I aim to get and protect jobs

AFTER the year we have had who knows what 2017 has in store for us?

Obviously, British politics will be dominated by Brexit.

While it won’t be easy I believe we have to come out of Europe and that people must come together for the good of the country.

My goal as your MP will be to help protect and secure jobs and investment in Rochdale during that process.

In the Commons, one of the first pieces of legislation I will be supporting is the Homelessness Reduction Bill which will ensure more action is taken to prevent people becoming homeless.

In Rochdale, I want to help tackle town centre crime and improve the police response.

I’ll be meeting with various stakeholders to see what can be done because I know this is a real problem for both residents and businesses.

I’m also looking forward to seeing progress on the Riverside retail and leisure development. More restaurants and bars, as well as a cinema and retailers, will be a real boost for our town.

It will also be a decisive year for our region. In May, for the first time we will be electing a mayor for Greater Manchester. I will be throwing my weight behind Labour’s Andy Burnham who has a bold vision for our city region.

Labour must also show it’s a decent opposition. The next several months are going to be turbulent times – now more than ever it’s critical Labour holds the government’s feet to the fire.

Lastly, I’ll be running the London Marathon again in 2017. I’ll be raising money for a good cause and hopefully losing a few pounds in the process!