Letter from Parliament - Simon Danczuk MP

Simon Danczuk MP

Going into a General Election I’d advise everyone to remember one simple truth. Despite the infuriating nature of ya-boo politics, the terrible Punch and Judy nature of national political debate and the low regard that people have for politicians, we cannot escape the fact that politics is the only way to solve big problems.

Whether it’s getting the best policy framework in place to grow a prosperous economy, delivering a strong National Health Service for an ageing population or tackling major crimes and ensuring children are kept safe from harm, its politicians that have to provide the solutions.

If politicians aren’t able to rise to these challenges then you get an imbalanced economy where millions of people are locked out and can’t get a proper stake in society. You get an overrun, chaotic NHS where waiting lists go up and care quality falls. And you see criminals running amok with protection agencies unable to keep children safe from serious harm.

I’ve observed all of these things happen under this Government and that’s why I’m constantly pushing for a better standard of politics. Because if politicians don’t rise to the challenge and deliver better solutions then Britain will become worse off, we’ll never be a nation at ease with ourselves and divisions and social tensions will continue to grow.

One area where I’m pleased to see progress finally being made locally is in child protection. Rochdale’s children’s services are improving, private care providers are working extremely hard to deliver better care and police are clamping down hard on offenders. On top of this, last week a Greater Manchester Police intelligence analyst won an award for her work in identifying children at risk in Rochdale. We should celebrate these improvements. They can make a world of difference to vulnerable children.

There are plenty of people in Rochdale making a big difference and I’m always keen to celebrate their achievements. In particular, I’d like to single out volunteers and fundraisers who keep great causes going. I know many people will be running the Rochdale half marathon, 10k or mile fun run this August and I’d encourage anyone doing it to consider fundraising for a local charity. From Springhill Hospice and Petrus to Animals in Distress or the Stepping Stone Project, there are plenty to choose from and I’d love to see a big local sporting event used as a springboard to fund raise for great Rochdale causes.