Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has expressed his disappointment at the ruling by the High Court last week that councils will have to end virtual meetings after the May 6 local elections.

“It seems crazy to expect councillors, staff and the public to sit down together for meetings of up to four hours duration, when Members of Parliament can still virtually attend sessions and when we are still unable to sit indoors for one minute in a restaurant or pub,” stated councillor Sykes.

Councillor Sykes is one amongst many councillors of all parties who are concerned that restarting physical meetings so soon whilst there are still restrictions on indoor meetings because of the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘out-of-step’ with the current reality and needlessly endangers public health. 

After Local Government Minister Luke Hall MP wrote to all Councils to say that they must recommence face-to-face meetings from 6 May, the decision was challenged by Hertfordshire County Council, Lawyers in Local Government and the Association of Democratic Services Officers, who brought the case to the High Court arguing  that the Local Government Act 1972 should be interpreted to allow for virtual meetings. 

Even the Minister for Local Government, Robert Jenrick MP, told the Municipal Journal that his department was “supporting the action…as we believe there is a case to be heard”.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “I am not saying they we should not resume public meetings, but this is out of step with other restrictions and shows the contradiction the rules are.  It has proven entirely possible to take public questions and allow the public to view proceedings at virtual council meetings during the last year.”

The crass arrogance and ignorance of local Conservative candidates has caused further anger amongst the public across Oldham Borough.

Local Conservatives were told in no uncertain terms that using an outdated photo of Oldham councillors – three of whom had sadly died – on leaflets distributed in early April around Crompton and High Crompton was disgusting and likely to cause distress to family members and friends of the deceased.

Now, weeks later, the same image is appearing in leaflets being pushed through letterboxes by Conservative candidates in Saddleworth, the home of one of the deceased Councillors, popular former Mayor Derek Heffernan, who died in 2019.

Mick Scholes, Liberal Democrat agent in Saddleworth South Ward is demanding that the Conservative Party immediately cease the distribution of the offensive leaflet. 

To add insult to injury, the Conservatives are still to issue an apology to the initial complaint made in April. 

“We have had lots of complaints from the public about this and members of Derek’s family are very upset about the matter,” stated Mick Scholes.

Copy of original about this matter from Chris Gloster (Deputy LD Leader) Date: 19 April 2021

Oldham and Saddleworth Conservatives use hurtful image of deceased councillors in calling for cut in numbers they cannot deliver

Local Conservatives may talk of their respect and admiration for the late HRH Prince Phillip, but they have been hurtful and shown only disrespect in using an out-of-date image of Oldham councillors, which shows several elected members who are now sadly deceased.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader councillor Chris Gloster was disgusted when he saw on a Conservative election leaflet photographs of three councillors who have died.

Commenting, councillor Gloster said:  “The leaflet is in very poor taste.  Clearly local Conservatives do not care about hurting the feelings of relatives, friends and party colleagues of the deceased in using this out-of-date image.  Two of the three councillors, Susan Dearden and Brian Ames, sadly died in February and March 2018 and the third, my dear friend, former Mayor of Oldham councillor Derek Heffernan, in December 2019.  Getting an up-to-date image of the current 60 councillors would have been so easy but local Conservatives obviously could not be bothered.”

What makes the use of the image worse is that the Conservative election ‘promise’ not only represents breath-taking hypocrisy on their part, but it cannot be kept. 

“At every Annual Budget meeting of the Council from 2012 until 2020, the Liberal Democrats proposed a cut of Councillor numbers from 60 to 40 to save money.  The Conservative Group never did.  The reason we did not do so again in 2021 is that Councillor numbers in the Oldham Borough has been reviewed by the Electoral Commission in 2020 and fixed at 60”, added councillor Gloster. 

“When the Commission called for comments on councillor numbers late last year, the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group wrote back calling for a comprehensive cut in Councillor numbers to two from three per electoral ward.  The Council took a vote at its meeting on 4 November 2020 to propose to the Commission that councillor numbers remain at 60, the Conservative councillors present voted with Labour, the Liberal Democrats did not.  Against our wishes, the Commission stuck at 60, and now whatever the Tories might say it is now too late to do anything about it.”

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has written to Oldham’s Director of Public Health requesting more work be done on signing up pharmacies in Shaw, Crompton, Saddleworth and East Oldham to carry out on-site testing for COVID-19.

Although the government is responsible for commissioning the tests, Councillor Sykes hopes that Director Katrina Stephens can help apply pressure in the right places to roll out the provision in areas of the borough that are not currently served.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said:  “Although it is possible to pick up a home testing kit at four pharmacies and from the Crompton Library in my own Shaw Ward, many of my constituents have told me that they would prefer to be able to go into a local pharmacy to have a lateral flow test done professionally.”

Asymptomatic people, those who do not show the symptoms of COVID-19, are being urged to carry out a test twice a week if they are unable to work from home or if they will be coming into contact with others whilst engaged in study, shopping or leisure pursuits. 

Home testing kits are available, but in other parts of the borough patients can also opt to have a lateral flow test carried out by professional staff in a pharmacy. Councillor Sykes wants to see residents in all areas of the borough able to access a test in a local pharmacy.

