Stockport Express – September 2023
With the beginning of a new school year in September comes new challenges for pupils, from picking subjects to preparing for exams. But what children, and their teachers and parents, should not be worrying about is the risk of their school collapsing due to crumbling concrete.
And yet this is the point that 13 years of Conservative incompetence has brought us to, with over 150 schools being unable to reopen after an urgent alert went out regarding the danger posed by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). Years of Conservative neglect of our public infrastructure has eroded even the most fundamental of services – such as the education of children – and now the chickens have come home to roost.
Unfortunately, it is students, parents and staff who are paying the price. Rishi Sunak doubled down on the decision of previous Conservative governments to axe Labour’s successful school rebuilding scheme.
Whilst he was chancellor, spending on school building plummeted by 41 per cent, in spite of reported warnings from officials about the safety implications of these cuts. That’s why Labour forced a binding vote on September 6 to release documents that show what the Prime Minister knew about the risks posed to children by dangerous concrete before slashing school rebuilding programmes.
Back in the House of Commons after the end of summer recess, I was glad to be able to contribute to an important debate about the government’s decision to close almost 1000 rail ticket offices throughout the country, including all three in Stockport constituency. I share the concerns of many Stockport residents about the impact these closures will have on passenger accessibility, safety and jobs in our community, and will continue to press the government on this matter.
I was delighted to officially start the Hatters Half Marathon organised by the Stockport County Supporters Cooperative at Edgeley Park in September. Thank you to all the volunteers, organisers and sponsors whose hard work made this event such a brilliant success!
I also visited Stockport Credit Union this month, and would like to highlight the important services that this organisation provides for people in our community. Members are able to borrow money from pooled deposits at low interest rates, and access other forms of support, so there are a number of benefits to signing up.
As ever, if you live or work in Stockport constituency, please do not hesitate to contact me at navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk or 0161 480 0833.
