Rochdale Liberal Democrats

Paul Rowen MP's Maiden Speech in the House of Commons

Paul Rowen (Rochdale, LDem) Hansard source

I am grateful for the privilege of being able to give my maiden speech on the Gracious Speech. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon) on her interesting exposé of Bridgend and on her comments about her community.

I am privileged indeed to represent the home town of John Bright, the town where the Co-op was founded and where the Workers Educational Association started. I pay tribute to my predecessors. Like me, Lorna Fitzsimons is a fellow Rochdalian. Though we are from different political parties, we have over the years worked well together, I latterly as leader of the council, she as the Member of Parliament. She has been a feisty campaigner. Many people remember how well she marshalled troops and former troops to fight the cause earlier this year when there was a threat to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. I know that many Lancashire Fusiliers are proud of what she did to ensure that the Royal Regiment is still here. I wish her well.

I am the third Liberal Democrat to represent Rochdale since 1970. I would like to say a few words about my predecessors. Liz Lynne represented Rochdale from 1992 to 1997. She quickly established herself as a campaigner, particularly on disability and Kashmir. It is something that I hope to take up in my time here, too. I know that, in the European Parliament, she continues to fight and speak up for freedom for Kashmir.

I pay tribute to Sir Cyril Smith, who represented Rochdale for over 20 years and who, before that, did over 40 years' service as a local councillor, alderman and mayor of Rochdale. I owe him a lot. He is the reason that I got involved in politics in 1972 when, as a 17-year-old, I took part in his famous by-election. This year, almost approaching the age of 77, he came out of retirement and fought for me. He has been a fighter all his life. The town owes him much. Many charities in the town would not be there but for his hard work. Again, I pay tribute to the work that he has done both for the town and for me.

In Sir Cyril's maiden speech, he included a reference to mill closures and the effect that yarn imports were having on jobs in Rochdale. Sadly, most of those mills have closed. Like many people in Rochdale, my father was a spinner. With typical Lancashire grit, we have pulled ourselves up and now Rochdale is beginning to motor. I was privileged earlier this year to see work start on the Kingsway industrial estate, which is the largest industrial estate in the north-west. I look forward over the next few years to that bringing improved jobs and prosperity to Rochdale.

In order for that to happen, we need support from Government. I hope that members of the Government will take heed of some of the things that we need, in particular the new bus station that was not approved this year-I hope that it will be approved next year-and the Manchester Metrolink. I have here a leaflet that was produced in 1989 by the Greater Manchester passenger transport authority. That clearly stated: "Metrolink will start running" in Rochdale "in 1992". Sixteen years later-after eight years of a Conservative Government and eight years of a Labour Government-we are still waiting. I hope that in this Session we will see progress on that. It is vital for the Oldham-Rochdale loop line-if it does not go ahead, an additional £60 million will be needed just to keep that line operational. That is a quarter of the cost of the Metrolink. The money would be much better spent on a brand-new "super-tram" system than on keeping heavy rail going.

One of the legacies of Rochdale's textile past is the Turner Brothers asbestos site in Spotland-the site of what was once the largest asbestos factory in the world. As we know, that magic mineral has since turned into a killer dust, and many Members have been involved in fighting for pension rights for some of the former employees of Turner and Newell. I want to draw attention to the importance to the town of redeveloping that site, which has been bought by developers. Residents and council members of all political parties have no problem with such redevelopment, but we are concerned that the site be redeveloped safely. I am afraid that the developer, in his dealings with the council or with residents, has sometimes been less than open. Part of the problem is that a derelict industrial site such as this falls between three agencies: the Health and Safety Executive, the local authority and the Environment Agency. The HSE has only one person in the north-west looking after dereliction issues and there is no way that she can give the site the necessary attention. The Government need to consider giving local authorities greater power to act independently to ensure that developers comply with health and safety legislation. That is vital for the Rochdale site and for sites elsewhere.

Rochdale is a vibrant, multicultural community that includes, for example, people from Ukraine, Pakistan and Poland. Our council is a beacon council for cohesion and I am pleased with the steps that it and the good people of Rochdale have taken to ensure such cohesion. We are currently participating in a housing market renewal pathfinder for Oldham and Rochdale, and later this year, we will submit a bid for wave 2 of the HMR, which will include my own ward of Milkstone and Deeplish. When Ministers receive that bid, I hope that they focus not on the bricks and mortar but on our efforts to maintain community cohesion and the natural environment. Often, what is important in maintaining viable communities is not just what one spends on bricks and mortar. Our plans require that some money be spent not just on the bricks and mortar, but on the people and the environment.

I am pleased to have been selected to speak this evening, and to have been elected to serve Rochdale. We have a tremendous reputation for having outspoken politicians who always put the town first. I am following some illustrious predecessors, and I hope to follow in the proud Rochdale tradition of representing our constituents in this House and of helping to contribute to the development of our country.