“In recent days, medical professionals have said on the national media that home testing may not be as effective as having a test at a pharmacy or clinic. My worry is that, if someone gets it wrong, they could be infected and unknowingly spread COVID-19 or they could think themselves infected when they are not and self-isolate unnecessarily. The current testing programme is inconsistent across the borough and unfair to many of its residents, including my own constituents in Shaw.”

Based in the Shaw & Crompton Parish Council office Kershaw Street Shaw.

Howard Sykes has lived in Shaw all his life and lives in the heart of the town, unlike the Labour and Conservative candidates who live miles away in Werneth.  For more than 30 years as a councillor he has been speaking out and standing up for Shaw and its people.

Howard is honoured to serve the people of Shaw, and he is asking for YOUR support to help him to keep fighting and campaigning for YOU.

While others appear more interested in personal attacks and mudslinging, Howard’s fight, as it has always been, is for the people of Shaw and Crompton and this community.

Howard:

• is fighting for a new Health Centre for Shaw and Crompton,
• fights to protect our green spaces and Green Belt,
• wants to get our roads and footways repaired,
• campaigns to keep our town and neighbourhoods clean and tidy,
• wants a thriving Market, and supports Shaw’s businesses and voluntary organisations.

Oldham Liberal Democrats are dismayed that the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Police and Crime Commissioner is not immediately publishing a damning report into Police management and performance.

Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has previously raised his concerns in letters and meetings with Mayor Andy Burnham.

Commenting councillor Sykes said: “Regrettably Mayor Burnham’s tenure as Police and Crime Commissioner has not been a happy one.  Greater Manchester Police has under his woeful watch allowed over 80,000 crimes to go unrecorded in a single year, seen the departure of a Chief Constable under a cloud, and spent a fortune on a new iOPs Police computer system which still doesn’t work properly and at one point was functioning so poorly that officers had to go back to using paper and pen to take notes.  Under Mayor Burnham, victims have been failed and criminals have not been prosecuted.”

Although the new Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, has seen the report, Mayor Burnham has refused to release the report, commissioned from consultants Pricewaterhousecoopers, until the Chief Constable formally commences his new duties at the end of May.

“This excuse provides just enough delay to enable Mayor Burnham to get through the process of seeking reelection as Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner of Greater Manchester without the contents of this report impacting on his election hopes”, added Councillor Sykes.

“From what I have heard the report provides grim reading, with scathing comments about Police culture, management and performance that go to the very top.  This is not the first time Greater Manchester Police has come in for serious criticism.  Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary was condemnatory in its findings when it reported last year.  This new report is now ready, it has been commissioned at public expense, so why can’t we the public see it?”

Dear Howard,

Thank you for completing the Manchester Friends of the Earth local election environment survey.

You can see your and other candidates responses at: 

Election Survey 2021 – Candidates

If you use social media such as Twitter and Facebook it would be great if you would consider publicly supporting the @friends_earth Climate Action Pledge with the attached pledge card.   Hashtag #TakeClimateAction

Pleased to report this fly-tipping has now been removed, following my intervention, including the asbestos.

If anybody has any information about who might have done this or other fly-tipping in Shaw and Crompton please let me or the authorities know.

This costs council tax payers hundreds of thousands pounds every year, money that could be better spent. Cowboy’s like this need bring to book, hopefully there will be something in this waste that allows it to be traced where it came from and the fly-tippers can be made to pay.

Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors have written to the residents of Dunwood Park Courts and along Milnrow Road asking them to sign a petition in support of restoring a bus service along the whole of Milnrow Road. 

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who also serves as Oldham’s representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, is co-ordinating the effort to get as many residents as possible to support the campaign.

Councillor Sykes said:  “From January, the 181/2 bus services coming from Manchester terminated at Wrens Nest and the 408 now turns onto and off Buckstones Road so no bus travels along the whole of Milnrow Road to Wrens Nest.”

“Shaw Councillors have received many complaints from residents who rely on public transport who are now finding it more difficult to connect with other bus services.  If  they are unable to walk to Wrens Nest, they have to use taxis to get a bus, which means more expense and inconvenience for people who are in many cases retired and living on a pension or have a low income.”  

Residents of Milnrow Road, Dunwood Park Courts, Railway View, Bridge Street, and Goats currently have no bus connection with Wrens Nest, and Councillor Sykes thinks a petition will help him get their voices heard. 

Councillor Sykes added:  “From before the changes were made, I was lobbying Transport for Greater Manchester to step in and plug this gap. I have raised this issue in committee meetings and in private conversation with officers to try and rectify the matter.   However, nothing has changed for the better.

“I am asking constituents to help put this right by signing this petition.  The more signatures we raise the better. Bus services are just that services, and at present Dunwood Park Court and Milnrow Road residents are not being served.”

Paper copies of the petition can be obtained from howard.sykes@oldham.gov.uk or an online version can be used at:

https://libdemcouncillors.typeform.com/to/gCSnYPCX

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/