A honour and a privilege
It was a humbling privilege to present 93-year old Moss Bank veteran Dave Greenall with his Légion d’Honneur, awarded by France for his Royal Navy service during the Battle of the Atlantic & on D-Day. Dave continued his commitment to public service after the war by becoming a local teacher.
It was an honour to show our community’s appreciation and thanks to Dave and his generation by presenting him with France’s highest distinction in the presence of friends and neighbours.
supporting our RAF personnel
It was great to join a cross-party delegation of MPs to visit the RAF Benevolent Fund and was impressed by the important work they do to support RAF personnel, veterans and their families.
The Fund has provided fantastic care and assistance for 100 years, and it was great to hear first-hand about their work, especially from those who have directly benefitted from it.
Investment in the st helens north
I welcome comments from Pyroguard’s CEO Neil Tilsley recognising the talent we have in this borough and region and his commitment to manufacturing here. Our proud history of manufacturing and our locations marks us pit as one of the best places in Britain for investments such as this.
I want to thank Pyroguard for their 30-year association with St. Helens and this vote of confidence in our borough.
Irish businesses investing in St Helens
I hosted businesses from across the UK and Ireland at the British Irish Chamber of Commerce annual dinner in Westminster and talked about ESB’s significant investment in St Helens. Strong trading and business ties between the islands is of great economic importance to both countries.
Greengate Energy Recovery Facility in St Helens is a shining example of the benefits these close ties bring. Pilkington and Irish-owned ESB Asset Development have jointly developed a facility bringing local jobs and boosting our economy.
I will continue to help build strong ties between our businesses in the UK and Ireland and use them to help benefit our local economy in St Helens.
progress needed at Wythburn Crescent
I am incredibly disappointed by the lack of progress at Wythburn Crescent shops in Moss Bank following the devastating fire in October.
I am in contact with the site owners, Torus, who are still awaiting a decision from the insurers so that they can proceed with the demolition and rebuild. They assure me they are pushing them on an almost daily basis, and are also in talks with an architect about designs for the rebuild.
Of particular concern is the lack of response we have had from the Post Office. Hundreds of post offices are being closed across the country by design – to lose one by default would be devastating and is not something I and the local community are prepared to tolerate. I have demanded to meet the CEO of the Post Office to ask for a temporary service to be put in place and a guarantee about future provision.
I realise how frustrating this is for Moss Bank residents – it is for me too – but I am continuing to work on this as a priority and together with local Labour councillors will keep the pressure on all those involved to get answers to our questions, and make the much-needed progress to return these essential local services.
its ‘Time For Better Pay’
St Helens borough has more jobs classified as ‘sales and customer services’, ‘caring, leisure and other service’ and ‘process, plant and machine operatives’ which are more likely to be lower-paid professions. This means that people in St Helens borough will be more susceptible to receiving poor pay and working under poor conditions.
The petition launched on the .gov website seeks 100,000 signatures to secure a Government response and possible parliamentary debate. Find the petition at https://
It demands the government introduces:
● A minimum wage rate of at least £10 per hour for all workers.
● A minimum contract of 16 hours per week for everyone who wants it.
● A contract based on an individual’s normal hours of work.
● An end to zero-hours contracts.
Usdaw’s survey of over 10,500 working people about their experiences of low pay, short-hours contracts, and insecure work shows that stronger employment rights are urgently needed:
● Over the past five years, 92% of those surveyed have seen no improvement in their financial situation.
● Over the past 12 months, 76% of low-paid workers have had to rely on unsecured borrowing to pay everyday bills.
● 63% of people believe that financial worries are having an impact on their mental health.
There are too many hard working people in St Helens borough who are struggling to get by. The Tories are allowing people in work to be paid less than they need for a decent standard of living. These unacceptable standards should be addressed by increasing the minimum wage to £10 per hour for all workers and ending zero hours contracts.
We need a General Election and a Labour Government
This Tory Government has failed on far more than just Brexit. It is presiding over growing poverty, reduced living standards and homelessness rising year-on-year. Our NHS is in crisis with overcrowded A&Es and increasing waiting lists. Funding to our schools has been cut by £7 billion and cuts to the police force mean there are 21,000 fewer police officers on our streets.
I have no confidence in Theresa May’s Government to deliver a good Brexit deal and have seen the damage that Tory policies have inflicted on communities in St Helens borough and across the North of England.
We need a General Election and a Labour Government, and so I will vote for the motion of no confidence in the Government this evening.
Newton-le-Willows station opens
It’s great news that the new and improved facilities for local rail and bus passengers at Newton-le-Willows Interchange will open to the public this weekend.
I’ve campaigned alongside local Labour councillors in Newton and Labour-led St Helens Council to lobby for increased investment in local transport infrastructure, and Labour’s City Region Mayor Mayor Steve Rotheram and Merseytravel responded by allocating almost £20m of funding to make these significant improvements:
-Step free access to and between the platforms via new subway and lifts
-Bus interchange adjacent to the new ticket office
-New 400-space car park
-Dedicated drop-off and pick-up area
-Improved passenger waiting facilities
-New toilet facilities
-Additional cycle parking
We now have the excellent facilities that commuters deserve and that befits Newton’s status as a town with a bright future at the heart of the North West, and one that has played such a significant role in Britain’s railways since 1830.
I’ll continue to keep the pressure on the rail companies to get their acts together and provide the services to match the facilities, and also to campaign for improvements to other stations in my constituency at Earlestown, Garswood and Rainford.
the Grenfell Tower fire
This is a tragedy that has shocked the whole country and it should never have happened.
I believe the Government has three overriding responsibilities: first, to ensure that everyone from Grenfell affected has the help and the rehousing they need; second, to reassure everyone living in tower blocks across the country that their homes are safe, or that work will be done to make them safe; and third, to learn the lessons from Grenfell Tower in full.
It is disappointing that Ministers have refused to commit funding for the retrofitting of sprinklers in high-rise blocks. I believe this is a neglect of Government’s responsibility to worried residents across the country. Ministers should act now and help fund these vital fire safety measures, starting with the highest risk blocks.
In October, the Home Office revised its initial offer of “limited leave to remain” for victims of the Grenfell Tower and announced a route to permanent settlement in the UK for those who qualify for leave to remain under the Grenfell immigration policy. To access all the support they need without fear of deportation, I agree that any survivors concerned about their status must be given indefinite leave to remain.
I welcome the announcement of a public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower, however I am concerned that the terms of reference does not include a commitment to look at the wider implications of social housing policy. I believe the Government should set out a clear, independent and thorough process for identifying and addressing the broader failings that led to the Grenfell fire.
recognising creativity in our towns
A ‘Town of Culture’ award would give St Helens town & our wider borough the chance to put ourselves forward to attract further investment & build on our already impressive cultural offer.
It’s a great idea by my colleague Yvette Cooper and I’ve joined MPs from the Labour Towns group in supporting this initiative.