MP Debbie launches fairness campaign

CLOSING the gap . . . Debbie Abrahams MP, front right, launches the Oldham Fairness Commission

CLOSING the poverty gap between Oldham’s richest and poorest communities is the aim of Debbie Abrahams’ new initiative.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP has launched the Oldham Fairness Commission (OFC) backed by a range of leaders from the town’s public, private and voluntary sectors.

Speaking at the launch at Oldham’s Link Centre, Mrs Abrahams said: “Many inequalities persist across Oldham.

“One shocking example is that there is a more than 11-year life expectancy gap between men in the most and least deprived parts of the borough.

“Why there are around 14,000 children in Oldham living in poverty?

“Why, in Oldham, there are around 16 per cent of people with no qualifications whereas the average is 10 per cent nationally?

“There is strong evidence that fairer, more equal, societies benefit us all, and that many of these inequalities are not fixed or inevitable.

“That’s why our Oldham Fairness Commission is aiming to identify and address what may be contributing to local inequalities in education, employment and income, and to define action to address these issues through our local partners and beyond.”

Norman Stoller, who has donated £1 million to help young people get appropriate vocational training and qualifications, supports the commission’s aims

He said: “I welcome Debbie’s initiative to so publicly pull Oldham’s leaders together to identify real actions to deliver positive results.

“Progress in Oldham is made by doers, and it takes more than just talking to make a difference to people’s lives.

“This is a great example of where hard working people with a variety of skills, who are willing to accept the challenge of change, have come together to find new and better ways to make progress.”