OLDHAM'S MPs have doubled down on their criticism of the Government and its 'levelling up' minister Michael Gove.

On Wednesday, The Oldham Times reported Jim McMahon, Debbie Abrahams and Angela Rayner sent a letter to Mr Gove criticising his and the Conservative Party's record on tackling inequalities at the end of last week.

They sent this as a response to the 'levelling up' minister's comments at the Conservative Party Conference, when he used Oldham as an example of an area struggling with issues such as crime, education and the economy.

But now the Labour Party trio have piled on even more criticism, each of them making an eviscerating attack of their own.

Mr McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, said: "Michael Gove has got history in Oldham. He was education secretary when 'Building Schools for the Future' was scrapped and he was justice secretary when our two courts were closed.

"You can’t level up when the economic foundations of our town are fragmented, faced a decade of cuts and lacked investment from Government in our people.

"If he’s serious about improving our town and there’s a genuine commitment to working together in the interest of the people of Oldham then it’s an open door.

"But if he’s just trying to take swipes then I’m afraid he needs to take a long look at his Government’s record in Oldham."

Ms Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: "Mr Gove’s remarks were extraordinary in the context of the swingeing cuts of over £200 million inflicted by the Tories on Oldham Council’s budgets over the last decade.

"Not to mention the way in which they've run down the NHS, schools, the police service, and targeted the most vulnerable people in society with cruel cuts to social security."

Finally, Ashton-under-Lyne's MP Ms Rayner added: "After more than a decade of failure and broken promises, no one can believe a word this incompetent Government says.

"Their rhetoric never matches the reality. Oldham Council has faced years of devastating cuts at the hands of the Conservative Government forcing them to make incredibly difficult decisions about which services to keep and to cut.

"The Conservatives have choked the life out of our high streets, slashed funding for our young people, and acres of playing fields and football pitches have been dug up and concreted over.

"There are glaring inequalities that scar our communities because of the Tories’ wrong priorities."

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Mr Gove's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are leading efforts to unite and level up all parts of the UK by empowering local leaders, boosting living standards, spreading opportunity, improving public services, and regenerating our town centres and high streets.

"The Government will publish a White Paper that will drive forward our central mission of levelling up, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK."