Dear Constituent,

Good evening and welcome to this week's edition of the Denton and Reddish weekly news. 

Yesterday, lots of students picked up their GCSE and BTEC First/Level 2 results. It's been 32 years since I received mine, but I still remember the feeling like it was yesterday. Good luck and congratulations to students across Denton and Reddish for all your hard work in the face of a really difficult and disruptive two years!

 Wednesday marked Independence Day in Ukraine. We stand with Ukrainians both here and in Ukraine who continue to fight to uphold their independence in the face of such horrific and aggressive acts of war.

In March, I joined Team Denton South and Councillor Allison Gwynne in launching a community fundraiser for British Red Cross's humanitarian work in Ukraine - you can still donate here: https://bit.ly/3wn2Ipi

Slava Ukraini!

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has backed Labour’s calls for a minimum wage which people can genuinely live on.

Last week, Labour pledged to change the Low Pay Commission’s remit when next in Government, so that alongside median wages and economic conditions, the minimum wage will for the first time reflect the need for working people’s pay to at least cover the cost of living. This would be linked to median earnings, so that all workers benefit from growth.

The policy announcement comes as figures show that workers have faced more than a decade with no pay growth. Two-thirds of adults in poverty are in work, and this proportion has been rising over time.

Statutory National Minimum Wages are set by the Government based on recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC). The Government sets the LPC a remit each year, with Labour committing to changing this remit so that the LPC would also be asked to set a minimum wage that covers the cost of living.

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:

“Under the Tories, working people are being left in poverty because of stagnating pay. Around 5 million people are paid below the real living wage, and there has been virtually no improvement on this figure in the last decade.

This needs to change. People across Denton and Reddish deserve a guaranteed Genuine Living Wage, one that gives working people the pay they deserve.”

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has called for an end to the ‘disgraceful’ practise of raw sewage being dumped into Britain’s rivers, waterways and beaches.

Gwynne’s intervention comes after shocking new figures showed that on average, United Utilities discharged raw sewage every six minutes over a five-year period, devastating the North West’s tourism and leisure hotspots. The figures also show that there was 81,588 monitored spills reported by United Utilities in 2021 alone.

The River Tame is one of the most polluted waterways in the world, with a key source of pollution coming from untreated wastewater. Gwynne has long called for more action around sewage discharge, and earlier this year met with the Minister in charge of Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment to urge her to do more.

In 2021, the Labour Party voted to change the Environment Bill to stop companies dumping raw sewage into British rivers and coastal waters. The Government blocked the attempt and the proposed change was defeated.

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:

“I’ve long-called for more action to stop water companies pumping filthy sewage into our beautiful rivers and waterways. These figures are a disgraceful indictment of Tory inaction.

Since 2016, the Tories have cut £235m from the Environment Agency’s budget, rendering them ill-equipped to tackle the scale of the problem.

We urgently need to toughen up regulations, hold water company bosses legally and financially accountable for their negligence, and close the loopholes that mean companies can wriggle out of their responsibilities.”

It was great to be asked to open Team Audenshaw and Ryecroft Hall Community Association’s Band in the Park last weekend… the fantastic Droylsden St John's Castle Brass Band were playing again, to sun soaked crowds and picnickers.

However, the best surprise was being able to present two of my Citizen’s Awards; one to Joe Thompson and another to Jeff Watkin. Both were nominated for their unwavering commitment to the Ryecroft Hall Grounds.

Joe is always available to litterpick and help out with the gardening and caring for around bowling green, meanwhile Jeff gets stuck into weeding, pruning and basically lending a hand whenever necessary.

Joe and Jeff were nominated for the Awards by Councillor Charlotte Martin and Councillor Teresa Smith. Very well deserved!

 WATCH: Over the weekend I spoke to Talk Radio about the brave decision by Tory MP William Wragg to speak publicly about his mental health.

I also spoke about my own experiences with mental ill health, and why talking is so important.

 READ: In the latest edition of the Tameside Reporter, I've written about the anticipated rise of the energy price cap.

Announced today, this rise will push annual average household energy bills to £3,549, with prices expected to rise even further later this on year.

We can’t wait any longer for the Tories to get their act together. Let’s recall Parliament, immediately freeze the price cap and tackle these soaring bills on behalf of the people we were elected to represent.

Read my full column here. 👈