Time for Change: Open and Honest Communication from Our Elected Representatives

This weekend’s revelations about the inexcusable actions of local MP Andrew Gwynne have reinforced a growing and deeply concerning pattern—where our elected representatives say one thing in public and another in private.

This weekend’s revelations about the inexcusable actions of local MP Andrew Gwynne have reinforced a growing and deeply concerning pattern—where our elected representatives say one thing in public and another in private.

As an independently owned media group with no political affiliations, Not Really Here Group—publisher and owner of The Tameside Reporter, Glossop Chronicle, Oldham Reporter, and Tameside Radio—has decided that we can no longer provide a platform for weekly columns from our local MPs.

For too long, these columns have been little more than carefully crafted public relations exercises, dressed up as genuine engagement with the communities our MPs claim to serve.

We believe our newspapers, radio station, and digital platforms should not be used as vehicles for self-promotion or political spin. Instead, we are committed to ensuring that the people of Tameside and Glossop receive real accountability, transparency, and open dialogue from those elected to represent them.

Today we have informed all relevant MPs that while we will no longer publish their written columns, they are welcome to take part in live or recorded interviews on Tameside Radio, or meet directly—either remotely or in person—with our publishers and editor to discuss matters of public interest. If our MPs have something to say, they should say it openly, on the record, and be prepared to answer real questions from real people.

But we are not stopping there. In March, we will be launching ‘Ask Your Councillor’, a regular feature that will give our readers, listeners, and online followers the opportunity to put their questions to local councillors via our platforms.

These questions will be published on our website and featured in our newspapers, ensuring that all elected officials have the chance to address public concerns, explain their work, and demonstrate their commitment to the people they serve.

This is not about politics. It is about trust.

We firmly believe that the relationship between elected representatives and the communities they serve should be built on honesty, transparency, and direct engagement—not scripted columns designed to control the narrative. If our MPs truly stand by their words, they should have no issue speaking directly to the people who elected them.

This is Your Voice. Your Community. Your Vote. And we will always fight to ensure it is heard.