Oldham Liberal Democrats restored as main opposition to Labour

Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has once again been confirmed as the Leader of the Opposition to Labour’s ruling administration in Oldham.  This follows news that several Conservative councillors have been suspended by their party. 

Councillor Sykes said, “The Liberal Democrats are getting on with the work that residents expect from us.  When people elect Liberal Democrat councillors, they know they will get hardworking local champions who will fight all year round for our communities.”

“Liberal Democrats provide clear opposition to the ruling Labour Group.  Our priorities are to get a better deal for residents on local services including for our schools, businesses, and our local NHS services.  All of which are struggling with cost-of-living pressures.”

“We will continue to stand up to Labour over their unnecessary and unwanted plans to build on Oldham’s green belt.”

“While other parties fall apart, we will continue to fight for our communities every day to make Oldham a better place to be.”

The Liberal Democrats are now the second largest party on Oldham Council.  The balance of power is now as follows:

Labour – 32 councillors
Liberal Democrats – 10 councillors

Conservatives – 8 councillors

Independent Group – 3 councillors

Failsworth Independents – 3 councillors

Other Independents – 4 councillors

Support for International Men’s Day    As International Men’s Day approaches this Sunday 19 November, the focus is the mental health challenges faced by men.   It’s essential to talk openly about these concerns and here are some helpful resources:   Andy’s Man Club: A safe space for men to share experiences and get support.   Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind: Offers various mental health support, including well-being sessions and crisis help. These resources provide different support options for men’s mental health. Reach out if you need help.

Fixing football funding would give Latics £2.5 million boost say Liberal Democrats  

Oldham Liberal Democrat councillors have renewed a campaign for funding reform to support lower league football and provide fairer financial support for clubs like Oldham Athletic.  The Fair Game Index, developed by the organisation ‘Fair Game’, would reward financially responsible clubs and distribute more revenue down the football pyramid to smaller clubs. 

Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “The Latics occupy a special place in Oldham life.  We have a rich footballing history in this part of the world.“

“But due to the challenges of Covid and the Cost-of-Living Crisis, the future is far from certain for lower league clubs.  This is not helped by a funding structure that is stacked against smaller teams who run their finances ethically and responsibly. For instance, of the £3.2 billion English football receive from TV rights 88% goes to premier league clubs.  The average National League team gets 58p!” 

“This is wrong, and we need to rebalance the wealth within football so that the whole footballing pyramid can benefit.”

In December 2021, the Liberal Democrats presented a motion calling for Oldham Council to formally support the Fair Game funding index.  The motion passed unanimously.  Oldham Athletic would receive more than £2.5 million each year in additional funding if the plans were adopted. 

Councillor Sykes said, “This extra funding would be transformational for the club and could be invested in creating local jobs, improved facilities and community projects.  We need the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to get to grips with the way our national game is funded.”

Liberal Democrat motion on Fair Game December 2021

Liberal Democrat Councillors call for fair play in the world of football – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

Friday the 17^th of November 23 – meet in Brushes Clough car park for a 10:30 start – we’re just going to take a walk around the moor to assess the Leaky dams and decide on the locations for a further 6 dams.   (3 large Leaky dams- to be built by a contractor, and 3 smaller Leaky dams for volunteers to do.)

Wednesday the 22^nd of November 23 – meet in Brushes Clough car park for a 10:30 start – This will be a work team to finish of the fencing at the top leaky dam  (top of Whitesides) No worries if you haven’t done fencing before, now’s the time to learn a new skill.

Emphatic win for Liberal Democrats in Saddleworth election

The villages of Dobcross and Diggle went to the polls on Thursday 9^th November to select a new representative on Saddleworth Parish Council.

The result was a runaway win for the Liberal Democrat candidate, Lynne Thompson, as the Liberal Democrat share of the vote rose from 33% in May to 52%, at the expense of both Conservatives and Labour.

