Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Executive Leader's Blog

Get Ready Now for the GM Clean Air Zone

Friday, 03 December 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

As you may already be aware, the emergence of the new “Omicron” variant of coronavirus has led the government to announce the reintroduction of protective measures starting from this week.

Listening to Young People to Build a Better Future

Friday, 26 November 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

The coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic effect on all of us, but the impact has perhaps been the most profound on our young people.

Bringing Communities Together in Tameside

Friday, 19 November 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

Last weekend communities across the borough came out to hold services and ceremonies to pay our respects to those brave men and women, both from Tameside and further afield, who laid down their lives for their country in the First World War, the Second World War and all the conflicts since.

A New Approach to Tackling Poverty in Tameside

Friday, 12 November 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of joining a number of residents, partner organisations and community groups for the launch event of the Tameside Poverty Truth Commission at the 4C Centre in Ashton.

All On Board Better Buses for Greater Manchester

Thursday, 04 November 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

Greater Manchester needs better public buses. As our city region has grown – from 2.5 million in 1992 to almost 3 million today – our infrastructure has not kept up at the rate we need to match our ambitions.

Tameside Deserves Better Than This Budget

Thursday, 28 October 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

Yesterday afternoon the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced the Budget Autumn for 2021. As I’ve written in this blog before, we stand at a critical point for Tameside and the country as a whole.

Fighting Poverty and Rejecting Austerity

Friday, 22 October 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

Last Sunday was International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a time to recommit ourselves to ending persistent poverty wherever it may exist in the world. It is an issue that has become particularly significant since coronavirus spread across the globe.

Ending Hate and Gender Violence in Tameside

Friday, 15 October 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

This week is National Hate Crime Awareness Week, and we stand together to send a simple but powerful message. A message that says regardless of your race, regardless of your religion or beliefs, regardless of your disability, sexuality, gender, or trans reassignment, you should be able to live in Tameside in safety and harmony.

Championing Inclusive Growth at Full Council

Friday, 08 October 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

On Tuesday evening we held our regularly scheduled meeting of Full Council in the familiar surroundings of Dukinfield Town Hall. The event gave us the opportunity to begin discussing what we want life after the coronavirus pandemic to look like.

A Cruel and Unjust Cut

Tuesday, 28 September 2021 / Posted by: Executive Leader

Universal Credit doesn’t work. Not only does it fail to protect people from severe financial difficulty, in many cases its complex bureaucracy and punitive sanctions regime actually forces them away from the job market altogether.