Political opinion with Josh Simons MP: Giving power back to local people
Last week I visited the friends of Hindley Chapel Cemetery, to speak to them about the work they do. It is a group of hard-working, community minded neighbours who care about their area and want to work to make it better for everyone. They are proud of their community, their town, and our country.
I also gave my speech on the English Devolution Bill and voted in favour of it in Parliament. This Bill is about changing that. It means that the powers that Andy Burnham has as Mayor of Greater Manchester are confirmed and extended, and they will be copied around the country.
Both of these things are about the pride we have in our towns and our local areas. And they are about the power that you have over them.
For too long, power in Britain has been really centralised, much more than elsewhere in the world. Lots of anonymous people making decisions in London, and not enough decision making here in Wigan by local people with skin in the game.
Already, having the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has meant a much improved and publicly owned bus company in the Bee Network, which I know many of you use every day. It’s also let us trial new ways of getting people back into work and building skills for local people, and it means there’s a strong voice here in the North who is always fighting for you and for the area to thrive - not just in the centre of Manchester, but helping to improve things for us here in Wigan too. Andy Burnham joined me at a flooding meeting in Platt Bridge recently where we both promised to work together and use all of our influence to get flood prevention action going.
I know that often, local people will ask me who is in charge of something, and the answer will be confusing. On things like the East-West link road that I want to see built, or flood defences, too many decisions are still being made at the top, and not enough choice and power is being given to the Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
It’s right for local people to have a say over what happens around them. That’s why I’m glad the Council has introduced new powers which mean they have a say over new Houses of Multiple Occupation, so they can control where they go.
Pride in our local area and power to change it go hand in hand. That’s why more devolution is a good thing for Wigan and a good thing for you.
I will always try to be an MP who listens to what matters to you, and sweats the small stuff as well as the big - from sorting the potholes and speeding, to trying to deliver major road and flood defence projects.