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Andrew Gwynne MP's Recess Roundup
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Hello and welcome to my recess roundup!

Parliament has been in recess since before the Easter holiday, but I've been busier than ever!

With lots of fantastic community events, particularly around Ramadan, it's been a pleasure to spend quality time with faces old and new.

I've also enjoyed getting out on the doors ahead of local and mayoral elections, as well as supporting Chris Webb, our fantastic Labour candidate in the Blackpool South by-election.

I'll be back down in Westminster next week continuing to hold this shambles of a government to account, but the sooner they find the bottle to call the election our country so desperately needs, the better!
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HIGHLIGHTS

It was my pleasure to meet with the Palestinian Ambassador to Britain, His Excellency Husam Zomlot, at Manchester Town Hall with the Lord Mayor and a small number of City Councillors.

We talked about the recent UN Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, the need to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas and other groups, the urgent need to get aid into Gaza, to rebuild the civilian infrastructure in the strip, and to ensure that international law is upheld when it comes to the International Court of Justice ruling and any future International Criminal Court investigations.

Afterwards I attended the Action For Humanity and Caabu “Manchester Unites for Gaza” Iftar where hopefully a good amount of money was raised towards the humanitarian effort in Palestine. 🕊️

Just before Easter I joined a Parliamentary delegation, led by Labour's Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, to Belfast, to learn more about the province given the complexities of the peace process, Brexit and the recent re-establishment of the Devolved institutions.

On arriving in Belfast we spent the morning at the Parliament buildings in Stormont where we were given a quick tour of the Northern Ireland Assembly Chamber and the old Senate Chamber (which is now used as a committee room) before getting key briefings on Northern Ireland and having meetings with the Speaker of the Assembly and then a cross party section of Members of the Legislative Assembly.

We then went to Queen's University Belfast where we conducted round table discussions with community, business, trade union, academic and environmental leaders here in Northern Ireland on the topics of public services, the environment and trade.

We also met with the Chamber of Trade and Commerce where we will be discussing the Windsor Framework and how Brexit is impacting on GB/NI frictionless trade.

On Day 2 we had a visit to both the Falls Road (Nationalist area) and the Shankhill Road (Loyalist area) via the so-called peace wall which still divides the communities in West Belfast.

Then we visited the WAVE Trauma Centre where they offer support to victims of the Troubles and their families. It was lovely to see some of the therapeutic artwork they’ve got on display and it was extremely moving to hear the life stories of some of the people the centre is supporting, particularly relating to the UK Government’s Legacy Act.

We then stopped off at the Forge Primary School which was Northern Ireland’s first ever integrated primary school. Here, it matters not what your religion or background is, everyone is taught together. We had a fantastic Q&A with the children.

Lastly we visited the iconic Harland and Wolff Shipyard, once the biggest in the world. This is a massive UK success story in that the shipyard was very recently close to closure, but new owners have turned it around and the future of shipbuilding is looking up: in the past few years they’ve gone from around 40 employees to 1,300 and they have lots of orders in to repair cruise liners, build oil rigs and floating platforms for wind turbines and they’ve secured a massive order to build new Royal Navy ships too.
𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐀𝐙𝐀

I warmly welcomed the UN Security Council's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to enable the release of all hostages and full access for humanitarian aid, as called for by the Labour motion that I voted for and was passed without objection in Parliament.

This moment must act as a turning point, and we cannot waste any time in ensuring the resolution is fully implemented.

It is incumbent on the British government to play its part in bringing the firmest diplomatic pressure on all parties to ensure we see peace as soon as possible.

Israel cannot be allowed to proceed with their barbaric planned ground offensive in Rafah, and Hamas cannot continue to hold innocent Israeli civilians hostage.

Aid must be allowed to reach those in desperate need, so we can end the heart wrenching scenes of young children dying from hunger.

This ceasefire is the only realistic prospect of achieving a two-state solution that can bring a lasting peace to the region.

I will continue to use my voice in Parliament to push the British government to use all possible means at their disposal to make it happen.

It has been a pleasure to join several teams from Gorton & Denton and beyond up in Blackpool South for the parliamentary by-election on 2nd May.

Chris Webb will be a fantastic MP - and the first born and bred in Blackpool for 60 years, here's to another Labour Gain!
I've had a great time campaigning with Hyndburn Labour colleagues across recess.

This is the council I’ve been “twinned” with for the local elections.

