Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Opposition Leadership Team announced for 2018/19

At a Group meeting held on 9 May, the Oldham Borough Liberal Democrat Group appointed, unanimously and un-opposed, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE as their Leader and Councillor Chris Gloster as their Deputy Leader.  The Group also elected its other officers for the year.

Councillor Howard Sykes said:  “I am grateful to my colleagues for their unanimous support once more for my work as Group Leader.  Sadly the former Deputy Leader John McCann lost his seat in last week’s local elections and I shall miss his expertise and enthusiasm, but I am looking forward to working with our new Deputy Leader, Chris Gloster.”

“I am also pleased to welcome my new ward colleague, Councillor Hazel Gloster, to the group, and to welcome back Councillor Dave Murphy.  They both have proven records of working for the people of Crompton and Shaw and I know that they will make a real difference.  The Liberal Democrats remain the only real opposition party holding Labour to account on Oldham Council.”

“The voters who backed us can reassured that, under my leadership, we will continue as a Group to speak out and to work as a united team.  We will offer common-sense solutions to the Borough’s problems and challenge the Labour Administration to cut waste and provide the value-for-money services that the public wants.”

“As the Liberal Democrat Opposition, we shall also oppose further central government cuts to Council finances and fight plans by the Greater Manchester Mayor and Labour leaders to build thousands of houses on our irreplaceable Green Belt. And green spaces.”

The Liberal Democrat Group: Leader – Howard Sykes; Deputy Leader – Chris Gloster; Group Chair – Dave Murphy; Political Secretary – Garth Harkness; Treasurer – Hazel Gloster; Group Secretary – Diane Williamson.

Shaw and Crompton election results 3 May 2018

Many thanks to those who supported us in the elections on May 3.

Shaw Ward

Result: LIB DEM Hold

Turnout: 30.57%

Name of Candidate Party Number of votes
The Conservative Party Candidate 427
The Liberal Party Candidate 217
GLOSTER
Hazel		   Liberal Democrats 1,023
Labour and Co-operative Party 672

Crompton Ward

Result: LIB DEM Hold

Turnout: 32.25%

Name of Candidate Party Number of votes
Labour Party 628
The Conservative Party Candidate 541
MURPHY
Dave		   Liberal Democrats 1,359
Q Independent 102

Let no primary school child go hungry, say Liberal Democrats

Healthy school meal

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has contrasted the recent attempt by the Conservative Government to curtail the entitlement to free school meals from children from the country’s poorest families to his own party’s policy.

Councillor Sykes said: “The Conservatives seem to be on their own in wanting to change the rules to prevent children from households receiving Universal Credit from getting a free hot meal at school every day.  This would hit Oldham especially hard as Oldham Borough has the single greatest number of Universal Credit recipients in the UK.  Many of these will be parents with children and, as I highlighted in a question to the Council leader at our last full Council meeting (28 March), Oldham features at the top of national figures for child poverty and food poverty.”

He added:  “The Conservatives mean spiritedness is in marked contrast to the generosity of the Liberal Democrats.  It is our policy to provide free school meals to every child in every state primary school, whatever their age or their family’s financial circumstances.  This will remove the stigma that is sometimes wrongly attached to claiming a free school meal and it will mean that no child will attend classes hungry, so they will be able to focus on their studies and not on their stomach.  This will help to tackle Oldham massive under performance in education.”

Why vote Liberal Democrat in the Oldham Council elections on May 3?

Council finance has been hammered by Conservative Government cuts.  Some local services are now in real danger of collapse.  The eight Liberal Democrat Councillors have spoken out against the cuts; the Conservatives and UKIP stayed silent.

We are the only opposition to Labour’s 44 councillors (out of 60), challenging decisions that hurt our Borough’s residents, and proposing practical solutions instead.  UKIP and the Conservatives say nothing, do nothing and often vote with Labour.

We want Oldham Council to get the basics right – clean streets; potholes filled; and an end to fly-tipping and crime.

We declared ‘war’ on Civic Centre waste to free up over £650,000 for highways improvements, youth services, tackling fly tipping, and public safety measures to help make our streets cleaner and safer.  Labour voted against our proposals, UKIP and the Conservatives did not even bother to turn up to the meeting!

