Speeches by McMahon.

“Oldham has always been a town of hard work and heart. It has been built, rebuilt and reinvented time and again, and is reinventing itself again now, but let us be honest: the challenges facing Oldham, Chadderton, Royton and towns like them up and down the country are significant. It has been interesting to hear the deb…”

“On the basis of the right hon. Gentleman’s argument, he must support a rise in the national living wage. That is the purest form of a contract between the employer and the employee and, of course, that money goes straight back into the local economies in the towns that he speaks about.”

“rose—”

“I will. I have heard the right hon. and learned Lady raise that point a few times, and I think it is legitimate. If the criteria do not work for the town she mentions, or for my town, or Royton or Chadderton, then the criteria are the problem, not the towns and communities that need banks. We can agree on that. In Oldh…”

“The shadow Secretary of State knows that I have a great deal of time for him as a person, but he must reflect on how all of his speech is about the rights of the landlord with absolutely nothing about the rights of tenants. In my own constituency, 600 children are in temporary accommodation, having largely been driven …”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for the co-operative sector. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner, in this important debate. I pay tribute to those leading this great movement in our co-operative societies, our mutuals and the Co-operative party, of which I am pr…”

“I think a lot of people in Britain feel as though it does not matter what they do, how hard they work or how big their contribution is; they are just not able to make ends meet or get on in life. The communities where they live have been incrementally eroded and hollowed out, and they do not feel like they are getting …”

“First, I want to say how pleased I am at the turnout for this debate. It recognises the importance of co-operation in our communities, our economy and our politics. One thing that I observe in Britain today is that many people feel, in politics, the economy and society, that they are powerless, and there is something i…”

“Oldham has stepped forward to take on a local inquiry, and it has been waiting to understand what the move to the national inquiry means for its work. The same is true of victims and survivors, whose bravery and strength in the most difficult circumstances have been truly remarkable. What arrangements have been put in …”

“The fact is that those of us who believe in co-operatives as a movement and as a principle get it, but we can be quite selfish about it, and we quite enjoy co-operatives and mutuals being the best-kept secret in the UK economy. Well, I am sick and tired of their being a secret and I want them to be mainstream. When som…”

“If it is to work, the whole of Government has to own this agenda. It is important that the Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade take a leading role, and of course, the community anchor in the MHCLG is important too, but the truth is that communities function in a dynamic way, and every bit of Government a…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I congratulate the hon. Member for Ashfield (Lee Anderson) on securing the debate. Knife crime and the gang activity that comes with it ruin lives and leave whole communities living in fear. This debate has been wide-ranging, but for Greater Manchester, and O…”

“That is very important, and it has to go alongside other interventions. Like my hon. Friend’s constituency, Oldham has an OnSide youth centre, called Mahdlo, which provides significant intervention and support for young people. It is fair to say that the world has changed since I was a child at school. The online world…”

“I understand the hon. Member is still developing his argument, but does he accept that one place young people should feel safe is in their own home? With the online world and messaging platforms, any intimidation, abuse and threats that might take place in school or on the street follow them 24 hours a day. Many parent…”

“I am afraid that with the time we have, I need to canter through. The Bill also allows mayoral development corporations to be established and for a mayoral community infrastructure levy to be charged, so that we can unlock much-needed housing and infrastructure to get Britain building once again. Thirdly, the Oppositio…”

“They absolutely had a choice. It was an invitation that 21 counties have responded to, demonstrating without a doubt that the appetite and interest for reorganisation was there within communities, and they responded in that way. This process will deliver strong, sustainable unitaries, capable of leading their communiti…”

“I thank hon. Members from across the House for their contributions to today’s important debate. The sheer number of Members who wanted to speak demonstrates how important these issues are, and the passion and enthusiasm shown by Members of this House makes absolutely clear their care for their communities, as well as t…”

“I thank the shadow Minister for his usual pragmatism and support in these matters. We all recognise the importance of Parliament having oversight of public money and making sure that it is spent fairly and appropriately, and that there are checks and balances—but it must be proportionate to the authorities that are bea…”

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Local Audit (Amendment of Definition of Smaller Authority) Regulations 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. The regulations were laid before Parliament on 16 June 2025. Local audit is vital for ensuring the proper use of taxpayers…”

“We have to accept that there are some issues here that are unique to Birmingham. For instance, many councils across England dealt with equal pay over a decade ago, and Birmingham did not, which is why the liabilities have escalated in the way they have. On the hon. Member’s fundamental point about fair funding and ensu…”