‘Poorhouse’ deal decried

Jim McMahon

OLDHAM MP Jim McMahon today labelled the Northern Powerhouse as “Poorhouse”, breaking ranks from Greater Manchester counterparts.

Mr McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, refuses to hold his punches when discussing the deal which will see Greater Manchester have its own directly-elected mayor ­— with the region getting £1billion-worth of powers over transport, housing, planning and policing.

Despite signing the first of several deals with George Osborne in November 2014, while leader of Oldham council, Mr McMahon used his maiden speech in the Commons in January to criticise the devolution deal.

In an impressive and memorable speech, he urged the government to make sure towns like Oldham are considered when money and power is devolved to the region and added that, while he believes in devolution, he wants to see a settlement with genuine powers and resources being devolved.

And, at an event today, Mr McMahon said: “The chancellor’s so-called Northern Powerhouse feels more like a Poorhouse in towns like Oldham where the government is devolving responsibilities whilst cutting resources to the bone. Done right, devolution can empower our communities. Done wrong, it’s just cover for cuts.

“In Oldham, people aren’t impressed by hollow political branding. George Osborne’s rhetoric goes down badly because it does not come with real freedoms or with genuine financial reform.”

Mr McMahon was speaking at a Housing the Powerhouse event, organised to launch a new report on the future of development in Greater Manchester.

The report, published by Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners planning consultants, looks at what can be learned from Greater Manchester’s economic growth over the past 20 years and what it needs to do to next as the engine of the Northern Powerhouse.

Mr McMahon said: “A priority for housing policy should be to get more out of some of Greater Manchester’s private landlords in return for the Housing Benefit they receive.

“In Oldham, too many are happy to take Local Housing Allowance payments while letting their tenants’ homes fall into ruin. Housing the Northern Powerhouse must mean tackling problems like that.”

Yesterday Mr McMahon spoke at an International Workers’ Memorial Day event, remembering those who lost their lives at work or through work-related illnesses in the past year.