Josh Simons MP: My priorities for you

Over the past few months, I have been listening. Every week since Parliament began, I have been meeting community groups, knocking on doors, bringing the everyone from the Police, planning officers and healthcare officials together with residents. I have spent time in every town I represent: Hindley Green and Hindley, Platt Bridge and Abram, Ashton and Bryn, Winstanley and Worsley Mesnes, Orrell and Westleigh. I was honoured to talk about some of the fantastic people I have met in my Maiden speech in Parliament.

Now, I am going to set out my priorities. These are my priorities because they are your priorities.

First, I will improve the provision of local health and dental care. We all know the Tories left the NHS on its knees, while Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, wants to privatise it. In Hindley Green and Orrell, it’s almost impossible for residents to get GP appointments without travelling further afield, often requiring private taxis. That must change. I will work with this Labour Government and our Labour Mayor to deliver new healthcare centres in Hindley Green and Orrell.

There is also a problem with dentistry provision. In Bryn, many dentists have become private, leaving hundreds without NHS dental provision. That is why I have called an urgent meeting of some of the largest dental providers across the area.

Second, I will drive forward long-overdue improvements to local transport. We have great rail links into Wigan, Manchester, and Liverpool. But these are disconnected from local bus routes, and often, getting between towns by car or bus can be infuriating. This holds back local businesses and adds extra stress for families.

I will push for the area to benefit from early trials of integrated rail, bus, and tram services across Greater Manchester. I will also push for the delivery of road upgrades and motorway extensions that have been promised, as well as reviewing our bus routes.

In Greater Manchester, Labour delivered some of the country’s first publicly owned buses through the Bee Network. Wigan borough was one of the first areas to benefit from the scheme. This means we can change where buses travel without negotiating with private companies. I will be gathering information from residents so that you can tell me where the bus network works for you, and where it could change.

Finally, I will constantly crack down on anti-social behaviour. Whether loud off-road bikes in Worsley Mesnes or Bickershaw, threatening behaviour in the centre of Platt Bridge, or fly tipping in the Flashes, anti-social behaviour has an unacceptable negative impact on our communities.

I will push local police to use powers this Government provides them with to crack down on off-road bikes, bring in new Respect orders for our high street, and bring back proper neighbourhood policing.

You will always know what I am doing on your behalf and why. I will be writing to constituents regularly, sharing updates on social media and on my newsletter, and writing regularly in this paper.

I will always be a strong voice for you in Westminster. And in the rooms where decisions are made, whether in the Town Hall, in Manchester Westminster, or abroad, I will always speak my mind on your behalf.