There’s both Council elections to Hyndburn Borough Council and the Lancashire Police & Crime Commissioner election here in this key area for The Labour Party at the next General Election.

It’s great to see lifelong Tories switching to vote Labour on May 2nd.

Here’s to my next visit later this week!
Andrew in the the constituency

It was my pleasure to attend and speak at the launch of Councillor Luthfur Rahman’s re-election campaign for the local elections on May 2nd.

Luthfur is currently the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council and has represented Longsight Ward since 2008. There was a brilliant turnout for the event, including Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester Labour and the City Council, and Afzal Khan MP and a large number of community leaders.

But the facts are simple: along with his Ward Colleagues, Councillor Suzanne Richards and Councillor Abid Chohan, Luthfur and the Longsight Labour Team have a proven track record in the community for getting things done.

From the new Co-op Academy school in Belle Vue, to the refurbished Longsight Library, and from supporting groups like Better We CIC to helping to improve local green spaces such as Crowcroft Park, Labour is embedded in this local community.

If you live in Longsight, Belle Vue and south Gorton, please use your votes for Luthfur Rahman and Andy Burnham on Thursday 2nd May.

A huge thank you to my friend Afzal Khan MP for inviting me to his own special Iftar at the City Jamia Masjid, Manchester.

Not only is it my pleasure to join my friends to break the Ramadan fast with them, but I’m immensely grateful for the support Afzal and the local Councillors are giving to me by introducing me to the new communities I hope to be elected to represent at the General Election.

The new Gorton and Denton constituency is incredibly diverse, vibrant and full of brilliant communities each with their own cultural richness and fantastic festivals.

A big thank you to Manchester’s Muslim community for being so welcoming and for allowing me to be able to express my own Christian faith with them in a way it’s often difficult for politicians to do with other groups of voters, because ‘we don’t do God’.

Thank you to St Anne's Church, ([link removed]) Haughton for a beautiful Easter Vigil.

This service is special as it always reminds me of my Grandad, who had responsibility for lighting the Lucernarium (the small outside fire) at Holy Innocents Church in Fallowfield. I’d often accompany him and my Nanna to this service as a child.

A lovely service. A beautiful Mass.
I had a good evening amongst new friends at the community Iftar in the fantastic HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton.

As well as breaking the fast with Muslim community members, I got to have a peek around this incredible youth centre and speak to some of the staff here about the brilliant activities that take place.

I’m on a promise to come back… and scale that rock climbing wall they’ve got. Can’t wait!

Thanks to the Friends of Godfrey Ermen Field for inviting me and Afzal Khan MP to see this brilliant open space which was saved by local residents and registered as Abbey Hey’s Village Green.

Since then, the Friends have developed the area into a beautiful countryside parkland in the city.

The biodiversity is stunning and it’s great to see how lovingly cared-for it is by a dedicated bunch of local volunteers.

Well done to all involved and thank you for taking the time to show me around this fantastic oasis!

Thank you to Ian McKay for inviting me to the unveiling of "Gorton Tank", a wonderful mosaic is the final project Gorton Visual Arts will deliver, after an 18 year existence of offering opportunities across the Gorton and Abbey Hey communities.

As well as this fantastic mosaic, a fair bit of the group’s other artwork was on display, all of which focused on the unique history of Gorton.

I particularly loved the pieces on Belle Vue, which triggered fond memories of going to the King’s Hall to watch the last ever circus to be performed in there, and wanting to go on the water chute (but being too small to ride it) and the next time I went to Belle Vue, it had been dismantled and relocated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Thanks for having me!
Andrew in the the media

April 1^st marks 50 years since the creation of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, via the Local Government Act.

Named for the River Tame, which runs through the borough, Tameside brings together a collection of towns, each with their own unique character and history.

Such is that unique character, that during the consultation process that found a name for the new borough, “Nine Towns” was suggested, only to lose out to Tameside, which beat the other shortlisted suggestion of Hartshead.

The history of the area that makes up Tameside stretches back around 10,000 years, with evidence of Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age activity all having been found.

The Roman Empire left its mark on the area with roads being built through Tameside to connect forts across the country with Mamucium (the fort that once sat in Castlefield.)

The Doomsday Book, effectively a census conducted by William the Conqueror when he came to power, split the area into four “manors” known as Tintwistle, Hollingworth, Werneth, and Mottram.

However, it was the Industrial Revolution that really gave Tameside the character and geography we associate with the modern day.

