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Happy Friday evening! I hope you've had a wonderful week.
From the Little Owl Artisan Market to the Spring Budget, there's plenty to update you on in this week's edition of the Denton and Reddish weekly news!
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In May, I'll be taking to the skies in a Wing Walk for 9-year old Florence. Florence has a rare life-limiting degenerative condition called #GM1. We're raising money for Florence and her family to make wonderful memories. If you can, please click below to donate. |
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Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has responded to the Spring Budget.
In a statement, Andrew Gwynne said:
“Jeremy Hunt closed his budget speech with the words “the plan is working!”
“If the plan is working, I hate to think what things would be like if it wasn’t.
“The Tories have been in power for 13 years, and what have local people got to show for it? Low wages, higher taxes and public services broken beyond recognition. All this, and the Chancellor has the cheek to tell us that everything is going just fine.
“This was a budget with no real ambition of long-term vision. The measures announced won’t even come close to addressing the serious challenges that Britain faces.
“Instead, the Chancellor announced changes to pension pots for the very wealthiest. It’s maddening that during a cost-of-living crisis – the only tax cut in this budget went to the extremely well-off.
“This felt like a budget in a parallel universe. There was nothing for the NHS, despite 7 million people currently on waiting lists to receive care. There was nothing on housing. Nothing on tackling crime.
“Childcare investment was welcome, but again, without a proper long-term plan on how parents will access these free hours, parents’ risk being let down yet again by this Conservative Government.
“This budget exposed the sad truth; this is a Government that has run out of road and out of ideas.
“Labour has a vision. We would spread power, wealth, and opportunity across the country. We’d rebuild our public services, create high-quality green jobs, tackle our housing crisis and make our communities safer.
“The Tories have had their chance. They’ve blown it. It’s time for a fresh start.”
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MPs representing constituencies in Tameside have been granted permission to be heard by the HS2 Bill Committee and fight against the mothballing of the Ashton Metrolink line.
As part of the HS2 (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, HS2 Ltd are proposing the closure of the Ashton Metrolink line for a period of at least two years to facilitate construction. This is despite an alternative proposal being put forward by Transport for Greater Manchester, which would allow the line to continue to operate.
MPs Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne slammed the possibility of the closure, and vowed to fight against it in Parliament. They were challenged, however, by HS2 Ltd, who claimed that Tameside constituencies would not be ‘directly affected’ by the works.
All three MPs attended a ‘right to be heard’ hearing on Tuesday, to argue the case that their constituencies would be directly affected by the proposals, and they should be heard by the Committee. They were joined by the leader of Tameside Council Ged Cooney, as well as MP for Blackley and Broughton Graham Stringer, who is also arguing to be heard by the Committee.
After deliberation, the Bill committee decided that Andrew Gwynne and Angela Rayner should be allowed to state their case in full to the Bill Committee, with Jonathan Reynolds being called as a witness due to the construction works falling just beyond the boundary of his constituency.
In a joint statement, Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne said:
“We are pleased that the committee has seen sense and decided that the elected representatives of Tameside do have a right to be heard. We were never in doubt that we had a right to speak up for our constituents and should not have been challenged by HS2 Ltd in this manner.
“While we are disappointed that Jonathan hasn’t been granted full right to be heard, we appreciate the committee’s decision to allow him to be called as a witness, where he will make a robust case about the impact the closure of the Metrolink line will have on his constituency.
“The decision to mothball the Ashton Metrolink line would have disastrous consequences for all our constituencies, severing a vital transport link for local people.
“TfGM have suggested an alternative proposal, which would allow construction to continue without damaging our constituencies. HS2 Ltd should do the right thing and work with local authorities during this process.
We’ll continue to stand up for our constituents as this Bill progresses.”
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L-R: Graham Stringer MP, Jonathan Reynolds MP, Angela Rayner MP, Andrew Gwynne MP and Ged Cooney prior to the hearing |
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Andrew in the Constituency
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Little Owl Artisan Market 🦉
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It was great to head over to Little Owl Artisan Market last Sunday. This is a monthly market on Denton's old market place, and there were some brilliant traders.
I still have a stone to drop before the charity wing-walk, so I had to resist the incredible cakes and sweet treats!
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 Today I was proud to back efforts to #BanTrophyHunting. I'm delighted that the Bill has now passed its third reading in the House of Commons.
It'll now go to the Lords for further scrutiny, but this is major milestone in a campaign that I've supported for many years. If implemented, this Bill would mean that the UK will have the toughest restrictions on animal trophy imports in the world.
The dreadfully cruel practise of trophy hunting must be stopped.  |
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 WATCH: In Defence Questions, I raise the issue of Armed Forces Cuts.
The Secretary of State can make silly points at the dispatch box but these are the words of Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, as recently as last month.
I know who I trust on whether our armed forces are well resourced!
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WATCH: I want secure borders. I want an asylum system that works. But all the Government is doing is upping the rhetoric and failing on its own terms.
I highlight that the list of countries for “returns” includes many of the signatory nations of the European Convention on Human Rights, who won’t be able to accept returns from the UK simply because the Home Secretary has certified her Bill isn’t in accordance with Convention duties!
You couldn’t make it up!
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WATCH: Monday was Commonwealth Day and in the statement on the Integrated Review refresh, I ask the Foreign Secretary about the Commonwealth, China’s growing influence over many of the 56 member states and what we can do to build a modern and dynamic relationship with this unique family of nations for the future.
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WATCH: At the second reading of the Immigration Bill on Monday, I challenge the Conservatives over some of their rhetoric around this nonsensical Bill.
The Government always seek to blame everyone else for their failures. I want secure borders and an asylum system that works, but this Bill will make the issue of small boat crossings worse, and make it harder to track criminal gangs.
It's yet another example of rhetoric, with zero practical solutions.
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WATCH: In Foreign Office Questions, I raise the possibility of an international fund for Israeli and Palestinian peace.
The Government has endorsed the concept of this fund, but warm words have followed with very little action. I ask for an update from the Secretary of State.
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WATCH: In Science and Technology Questions, I ask about the UK Space Industry.
This is a really exciting sector with incredible potential. However, we need to make sure that we are supporting the mathematicians, technicians, engineers and computer programmers of tomorrow.
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WATCH: We have a debate on the issue of Free Parking for Care Workers. I respond in my capacity as Labour's Shadow Public Health Minister.
There's a real problem of low-paid care workers being forced to pay for parking charges when making home visits. It's all adding up, and compounding financial pressures.
The Government needs to urgently address this problem, and make sure that care workers are paid properly for their extremely valuable work.
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 READ: Thanks to The i Paper for covering my thoughts on this campaign for United Utilities to reveal the volume of sewage they dump into rivers. We need transparency.
The River Tame is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. We need to see greater Environment Agency action to tackle sewage, illegal chemical and other industrial discharges which blight our waterways.
Read the full piece here.
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READ: Thanks to the Tameside Reporter for covering #TeamTameside's victory in our Right to Be Heard Hearing.
We'll continue to fight for the Ashton Metrolink line.
Read the full piece here.
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