to get me on a rant about the lack of integrated transport in regions across the UK. It just isn’t on that in London, I can tap my Oyster or contactless card on the ticket barriers and seamlessly travel via tube, rail and bus, but when in Greater Manchester I’m faced with a confusing patchwork transport system that also costs a fortune.

The Bee Network will change all that. It’ll drive down prices for passengers and make Greater Manchester easier to get around. You’ll be able to use a single multi-modal ticket which you can use to travel on tram, busses and even hop on a bicycle.

With bus and tram liveries coloured yellow and black, and the Worker Bee emblazoned on all official Bee Network vehicles, the network will also celebrate the proud industrial history of Greater Manchester. The worker bee appears on a number of Greater Manchester coats of arms and in recent years has become the whole city-region’s informal symbol, representing the city’s resilience and work ethic.

Launching this network has been no easy task. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has faced multiple legal challenges from private bus operators in his efforts to bring local busses back under public control. In last year, the Court of Appeal finally rejected the last challenge against the franchising system, meaning the Bee Network would be buzzing sooner rather than later.

So, on the 24th of September, the first fleet of electric busses will be rolled out across Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury and Salford. By March of next year, Oldham and Rochdale will get in on the act, and by January 2025 the whole of Greater Manchester will have access to the Bee Network.

It’s been a long process, but the network is a brilliant example of what hard-working local politicians can do if given the chance. I hope that in generations to come, we’ll be able to look at the Bee Network in the same way Londoners look at the Tube system and wonder how on earth we got around before it. 

Sunday was a busy day, and my first stop was at Denton West End Community Library where they had a brilliant tabletop sale. Lots of great bargains, and a good opportunity to catch up with the Library volunteers with Team Denton West.

Secondly, Cllr Allison Gwynne and I went over to the Little Owl Artisan Market on Denton’s Civic Square. As well as some nice stalls, this time they’ve also got some entertainment on as well. It’s always lovely to see families in the square and especially children enjoying the fountains in the sun!

Lastly, it was lovely to go to the Parish Festival at St Anne’s Church, Haughton… not only for a mooch around the stalls, but also to see some old friends at the church. St Anne’s is special; it’s where Allison and I were married many moons ago!

It was also brilliant to see some of the restoration work carried out on this magnificent Grade I listed building, including new steps into the church, roof repair work to the porch and lychgate, the refurbishment of the internal parquet flooring and - most impressively - the full restoration of the baptistery at the west-end of the church, which was subsiding badly. It’s now like new!

Well done to Fr Jules and the Church Wardens for both the event and the amazing work done to the church itself.

WATCH: We have an Urgent Question on the Government's voter ID laws, after the Government's elections watchdog warned that hundreds of thousands of people could be excluded from voting in a UK general election because of voter ID laws.

I press the Minister on discrepancies over acceptable voter ID in different age groups. The Minister doesn't seem all that bothered that young people might be turned away from voting booths!

WATCH: We have an urgent question on the tragic scenes unfolding in Libya. 5,000 people are known to be dead following devastating floods, and many thousands more are missing.

The Minister has highlighted that communication infrastructure has been damaged in the flooding, hampering rescue efforts. I ask what steps the UK Government is taking to help get this system back on its feet.

 WATCH: In Business and Trade Questions, I highlight the fact that there are now no physical high street banks left in the Denton and Reddish Parliamentary Constituency, after the closure of Halifax.
I did everything I could to try and keep this bank open, and we even had a fantastic campaign spearheaded by local resident Maureen Adams.

The Minister doesn't seem to understand how serious this problem is, or the impact it will have on local people and businesses.

WATCH: On Tuesday, Afzal Khan MP and I petitioned parliament to urge the Government to reverse plans to close ticket offices at Reddish North, Gorton, Levenshulme, Guide Bridge, Burnage and Mauldeth Road train stations.

These stations are absolutely essential to local residents. Ticket office closures will only make our railways less accessible and more difficult to navigate. The Government must think again.

 WATCH: To finish the day yesterday, we have a debate in Westminster Hall on kinship care.

This is a subject that is incredibly close to my heart, given that Allison and I are kinship carers to our wonderful grandson Lyle. We understand first-hand the challenges that kinship carers face in a system that often treats them like an afterthought.

It's not an easy subject to talk about, but hopefully, if we keep campaigning, keep raising awareness, we can get the Government to give kinship carers the support and recognition they deserve.

 WATCH: In my first outing as Shadow Minister of State for Social Care, we have a really important debate on LGBT+ people and their families in social care settings.

This debate was secured after the shocking story of Noel Glynn, who reported suffering physical and homophobic abuse at the hands of care home staff. His partner Tim is now campaigning for action and justice.

Beyond this awful case, there's really worrying data showing LGBT+ people generally feel ignored and belittled in social care settings. I urge the Minister to do more to tackle this problem, and ensure that everyone has access to personalised, safe and dignified care.

 WATCH: Last week in business questions, the Leader of the House defended the record of the brief (but disastrous) premiership of Liz Truss.

This week I press her on that endorsement amid soaring mortgage rates and the rising cost of living.

Sometimes it really does feel like the Government is on a totally different planet to the rest of the country!

 READ: In the latest edition of the Stockport Express, I've written about the RAAC school-concrete crisis, and what it says about our public services more generally. 

Read the full piece here.