Lovely to meet with Bolton Lever Rotary Club for a Q&A in Parliament following their tour of the Palace of Westminster this week. It was great to hear what the club is up to and answer their questions about Parliament and life as an MP.

I must start by saying congratulations to Atherton’s newest councillor – Councillor Stuart Gerrard.

Yet again I have been contacted about numerous delays and cancellations on the trains going to Manchester. Having raised this directly with Northern they have failed to answer my questions and concerns, stating that current problems are due to ongoing driver training programmes.

My latest column for the Leigh Observer:

Next week, very important local elections take place across the Wigan Borough.

A few weeks ago, I asked where in Bolton West were the worst potholes. Almost 200 potholes were reported to me and I can confirm that I have passed the information onto the Council, asking that any necessary repairs are made. For those interested, Chorley Old Road had the most complaints...

Great to visit Horwich Boxing Academy on Lee Lane - this is a fantastic community club that does a lot of good work not only in developing health and fitness, but also in promoting self-esteem.

A glimmer of hope for Atherton residents affected by Wigan MBC's decision to allow a scrap metal firm to move close to houses on Chanters Industrial Estate.

I'm pleased to say that the Secretary of State has agreed to look at this application again and, for now, it's on hold.

Bolton West MP Chris Green is running the London Marathon for Fortalice, a Bolton-based refuge.

It’s the second time the MP has ran the London Marathon, having raised hundreds of pounds for Bolton Hospice last year.

After Bolton's Labour Council made their decision to build over 1,000 houses on Hulton Park, I along with Bolton Conservatives Councillors contacted Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State, to ask that he use his powers to 'call in' this application. 

Great to visit Crux Emporium in Horwich, which is rightly getting a lot of international attention at the moment! #MischiefManaged