Heatons Post – September 2023
As GCSE, A Level and T Level results have now been announced, I hope all students got the results they had hoped for. I know results day often comes with nervous anticipation and can end in either satisfaction or disappointment, but there are so many opportunities out there to fulfil that hopefully all young people follow the path that they want. I particularly want to pay tribute to teachers and all school staff, who have spent years working in difficult conditions – with educational restructuring, the pandemic and low pay. That nervous anticipation ahead of results day is as much felt by them as it is by the students. My hat goes off to them.
Shockingly, figures released by the Labour Party show that under the Conservative government, 90% of crimes go unsolved. I regularly hear from Stockport constituents whose lives have been blighted by some sort of crime – whether it be antisocial behaviour or violent crimes. Though Greater Manchester Police do a good job, they are operating in a difficult set of circumstances following years of Conservative cuts to their budget. A Labour government will put 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on our streets, tackle antisocial behaviour, and raise confidence in our police and criminal justice system to its highest levels as a matter of priority.
Stockport Car Scheme, based out of the Heatons Centre, does an excellent job helping residents who struggle to use public transport. They take people shopping, to medical appointments and more, but disappointingly, last month, the RAC Foundation, a transport policy and research organisation, published research which showed that people that use their car for work or volunteer driving are out of pocket by an average of £6,000 a year due to out-of-date mileage rates. I have raised this issue several times over the years, including in a series of Written Parliamentary Questions, but given the stark figures presented in the RAC’s research, I will continue to press the Government when the House of Commons returns in September.
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.