Dear Constituent,

Good Friday and Happy New Year!

It's been a little while since the last edition of the Denton and Reddish Weekly News, so there's an awful lot to update you on. 

A reminder too that Friends of the Tame Valley will be holding a litter pick and bump planting event tomorrow at 10am. Scroll down to the community board for full details!
 

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is encouraging local residents to make time in their diary to take part in RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch later this month.

Taking place from the 27th to 29th January, the Big Garden birdwatch represents the biggest citzen science wildlife survey in the world. Last year, almost 700,000 people across the country dedicated an hour of their time to reconnect with nature on their doorstep and together recorded 11 million birds.

Last year’s figures bring the running total to an incredible 172 million birds counted since the RSPB’s first Birdwatch in 1979.

Over its four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers, which are down a shocking 81% compared to the Big Garden Birdwatch in 1979.

Gwynne himself is a keen gardener and has worked locally and nationally to improve wildlife conservation efforts. In 2021, he helped found Friends of the Tame Valley, which aims to

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said: 

“I’m looking forward to spending a couple of hours taking part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

“The Birdwatch is fantastic for bird conservation efforts and supports the brilliant work of the RSPB. Across Denton and Reddish, we’re lucky to have some incredible green spaces and can spot some beautiful birds out if we take a moment to look.

“So if you’re free on the weekend of the 27th to the 29th, please get involved and let’s make this year’s birdwatch the biggest yet!”

To find out more and sign-up for the big garden bird watch, visit https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has slammed the Government after new analysis revealed that in every region in Great Britain, real wages are lower now than when the Tories came to power in 2010.

Across the North West, there has been a real-terms wage decline of 5% since 2010, leaving local people £1,600 a year worse off.

A crucial component of getting wages up and improving living standards is growing the economy, something that Gwynne says has ‘stagnated’ under the Tories.

If the economy had continued to grow at the same rate as it had been with the last Labour government, then there would be £30 billion more to spend on public services – without a single tax needing to be raised.

Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said: 

“These figures demonstrate the total failure of the Tory party to build a prosperous economy that works in the interests of working people.

Wages are falling, bills are rising, and working people have nothing to show for 13 years of Conservative Government.

Labour is the only party with a real vision to improve the lives of people across Denton and Reddish, and change can’t come soon enough”.

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: 

“Married with the billions upon billions of taxpayer money that has been wasted on undelivered projects, crony contracts, unsafe PPE and Tory vanity projects, these figures show just what irresponsible stewards of the economy the Conservatives are.

Labour will stabilise our economy, and we will get it growing with our Green Prosperity Plan and our active partnership with British businesses.”

 

 Today, after a busy week in Parliament, I went over to attend the third River Tame Working Group meeting. 

The River Tame is the one thing that unifies the whole of my constituency - from Dukinfield to Stockport, so it’s great to be involved in these meetings both with my Friends of the Tame Valley hat on, but also as MP for Denton and Reddish.

The meeting brings together lots of River Tame stakeholders to look at how we can improve the water quality in the river, increase biodiversity, protect and enhance nature, and improve the Tame Valley as a leisure and recreation amenity.

WATCH: In Business Questions, I raise the horrific story of an 11-year-old girl who was groomed on the music streaming platform Spotify.

I was contacted by this young girl's parents, and I'm really concerned that the legislative framework isn't there to protect young people on these kinds of platforms.

I'll be speaking with the Secretary of State to clarify what action the Government will be taking to clamp down on this kind of abuse, and what Spotify will be doing to ensure this can never happen again.

 WATCH: In DEFRA Questions, I ask the Minister about the Kept Animals Bill. This promised Bill was designed to improve animal welfare for imported and exported animals, but has seemingly vanished. 

I ask the Environment Minister if she can provide an update on where her own Department's Bill will be revived. Bizarrely, she declines to answer. 

Either the Government is reneging on its commitment to animal welfare, or the Minister genuinely doesn't know what's going on with her own bill. Either way, I'm not filled with confidence!

WATCH: After refusing to talk to nurses about pay and failing to avert strike action, the Government has the cheek to announce a new piece of legislation which would sack workers for striking.

This morning, Grant Shapps tweeted a picture in which Boris Johnson had been airbrushed out. I make the point to the Secretary of State that maybe he should be spending a bit less time playing around on Photoshop and more time doing his actual job.

Think I may have got under his skin...

 WATCH: The Chief Inspector of the Probation Service has said that his service is 'in crisis mode'. 

Staff shortages are harming rehabilitation efforts, and endangering the public and staff. 

In Justice Questions, I ask the Secretary of State what he plans to do about it.

 WATCH: After two long years and £2 million of public money spent on consultation, the Government has finally decided that it will not pursue its mission to sell-off Channel 4. 

This u-turn is welcome, but the Government has wasted time and money pursuing a pointless agenda that would have obliterated a key part of the British cultural sector. 

I ask the Minister, now the Government has backtracked, what steps she will be taking to boost Channel 4's sustainability in the future.

 READ: Thanks to the Evening Standard, BBC and Manchester Evening News for covering my comments in Parliament on the tragic grooming of an 11-year-old girl on Spotify.

We need to clamp down on this kind of abuse, and ensure platforms recognise their responsibility in tackling online harms.

LISTEN: On Times Radio on Monday, I spoke about Labour's plan for the biggest workforce expansion in NHS history.

In just 13 years we've gone from the NHS having historically short waiting times and the highest patient satisfaction on record, to a health service buckling under the weight of Conservative mismanagement.

Local people deserve a Government that will work relentlessly to build an NHS fit for the future and improve patient care.

 LISTEN: The next Labour Government will implement the biggest NHS workforce expansion in living memory, with more doctors, nurses and clinicians.

This will come alongside a drive to modernise our health system and improve patient care.

Good to speak with Mishal Husain on the The Today Programme on Saturday morning.

Please note that now the St Anne's Road bridge is closed, the diversion to the valley entrance by car is off Hyde Road onto Andrew Breeze Way, Edward Street and then St Anne's Road via the opened-up roadblock.