Makerfield's Labour MP Josh Simons addresses Wigan residents ahead of the May 7 local elections
Ahead of the local elections on May 7, we offered the leaders of each of the main parties standing in Wigan the chance to tell us about themselves. Today we have Labour MP for Makerfield Josh Simons.
Britain isn’t broken. Our establishment is.
I’ll be honest: I have been an MP for two years and I have been shocked at how things work.
In Westminster, your talent matters less than your connections, your love for your place less than your willingness to tow the line.
Westminster is distracted by nonsense, while the big, hard things this country needs get delayed.
For too long, Britain’s leaders have let you down.
But Reform is part of the problem.
Reform has become home to the Tories who wrecked this country.
Take Robert Jenrick. As Housing Secretary, he fast-tracked planning to benefit his developer pals.
Or Richard Tice. He ran a company that fleeced hard-working taxpayers by not paying £600,000 in tax.
The party is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Voting for these guys may stick two fingers at the establishment, but that will pass.
What lasts is what happens here in Wigan.
On Thursday, you are deciding who runs our town, not voting to change Westminster.
These people neither know nor care about Wigan.
They want our economy to be a free for all, where private equity funds buy up care homes and fracking companies blow up mineshafts.
They want to rip up our NHS, so healthcare companies make billions ripping off working people.
Things in Labour need to change.
Here in Wigan, Labour will soon have new political leadership with vision and energy for the town and determination to deliver it.
But do not let the party of billionaire donors talk down our towns.
Wigan Labour have kept council tax the lowest in Greater Manchester.
Our schools and colleges are up there with the best in the country.
Upgrades to Bee Network rail and bus routes have begun and we will soon see a big investment in Wigan’s road network..
Until we feel better off and our towns visibly improve, there’s more to do.
But it’s Westminster that needs ripping up, not Wigan.
Working with Andy Burnham and your MPs – Jo Platt, Lisa Nandy, and me - Wigan Labour will continue to be careful stewards of your tax and work to deliver for families across the borough.
Our goal is to make Labour represent the people it was created for: you.