Letter from Parliament - Tony Lloyd MP

This week I attended the Shadow Cabinet Meeting; this is where Labour’s top team of MPs meet with Jeremy Corbyn to review the coming week’s business.

I also spoke at a Brexit Conference (most of you are probably aware of the confusion surrounding the Brexit negotiations. For most people, it is bewildering!) Labour’s position is clear – we need a jobs first Brexit and, as it currently stands, we are not yet there with the government’s current plans.

On Tuesday, I attended an all-party parliamentary group meeting regarding Bangladesh, which brings together MPs who are interested in Bangladeshi developments. The dominant issue at this meeting was the plight of the Rohingya refugees, who were driven out of Myanmar (Burma) with massive brutality, simply for being ethnic Bengalis.

Prime Minister’s Questions took place in the House of Commons on Wednesday and two very important questions were asked. Firstly, by neighbouring MP, Oldham’s Jim McMahon, who raised the ongoing issue of modern day slavery. It is shocking to realise that very close to us, there are people held in slavery and forced to work in appalling conditions.

Also, contrary to popular belief, a significant proportion of slaves are in fact British.

Greater Manchester Police have done more than any other police force to combat this awful problem, but this is a major challenge here in Rochdale and nationwide.

Secondly, the enormous issue of climate change was raised; the International Panel on Climate Change experts have reported that Britain, along with other countries, is not doing enough to combat the issues we face if we are to keep our planet inhabitable as we know it.

Oddly, this is at a time when our government is cutting subsidies to low-carbon vehicles.  

At PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn also asked Theresa May about austerity and the massive damage it is doing to our NHS, our schools, and to our services for the old, the young and the vulnerable.

A meeting was then held to discuss cancer services; this was with several groups, including cancer survivors, those who had lost loved ones, along with health professionals. It brought together campaigns on breast, bowel and skin cancers (among others).

The common theme was early diagnosis which massively improves survival chances. More research is required to build on the already huge gains made over the past few years which have shown that most cancers are survivable.

I then met with Mike Burrows, the Director of the AHSN (Academic Health Science Networks) to discuss where we are going in planning health provision in Rochdale.

On Thursday I was in Northern Ireland, where I spoke at the N.I. Local Government Conference then, on Friday I met with Allen Brett, the leader of Rochdale Council. Here I raised, among other matters, the future of our local pubs. Many pubs have closed due to cost pressures including business rates imposed by government and we need help from the government to make sure both the night time economy and our local businesses can continue to function.

Allen and I then met with Pennine Prospects to talk about a great plan for a ‘People’s Park’ which will span the South Pennines (which includes Littleborough and Milnrow). We want to help people from all parts of Rochdale to access this fantastic landscape.

I was then interviewed on Friday regarding Cyril Smith and the plan by the Council to strip him of his honorary title of Freeman of Rochdale; given what we now know of him, it would be inappropriate for this title to continue. I then held my regular advice bureau at my local Rochdale office.

At the weekend, I watched Rochdale play Doncaster - despite playing well we unfortunately lost the game. Finally, on Sunday, I attended the Ukrainian Independence Day Concert, held at our local Ukrainian Community centre, celebrating the 27th Anniversary of Ukrainian Independence, it was a lovely day out with choirs and national dancers at the event.