The rapid industrialisation of the area turned previously rural communities into thriving mill towns, producing textiles for the best part of two centuries.

Following deindustrialisation after the war, it was the then Dukinfield Borough Council who brought together the other eight districts which would go on to make up Tameside, in an attempt to reverse the gross neglect all the towns had suffered.

Today, despite the many challenges which persist, Tameside unites a set of communities tied in common cause, who come together to look after each other.

As a Denton lad born and bred, having the pleasure to have represented my hometown both on Tameside Council, and for the last 19 years in the House of Commons, I of course have my biases.

“Destination Denton”, a now thriving hub of activity, is showing our community at its very best.

However, it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the fantastic contribution that all parts of our borough make to keep Tameside strong.

We’ve seen lots of change across Tameside in the last 50 years, and the many thousands before that, and will undoubtably see more in the years ahead, but I have faith that the sense of community that bonds us together will only strengthen.

Here’s to another 50 years!

This year, 11 March – 9 April marks the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic Calendar.

Ramadan, one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith, commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and serves as a time of spiritual renewal and deepening of the faith for Muslims around the world.

From sunrise to sunset each day, observers refrain from consuming any food or drink, focussing their time on prayer, charity, and acts of kindness.

This year, Ramadan coincides with the Easter festival, celebrated by Christians all around the world, and both have important teachings of community cohesion and togetherness that stretch far beyond.

At its heart, Ramadan reminds us of the value of empathy, and solidarity.

Fasting serves as a reminder of those less fortunate, who have to live the struggle of going without food and water on a daily basis, reinforcing the importance of acts of charity and supporting our communities.

That drive to support others has been taken up by Muslims right across the country, and we are no different here in Greater Manchester, where we have a very diverse and active range of Islamic communities.

I have been truly honoured to have been invited to many Iftars, the meal taken and shared with friends, family, and neighbours, to break the fast after the sun has gone down.

These have ranged from charity iftars to support care for those living with Diabetes in Pakistan, , to an Iftar at Manchester Pakistani Community Centre, where political leaders from across the region joined together with the Muslim community to break the fast.

By throwing the doors of their mosques and community centres open to everyone, regardless of their background, there is so much that those of us outside of the faith can learn from.

The embracing of diversity, celebrating the richness of our community rather than drawing up arbitrary dividing lines.

It reminds us of the importance of mindfulness and reflection in an increasingly fast-paced world, urging us to pause, contemplate, and connect more meaningfully with ourselves and the world around us.

In living these values throughout Ramadan we are not only marking an important and sacred tradition for the Islamic faith, but embracing a spirit that transcends religious divides and gives meaning to all of us in our daily lives.

Voting in elections is a fundamental part of our democracy.

It is not just the act of putting a cross in a box, but is the mechanism by which people dictate the future of laws and services which play a huge role in their daily lives.

The act of voting is something many of us take for granted these days, but we must never forget that it is a hard fought right won through the tireless campaigning of generations before us.

It wasn’t that long ago, that the right to vote was limited to an exclusive group of property owning men.

Social movements such as the Chartists, paved the way for change to move further and faster, but came up against an ever more resistant establishment.

They were later joined by Manchester’s own Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragette movement who won women the right to vote in 1918 (although this didn’t become universal and equal to men until 1928.)

This is history that might seem from the distant past, but it underlines how hard fought our right to vote is.

The local elections coming up on May 2nd are vitally important ones.

Despite often having lower turnout, local government can have a much more tangible impact on our day to day lives than national government sitting in Westminster.

Key services such as the management of our roads, waste disposal, children’s services, adult social care, planning, public transport and much more asides, are all led at a local level.

Electing your Tameside councillors, and the Mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, will have a real impact on the direction of these services in the year ahead, so it’s really important you have your say.

The deadline to register to vote in these elections, if you haven’t already, is Tuesday 16 April, with registration freely available on Tameside Council’s website.

You are also able to vote by post or proxy, if you are unable to make it to the polling station on election day.

If you do vote in person, remember that you now require photo ID to do so, with free photo ID available to those who do not have any access to accepted forms such as passports and driving licenses.

Whichever way you vote, and however you do it, make sure you exercise that right on May 2nd and have your say on the future of our local community.
Community Board

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Andrew Gwynne . 139 St Annes Road . Denton . Manchester, Greater Manchester M34 3DY . United Kingdom