Letter from Parliament

The media is at its best when it is in investigative mode – Would President Nixon ever have been impeached and Watergate uncovered had not the Washington Post published the story?  At the moment I’m speaking to a journalist on a national newspaper about what happens to women of arranged marriages when the marriage fails. Foreign born nationals cannot easily get help yet many cannot return home. Research carried out for me recently has shown that up to 17 women in Rochdale could be sleeping rough. For humanitarian reasons alone we should be helping these women. I hope that by publishing their plight (and I do not believe Rochdale is alone in having this problem) we can get help and assistance for these women.

The Trevor McDonald 'Tonight' programme last week about the fate of A&E departments across the country is another example. This revealed that up to 50 A&E’s could face “reconfiguration” like Rochdale. More startling was their research that showed that only 50% of ambulance crews were fully trained paramedics. The fact that the clinician at Pennine Acute was not aware of this is a disgrace. Make no mistake lives will be lost. This is now not just a local campaign but a national one.

Tuesday saw the State Opening of Parliament by the Queen with a ceremony dating back to the 17th Century. Full of pomp and ceremony which is what we British do best. Following the State Opening the debate begins in the afternoon with two backbenchers opening five days of debate. Former Sports Minister Richard Caborn MP for Sheffield Central started with a lively excellent speech.  Last year when I asked him a question about funding for Rugby League he was very helpful and supportive especially towards Rochdale Hornets.

Thereafter the debate descended into a Punch and Judy knockabout between Brown and Cameron.  Such performances might make good TV but only serve in my view to alienate people from politics.   I am hoping to speak next week in the debate on Education and Health on Tuesday and get a couple of interventions in on the Pension debate on Wednesday.

I came back to Rochdale early this week for meetings with Councillor Peter Rush about the training pitch at Bowlee for Rochdale football club and to attend the Ding Quarry public meeting. I commissioned the training pitch back in 2005 when I was Leader of Rochdale Council. It really is a disgrace that over two and a half years later it is still not ready and I’ve asked for a full inquiry into who is responsible. Both Steve Parkin and currently manager Keith Hill cannot compete effectively against other clubs without adequate training facilities.

I’m very concerned about the implications of the Planning Bill introduced in the Queens Speech. It streamlines the planning requirements for major planning applications. How would/will that have affected protestors of Spodden Valley/ Ding quarry or the wind farm on Crook Hill. My guess is that it will take powers away from local councils and limit what objections local protestors can make. If that is the case then I will be opposing the bill.

This week is Remembrance Sunday and I pay tribute to all those members of the British Legion including Councillors Peter Clegg and Tom Bailey who have been out on the streets collecting for the Poppy Appeal. With so many soldiers injured in both Iraq and Afghanistan the appeal and Remembrance Sunday is more important than ever. 

Last week I spent quite a long time talking to Ian Liddell Grainger the Conservative MP for Bridgewater in Somerset. He is an ex- Fusilier Officer and spends quite a lot of time visiting the troops on the frontline. His account of the conditions they are enduring and their bravery has made me more determined to back the campaign to get our troops paid more, better looked after and their bravery recognized. This includes a medal to all those injured and a posthumous one for those who gave their lives. Stories about families having to pay to send out parcels or the cost that soldiers have to pay to insure themselves or their equipment only serve to underline just how shoddily our troops have been treated.