The Liberal Democrats put people and communities first.  Voting Liberal Democrat means opposing Labour’s land grab of our irreplaceable green belt, supporting sound finance and reliable public services, and electing councillors who will deliver the services you expect whilst squeezing much better value from your Council Tax.

It also means you will elect a local councillor who will always be on your side!

Polls are open 7:00am – 10:00pm on Thursday 3 May – you DO NOT need your poll card in order to vote.

Out break of Graffiti in Shaw and Crompton

Your Liberal Democrat team have reported a number of sites that have been subjected to this anti-social environmental crime recently.

Just some of the places include: throughout the town centre, Beal Lane up Grains Road, Hillside Avenue, Scarr Lane, Crompton Way, Wrens Nest and up Rochdale Road.

Hopefully these will be cleaned this week.

The police are also making enquiries and if anybody has any information that would be of help with their enquires please do share the information then we can catch these people who blight our town and community.

Liberal Democrat Leader cries ‘Foul’ over reduced action on irresponsible dog owners

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his disappointment and frustration over figures revealed through a recent Freedom of Information Act request which show that Oldham Council have massively reduced action on irresponsible dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets.  The figures show that in 2017 only one dog owner was prosecuted and the offender received only a £40 fine.

Councillor Sykes said: “This inaction sends out completely the wrong signal to irresponsible and inconsiderate dog owners.  The vast majority of dog owners accept that as part of the responsibility of pet ownership they must clean up after their dog in the interests of public health and to help keep our streets and public parks clean, but regrettably a few do not.  The fine of £40 is also derisory when the consequences, particularly for children, of coming into contact with dog faeces, such as blindness, can be so grave.”

Councillor Sykes added: “According to these figures the number of public complaints received went down from 425 in 2013 to 40 in 2017.  This doesn’t add up – councillors constantly receive complaints about dog fouling; it is one of our biggest causes of complaint.  This leads me to believe that people are not reporting this, because they can see that no action is taken and offenders are simply not prosecuted.  We need to see more action from Council on this now that is what the public wants to see!”

The Freedom of Information Act request follows is below:

13 April 2018

Freedom of Information request regarding Dog Fouling-11820

In response to your Freedom of Information Request regarding dog fouling, Oldham Council is happy to provide the following information;

Year Complaints received FPNs served Prosecutions
2013 425 13 5
2014 147 21 2
2015 84 17 0
2016 77 5 0
2017 40 3 1

2013

£100 fine £200 costs

12 month conditional discharge £60 costs

£200 fine £400 costs

12 month conditional discharge £100 costs

£65 fine £100 costs

2014

£80 fine £100 costs

£80 fine £250 costs

2017

£40 fine £50 costs

Why vote Liberal Democrat in the Oldham Council elections on May 3?

Local government finance has been hit big time by Conservative Government cuts.

Some of our services are now in real danger of collapse.  The eight Liberal Democrat Councillors have spoken out against the cuts; the Conservatives and UKIP continue to stay silent.

We also provide the only opposition to Labour with their 44 councillors (out of 60), challenging decisions we feel are detrimental to the borough’s residents, and proposing practical solutions to the borough’s problems.  UKIP and the Conservatives say nothing, do nothing and often vote with Labour.

We also believe that Oldham Council must get the basics right.  People want clean streets; potholes filled; and an end to fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

We proposed a ‘war on waste’ by cutting Civic Centre bureaucracy to free up over £650,000 to invest in highways improvements, youth services, tackling fly tipping and installing alley gates and CCTV cameras to help make streets across the Borough cleaner and safer.  Labour voted against our proposals; UKIP and the Conservatives could not even be bothered to turn up to the meeting!

The Liberal Democrats are a party that puts people and communities first.  Voting Liberal Democrat means opposing Labour’s land grab of our irreplaceable green belt, supporting sound finance and reliable public services, and electing councillors who will face the challenges in local government head on – delivering the services you expect whilst squeezing much better value from your Council Tax.

It also means you will elect a local councillor who will be your champion and always be on your side!

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat and Opposition Leader, Oldham Council and Councillor for Shaw Ward.