Taking on everyday nonsense | Burnley MP Oliver Ryan column

Hello everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well. Before I get carried away with the rest of my column, I just wanted to remind everyone of my supermarket surgery at Asda Burnley this weekend, just off Princess Way. I'll be there from 10am - 12pm and anyone is welcome to drop by!

This week Parliament is back from recess, and personally, I think it’s time to get the job done. That's why I've spent this weekend ironing my shirts, and getting my suits back ready for action. I’m looking forward to the slow march towards the C-word, although I think it might be slightly too early to say chr*stm*s in the column just yet…

As Parliament closed for the summer, we saw some major changes to the team running the country. Since then, we’ve seen a number of new policies announced, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the work ahead.

But I’m often asked: seeing the headlines is all well and good, but what does all this actually mean for us?

News that we’re taking railways back into public ownership or that small boat arrivals have fallen to a seven-year low can sometimes feel a little removed from everyday life here in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield.

So, here are some of the day-to-day pieces of nonsense we’re taking on.

Cowboy builders.

We’ve all heard the horror stories. You pay someone to do some work on your home, only for them to fail to deliver what they promised, leaving you with a half-finished job and a hefty bill.

Dodgy builders can cost people thousands of pounds. Think about retirees who simply don’t have another savings safety net to fall back on. Think first-time buyers who have finally managed to get a foot on the property ladder, only to have the rug pulled out from under them. Think families who have spent years saving for their dream kitchen, only to see it all fall apart.

It’s time we took on these cowboy builders once and for all.

We’re going to make sure that when you pay for building work, your money can be held safely and only released when the job has been done properly. It will also be easier to identify reputable builders, so trusted tradespeople can show customers that they do things properly.

There are some cracking builders, electricians and plumbers across Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield. They shouldn’t have their entire industry dragged down by the people you can’t trust.

And that’s not all.

From this week, school uniforms are cheaper. We’ve put legislation in place so schools are now limited in the number of branded items they can expect parents to buy. It’s the same uniform, but for less money.

Better yet, we’re taking on another bit of everyday nonsense: subscriptions.

We’ve all looked at our bank account and spotted a subscription that used to cost £5, only to discover it’s now costing £10 because a contract has automatically renewed.

Quite frankly, it’s not on.

That’s why we’re bringing forward plans to make subscriptions easier to cancel and ensure companies are upfront when contracts automatically renew at a higher price.

I’ve heard what people have said about our Government previously: how will these changes actually make a difference to me day to day? Honestly, it’s a fair question.

And I hope that, finally, we’re delivering the kind of practical changes that make a real difference to people here in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield.

As always, if you need any help or have an issue, you can attend a drop-in with a caseworker between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Thursday, at my office at 5 Grimshaw Street. If that doesn’t work for you, you can email me at [email protected].