Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out at Oldham council’s Labour leadership after they voted down vital cash-injections, set out by the Liberal Democrats for safer streets, road maintenance, children’s social care and district funding. 

Councillor Sykes said, “We have a Labour controlled council which fails to get the basics right on road safety and maintenance, environmental crime and cleaning up our green spaces.  Time and again, they choose to prioritise vanity projects in Oldham Town Centre at the expense of fairer funding for all our districts and communities across Oldham Borough.”

Speaking after the Liberal Democrat plan was rejected by an alliance of Labour and Independent councillors, Sykes said, “Our Liberal Democrat proposals would have prioritised the things that residents want to see from the council.  We’ve gotten used to this Labour administration voting down our ideas.   It was extremely disappointing to see the so-called Independents vote down money which would have been used right in the heart of our local communities.”

At the budget setting meeting on March 1, councillors also debated proposals from the Conservative Group which drew criticism for proposed cuts to district grants – the funding that is given to each ward in Oldham for localised projects.  The Conservative Group was split and divided on its own budget proposals, with Councillor Barnes (Con) deciding to abstain on his own party’s plans, after a series of blistering interventions from Liberal Democrat members. 

Councillor Sykes, who represents Shaw, said, “It beggars’ belief that the Conservatives have tried to axe cash for things like Remembrance Sunday events, Christmas lights and even Royal occasions like the Jubilee.”

“How Conservative councillors will be able to look the people they represent in the eye after this is beyond me.”

The Conservative amendment failed to pass, with Liberal Democrat councillors voting against.

My speech seconded our proposals.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I’m proud to rise in support of our Liberal Democrat budget proposals this evening.

Our priorities reflect the real priorities of people across Oldham Borough.

We seek to build a safer, greener and cleaner Oldham with fairer futures for the next generation. 

• New funding for ’20 is Plenty’ residential streets
• A New parks and recreational spaces fund
• More cash to tackle crumbling roads and footpaths
• More action on enviro crimes (litter, fly-tipping, dog fouling)
• New children’s social care residential home
  
  

Tonight, the Liberal Democrats are setting out a plan that focuses our resources on getting the basics right.  That is what our constituents deserve and expect, Madam Mayor. 

Our proposals set out plans for 20 is plenty streets.  Safer neighbourhoods, where 20 mph is more than enough for residential areas. 

Real action on Environmental Crime.  Getting to grips with this administration’s pitiful record on tackling littering, fly-tipping and dog-fouling offences. 

Earlier this year it was confirmed that the Council issued only 64 littering fines in 2022, down from 194 in 2020, when Covid restrictions were still in place.  The Council also confirmed that fewer fly-tipping fines were handed out – 33 in 2022, down from 50 in 2020.  It is an understatement to say this direction of travel is very much in the wrong direction.

We would establish a much-needed designated parks and green spaces fund. 

Our green spaces were a lifeline during Covid but we need to invest in them now.

Social care is one of the greatest challenges that government at all levels must grapple with. 

We must break our dependency on the private sector by providing care places in our Borough, run by the council.  And we must bring down our agency spend by training and retaining top-quality care workers here in Oldham. 

Yes – There is a national crisis in social care recruitment and retention and yes – it requires national solutions.  National solutions like a Carers Minimum Wage. 

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new minimum wage for care workers – two pound per hour higher than the current minimum wage. 

We urge colleagues across the chamber to get behind that policy because it would be transformative for the caring professions that we all know are under-valued and under-incentivised.  

But what we can do locally, is provide more council-led facilities for care.  These Liberal Democrat Budget proposals would deliver a new children’s residential care home in Oldham.

This makes sense for our young people but also makes financial sense and pays for itself very quickly.

Properly resourced youth services can act as a lifeline for many and they provide the first opportunity for the early intervention that we know alleviates pressure on other services further down the road.

Our plan would provide funds to improve youth services across all the districts of our Borough. 

And finally, we would provide more cash to fix our crumbling roads and establish some budget provision to do something about the dreadful state of our pavements.

So I commend our proposals to you.  A safer, cleaner, and greener Oldham.

These are the people’s priorities.  What you – the people of Oldham – have told us you want from your Council.

Please support the amendment.

Oldham’ Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has demanded the Government cancel plans to hike the average household energy bill by £500 in April.  Sykes, who represents Shaw and leads Oldham Council’s Opposition Group, says it’s time to tax the “billion-pound profits of energy companies to pay for real support for families.”

The Liberal Democrats calling for cuts to people’s bills combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals across Oldham.

Councillor Sykes said, “In April the Conservatives are planning to hike the energy price guarantee by £500.  The Liberal Democrats plan would mean that in Oldham, the average household would be £439 better off.  We would save families more than £28 million across the Borough.”

“If the government doesn’t change course, their new price hikes will be a hammer blow to families and businesses already struggling.  Action is needed now to save people from a cost-of-living cliff-edge.”

Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have set out their plan to tackle the energy crisis including: 

1. A windfall tax on oil and gas companies to raise billions of pounds

2. A cancellation of the Governments £500 energy bill rise in April 

3. A one-off bonus tax on oil and gas executives

4. Doubling the Warm Homes Discount to £300.

5. A U-turn on plans to slash energy bill support for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals by 85%, and instead extend current levels of support for another six months.

NOTES
Household Plans:

Under the Government’s plans, the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will rise from £2,500 to £3,000 in April. This means that in the three months from April, the average household bill will rise by the equivalent of £500 a year.

From July 2023, Ofgem’s energy price cap is expected to fall below the level of the Energy Price Guarantee, to around £2,200, meaning that the EPG will no longer offer protection from high energy prices.

We estimate that under the Government’s plans, the average household bill over the 12 months from April will be £2,369. 

Under Liberal Democrat plans, the Energy Price Guarantee would be set at £1,971 for the 12 months from April. That is the same level as the April 2022 Ofgem energy price cap. Amending the EPG from its current £2,500 to £1,971 would cut the average energy bill by the equivalent of £529 a year over the three months from April.

Under Liberal Democrat plans, the average household bill over the 12 months from April would be £1,971. This is £398 lower than under the Government’s plan (see table 1).

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for an additional package of measures targeted at vulnerable households to help them save hundreds of pounds off their energy bills. This would include doubling the Warm Homes Discount and the Winter Fuel Allowance, as well as kickstarting a new home insulation scheme starting with fuel poor households.

Costings: 

The Liberal Democrat plan would mostly be funded through money already budgeted for energy support, but now unspent due to falling energy prices. Additional funds would be raised by a proper windfall tax on the record profits of oil and gas companies, including scrapping the fossil fuel investment loophole and raising the rate of the windfall tax from 35% to 40%. This could raise at least £15 billion more than the government’s current Energy Profits Levy. 

Pop along for advice, help or to discuss any issue or matter with your local Liberal Democrat councillors.

Shaw and Crompton Advice Surgeries (no appointment necessary) held on the following Thursdays at Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre – 7:30pm to 8:30pm.

March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

Liberal Democrats to set out plan for “Fairer futures in a safer, cleaner and greener Oldham”

• New funding for ’20 is Plenty’ streets
• New parks and recreational spaces fund
• More cash to tackle crumbling roads and footpaths
• More action on enviro crimes (litter, fly-tipping, dog fouling)
• New children’s social care residential home

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Opposition Group have set out their alternative budget proposals ahead of a crucial Council vote on 1 March, where councillors will agree to spending plans.

Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “New funding for ’20 is plenty’ on residential streets, more cash for our parks and green spaces, real action on environmental crime and a new children’s social care residential home.”

“We’ve listened to our communities and our priorities reflect what people expect from the Council.  Our plan would make Oldham Borough a safer, cleaner, and greener place to be for all of us, but especially for the next generation.”

The Liberal Democrat proposals will be set out by Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow Cabinet member for Finance and Low Carbon councillor Chris Gloster on 1 March. 

Councillor Gloster said, “People are fed up with a Council that fixates on flashy vanity projects in Oldham Town Centre and fails to get the basics right for all our communities.  I’m proud to present the Liberal Democrat plan for fairer futures in a safe, clean, and green Oldham starting with our plan for a brand-new children’s social care residential home.”

In the future, Oldham must be able to meet more of our care needs without sending children miles away.  Liberal Democrats have a plan to invest in a new, Council owned and operated residential home for children.”

Councillor Sykes added, “People want safer, cleaner, and greener communities.  Our plan is to invest in ’20 is Plenty’ on residential streets, cutting emissions and improving safety especial for children and older people.  Our proposals for footways, highways and disabled parking investment would make our communities more accessible for everyone.”

“Our local parks and green spaces are being neglected and left to rot without any plan from the Council.  Our plan to create a new fund for parks and recreational spaces will mean more care and maintenance of these treasured local assets.”

Link to Liberal Democrat budget proposals

https://committees.oldham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=8538&x=1

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has supported a recent intervention by England’s most senior church leaders, who have called for social care to become a ‘universal entitlement’, on par with the NHS.

Councillor Sykes said, “If we were building the NHS from scratch today, it would be obvious to everyone that we need a national health and social care service.  We have an ageing population and we’re living with increasingly complex physical and mental health needs in our old age.  Everyone deserves access to great healthcare and dignity in old age.  Universal social care is the step we need to take now, to make sure that our health service is fit for the future.” 

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York called for a ‘national covenant’ with a ‘stronger role for the state and citizens’ in delivering care.

Councillor Sykes said, “Here in Oldham there is an awful lot of work to do.  What our borough needs is to be able to provide more social care places ourselves, without having to rely on the private sector.  That means we need to be ambitious about building facilities for people who need them across all age ranges.”

“But we have Conservatives in government leaving a £13 billion hole in social care funding, with no plan to fill it.  It’s got the stage where we have senior church leaders calling on the government to act, because everyone knows how much of a problem this is going to be.  I hope these calls are not falling on deaf ears.”

NOTES

Mini-Budget leaves £13 billion shortfall in social care funding
Mini-Budget: £13 billion a year removed from NHS and social care funding | Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)