“I want to thank all those who braved the awful weather on Thursday to cast their votes, no matter who for”, says Lynne.  “One thing you could not miss in this campaign was the love and pride local people have for their villages, so it was no surprise that they cared that much.  They were generous with their time throughout the campaign, sharing their hopes and concerns with our team.

“I am honoured that they put their confidence in me, and promise to do my best for them.  I have ongoing matters to take forward and there will surely be much more work to do supporting our borough councillor, Garth Harkness, and my new colleagues on Saddleworth Parish Council.”

Liberal Democrats (Lynne Thompson): 365 [52.4%]
Conservatives: 210 [30.8%]
Labour: 121 [17.4%]

Turnout: 22.9%

Lib Dem HOLD

Safer gambling week (13 – 17 November)

Are you living with a gambling addiction?

Have you experienced the negative effects of gambling?

If gambling is affecting your mental and physical health, money, relationships, education, or work, local support is available so you, and those you care about, do not have to go through these struggles on your own.

For more information on the help that is available to you, visit our website today.

Councillor Sykes welcomes “long overdue” plans to make Greenfield Station more accessible

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has welcomed new accessibility renovations planned for Greenfield Station.  The plans will mean that Greenfield will finally become a ‘step-free’ station after many years of campaigning by councillors and residents.

Councillor Sykes, who is the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Manchester’s Transport Committee (The Bee Ctte), said “This is wonderful news.  It has taken an awful long time to get to this stage and residents will understandably be sceptical of any promises this government makes on Transport.”

“Liberal Democrats have continually raised this issue over decades.  I have raised it since being appointed to the Transport Committee years ago.  Former councillor Richard Knowles used to raise this at every opportunity.  Too be fair many others have championed the need for full access at Greenfield – users, residents, and politicians of all flavours.  We are very pleased that residents will now be getting a renovated and accessible station.  This is a promise that must not be broken!”

“It is so important that public transport is accessible for all.  A step-free station will really encourage people to catch the train all year round and for some residents, this could mean that train travel will now become an option where it wasn’t before.” 

“With much of the plans still to be made public, the devil will be in the detail.  Liberal Democrats will hold the Department for Transport to their commitment and make sure residents finally get the station they deserve.”

Councillor Sykes and the Liberal Democrats force council vote on accessibility at Greenfield (Dec 2016)
IMPROVING RAILWAY STATION ACCESSIBILITY – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

Winning council contracts

I am often asked how do you do business with Oldham Council or become one of its suppliers, below is some information on just that.

Check out the step-by-step guide below to help you get started.

Register for opportunities: 

You need to register on the procurement portal ‘The Chest’ to access all opportunities and contracts.

There are opportunities from Oldham Council, and lots of other councils too. 

You can register at The Chest website. 

You can have a look at live tenders without registering but it is worth registering because once you’re set up you can select the types of work you want to win and the geographical areas where you can supply your goods and services. You’ll then automatically get an email when new opportunities that match your preferences go live.  

You’ll then automatically get an email when new opportunities that match your preferences go live.  
  
Contracts finder: 
You can also use the government’s Contracts Finder service to search for opportunities.  

This will generally direct you back towards The Chest for Oldham Council opportunities, but it’s worth keeping an eye on as there are many other public sector contracts that you may also be interested in. 
Visit the Contracts Finder webpage.

High-Value Contracts:
You can search for high-value contracts via the government’s Find a Tender service. 
There are a number of local opportunities live at the minute, so have a look at the Find Tender website. 

Become part of the supply chain:
The Council has large regeneration schemes planned and in progress across the borough. These are being delivered by council partners and there will be opportunities to become part of their supply chain. These include Muse, Willmott Dixon, and Tilbury Douglas. 

To register your interest in working with our partners please email invest@oldham.gov.uk with some more information about your business and your contact details. 

We’ll keep hold of your information so we can let you know about any future procurement opportunities and events with these organisations.