Lee Seville
UK Independence Party
Heywood & Middleton Constituency
I am a 49 year old family man who lives in Rhodes, Middleton. I have worked in the NHS since 2001 and I am a member of Unite the Union.
For the vast majority of my life I have lived in the constituency in which I am standing, first on Darnhill where my mother had lived since her teens, before moving to Birchwood Road, Middleton. During my school years I lived in Blackley until moving to Rhodes at the age of 15.
If I am chosen to represent our community I won't just be representing some distant constituents, I'll be speaking up for my friends, family and neighbours.
Standing in Heywood and Middleton means that I will go up against the Labour Party machine as I did previously during the EU referendum campaign. Then I was the Vote Leave coordinator for this area and Labour were campaigning for remain. This election campaign, just like the EU referendum campaign, will be a David versus Goliath contest.
Leaving the European Union
On 23 June 2016 in Heywood and Middleton 61% of the people voted in favour of Brexit. A lot has happened since then and the position the country finds itself in today is that Brexit negotiations are headed by people who campaigned for a remain vote.
Theresa May announced that this general election would be about a mandate to negotiate a Brexit deal but who will make sure that deal is the deal which people voted for? No deal is better than a bad deal.
This is the perfect opportunity to elect someone who is fully committed to holding the government’s feet to the fire to ensure that no backsliding on Brexit happens. Take this opportunity and ensure that together we can drive Brexit home.
Greater Manchester Spatial Framework
There is no doubt we have a housing crisis in this country brought on by a mixture of conditions, lack of investment in council house building which should have been funded by the money received from the right to buy scheme, increased immigration coupled with a natural increase in population and the lack of affordable housing. Building on greenbelt and greenfield sites is not the answer.
UKIP policy on this is simple. UKIP has always supported protecting our green spaces and encouraging developing brownfield sites. It is why we opposed the development of farmland in the Hollins Lane/Langley Lane area and it is why we will be opposing the planned development of our green spaces in Heywood, Bamford and Slattocks. To concrete over greenfield and greenbelt land shows a lack of vision from the politicians who concocted this plan.
There is no provision for extra school places or doctors surgeries and nothing about the potential pressure 250,000 extra homes will put on our local hospitals.
We only have to go to Manchester to see how once derelict brownfield sites can be transformed into beautiful vibrant places to live. This should always be the first option. I am fully behind the Save Greater Manchester Greenbelt Group and will give them all the support I can whether or not I am elected.
So, what is the answer
If elected I will campaign for investment for an increase of council house building on brownfield sites and for new council housing to be exempt from any right to buy schemes.
I will campaign for legislation to end land banking by developers which keeps house prices artificially high.
This will take away planning permission from housing developers that do not build within three years of planning permission being given. The land will be bought back under compulsory purchase and developed by the local authority or by another developer.
The other avenue that needs to be explored is the use of prefabricated housing. This type of housing is quick to assemble and has seen massive improvements and can provide a timely, common sense solution to our social housing crisis.
Defending Services
This year Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton UKIP protested outside Rochdale Town Hall against a 34% increase in councillor's allowances, including a 51% increase for the leader of the council, which was proposed by the ruling Labour group and supported by the Tories. Front line services, such as the Adult Care Services, had just been given a cut in funding putting vulnerable adults at risk.
If elected I will hold Rochdale Borough Council to account over decisions such as this. I will campaign to have Rochdale Borough Council ring fence its share of windfall payments it receives from the Manchester Airport in order to pay for the shortfall in funding for Adult Care Services. It is common sense that front line services should take priority over vanity projects.
Balanced politics
UKIP is different to other political parties because it has no party whip system. This means that what you vote for is a party of independent candidates who, if elected, will be able to work across party lines to get the best for their constituents. UKIP has drawn its membership from across the political divide; the one thing which binds us is common sense politics. I will not play party politics with people's lives.
My allegiance will be to my constituents not to my union and not to corporate business.
If I am elected my one and only concern shall be the electorate of Heywood & Middleton, of which I am one of the electorate.
I will fight to protect services and champion the NHS locally as it threatens the core NHS with the horrendous cuts we can expect from any predicted Tory landslide.
However, I will not let party politics get in the way of working with whoever is in power if it benefits the people I represent. I will work with government and the newly elected metro mayor in order to make sure the 'northern powerhouse' delivers on investment, training, quality jobs and prosperity for the people Heywood and Middleton.
Only a UKIP MP can deliver on this promise because only UKIP know that we need to sweep away the left versus right politics of the past and instead bring back some common sense to the way in which things are done.
