Latest news with #TimRoca
BBC News
6 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Collapsed road repairs could cost £1m, say council
A rural road linking two major towns in Cheshire and Derbyshire could cost £1m to repair, with repairs potentially set to take until next B5470, between Macclesfield and Whaley Bridge, was shut in January after part of the carriageway collapsed following heavy East Council said it has now finished on-site investigations and is working on a repair plan, with an initial estimate suggesting it could cost around £1m to in the area, along with the MPs for Macclesfield and High Peak, have previously raised concerns about the closure of the road. In an update, Cheshire East Council said it expects detailed plans on the repairs to be completed by October, with work set to begin in late autumn and completion flagged for either late winter or early authority said it expects to provide more detailed information on construction dates and costs in September."We understand that working in the Peak District during the winter is not ideal due to the weather," the council said."However, we have decided to proceed with the work to get the road reopened as soon as possible, rather than delaying construction until 2026."The road's closure was highlighted in Parliament in May, with Macclesfield MP Tim Roca describing the disruption to residents as "profound" and High Peak's Jon Pearce describing the closure as a "nightmare" for many residents. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
Times
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Gender-critical activists branded ‘swivel-eyed' by Labour MP
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of failing to deal with his party's 'ongoing women problem' after it emerged a Labour MP called gender-critical activists 'swivel-eyed'. Tim Roca described the For Women Scotland Supreme Court judgment on the definition of sex in law as 'very depressing' and said those who support the sex-based rights of women were 'not very well people'. The comments were made during a talk Roca, the first Labour MP for Macclesfield, gave this month at an event called Queering Academia hosted by the University of Westminster. In response, Susan Smith, a director of For Women Scotland, said it was an 'appalling' comment for an MP to make. 'I'm assuming by 'swivel-eyed transphobes' he is referring to women's rights activists,' Smith said.
Telegraph
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Transphobes' are swivel-eyed loons, says Labour MP in leaked audio
A Labour backbencher has been filmed deriding 'transphobes' as 'swivel-eyed' and suggesting they are 'not very well people'. Tim Roca described the Supreme Court judgment on trans rights as 'very depressing' and rejected his own party's stance that it had brought 'clarity'. In a leaked recording, obtained by The Telegraph, he also said Parliament was a 'toxic cesspit' and other MPs were motivated by 'fear, envy, greed'. Mr Roca was elected as the first ever Labour MP for Macclesfield last year, winning a seat which had been represented by the Tories since 1918. He made the remarks during a talk he gave earlier this month at an event hosted by the University of Westminster, called Queering Academia. 'I think actually the UK has now really gone down the rabbit hole into the way the United States discusses issues of gender, race, poverty, all of that,' he said. 'So if we can bring the debate back into being one based on rationalism and compassion – and actually as we know, the facts – I think that's a much better place for all of us to be. 'What we can't be, is we can't look like the alternative version of the transphobes. The best argument against them is a conversation with them, because they look swivel eyed and honestly, they're not very well people, I don't think, the ones that I've met. 'So we have to make sure, as passionate we are, that we're talking passionately but sensibly and bringing people around.' Mr Roca has described himself as 'Macclesfield's first openly gay' MP and said his first act on getting the job last year was to join the town's Pride march. He said 'the most toxic element' of his campaign to get elected were the 'anti trans voices', claiming he had been heckled and had 'stuff thrown at me'. Speaking at a panel event titled Leading While Queer, he attacked the Supreme Court judgment that womanhood is legally defined by biological sex. He also criticised Baroness Falkner, the outgoing Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and said Labour MPs were pushing for a pro-Trans replacement. Baroness Falkner came under attack from left-wing backbenchers after the watchdog issued guidance in light of the verdict banning trans women from female toilets. 'I challenged the equalities watchdog after that very depressing Supreme Court judgment,' the Macclesfield MP said. 'The EHRC is clearly led by somebody who is not a friend of our community. In my view, I want to make sure the next head of the EHRC is somebody who is a friend of our community. 'And I've got colleagues in Parliament who are working really, really hard on that. But challenging the EHRC interim guidance, which is appalling, was really, really important.' He disputed that the judgment had brought 'clarity', saying it had 'caused fear and incredible uncertainty and…undermined protections' for trans people. In doing so he was directly contradicting the Prime Minister, who said in the immediate aftermath of the verdict that he welcomed the 'real clarity' it brought. During his speech Mr Roca was also critical of his Tory predecessor, David Rutley, as a 'terrible Member of Parliament', singling him out for his Mormon faith. 'Hogwarts by the river' He said that he had been 'struck by how toxic Parliament is' being re-elected and said the building itself favoured those who were privately educated. 'You've got the full gamut of human qualities there – the most amazing people really fighting for incredible principles and values,' he said. 'You've also got people who are motivated by fear, envy, greed, all sorts. And it's a bonkers building, it's like Hogwarts by the river. 'Buildings shape how you function very, very often, and if you're educated in Oxbridge or a public school, Westminster feels perfect for you.' At one point during a question and answer session Mr Roca also appeared to oppose his own party's policy of lowering the voting age to 16. In the remarks, made before Angela Rayner unveiled reforms this week to extend the vote to 16-year-olds, he said the change risked benefitting Reform. He said that while Nigel Farage had boosted his popularity with the young on social media sites like TikTok, content produced by Labour MPs was 'pretty naff'. 'I'm really worried [about] the number of young people who really like Reform,' he said. 'We need to be alive to the risk of Reform, alive to the risk of money like Elon Musk's flooding our political system. 'I want there to be another Labour government, but I think we need to have a system that's ready for the challenges that Reform pose as well.' The video was passed on to the Telegraph by James Esses, a psychotherapist, campaigner and founder of Just Therapy. He said: 'For an elected member of Parliament to speak with such disdain for the Supreme Court, the Chair of the EHRC, and those across society concerned about the impact of gender ideology on women's rights and child safeguarding, is shocking. 'However, my gut tells me that this is how your average Labour MP thinks and that should concern us all.'
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Cheshire road linking two towns suffers second collapse
A second section of a rural road linking two towns has of the B5470 between Macclesfield and Whaley Bridge has been shut since January, when heavy rain caused a East Council said there has been a "small collapse of the bank" on the diversion route because of a failed drystone wall, and said it appears to be "unrelated" to the previous said it expected this section to be repaired by the end of July and temporary traffic lights were in place. Residents and businesses in the village of Kettleshulme close to the first collapse site previously told the BBC it was having a "massive impact" on their MP Tim Roca had raised the issue in Parliament and described the disruption as "profound".Cheshire East Council said the repair on the second collapsed section, near Reed Bridge, was being treated as a "top priority" because of its position on the diversion route. Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "We fully understand the public's concern about this latest road slip, but it is far smaller than the previous landslide on the B5470 and appears unrelated to it."He added the authority was investigating why the second collapse has happened."We are now repairing this road section in Kettleshulme and expect to complete it by the end of July – subject to further investigations," he said."This work only requires traffic management to be in place though, rather than a full road closure. "Councillor Goldsmith added that engineering works at the site of the earlier collapse were the council said it cannot yet provide reopening date for this section of the road. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Danes Moss: MP praises fight against housing plan on peatland
An MP has praised campaigners for their "passion and perseverance", after a council scrapped plans to build almost 1,000 new homes in East Council is to look into alternative proposals for Danes Moss in Macclesfield after environmental campaigners fought the site sits on important peatland and, ahead of the meeting, officers had said the proposals "cannot be fully reconciled" with the council's peat and carbon MP Tim Roca said the campaigners' work had been "inspiring". The original proposals for the site, known as the South Macclesfield Development Area, included 950 homes, a supermarket and a link road. 'Future generations' The council owns 55% of the site while Barratt Homes owns about 41%.Campaigners had been calling for no building there because of the amount of valuable peatland, although it has been earmarked for development since provides an important ecosystem because of its ability to store vast amounts of carbon, as well as its role in flood management. It also supports various habitats of animal and plant its power to capture carbon, it prevents it from going into the atmosphere and therefore reduces if damaged, peatland can actually release greenhouse gas emissions into the voted to withdraw the plans and look for alternatives at a meeting earlier this said campaigners had worked "incredibly hard"."Their passion and perseverance has been inspiring and I've been proud to back the campaign - pushing the council and Barratt Homes to rethink," he future of the site remains uncertain, however."We need to stay alert to any future proposals that could put the site at risk," the Labour politician said."I'll keep standing with the community to make sure Danes Moss is protected for future generations."Nick Mannion, the leader of the council, said: "We must strike a balance between sustainable development and the preservation of our natural habitats." See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
