Christopher Baksa
UK Independence Party
Rochdale Constituency
I’d like to tell you a bit about myself and the value I can add to the town of Rochdale.
I was born and grew up in Todmorden, although after joining the Navy straight from leaving secondary school l left at the age of 18 to live in South Africa, but my roots have always been in this country.
I came back to live here permanently in 2000 and have previously served as a councillor and as vice chairman for the Todmorden Patients Participation Group.
I will bring all the qualities I have acquired in my professional career as a managing director for companies in South Africa and Hungary, as well as the persistence and confidence I have learned in my own personal life experiences.
Of course there is more to be learned, and I hope to be guided by the more experienced members of UKIP to enable me to possibly serve as the MP for Rochdale and surrounding areas, representing the community to the best of my ability.
The community of Rochdale is encouraged by what has been accomplished by UKIP. I will endeavour to continue this positive move forward, keeping the objectives of the party in mind, building up a minimum standard for the community of Rochdale, not just for the present but for the years to come. Establishing a town that is progressive, involved, and trustworthy and which adds value to the lives of the people who live in here.
The team of United Kingdom Independence party members in Rochdale, who will be a large part of the election process, will show talent, innovation and above all optimism for the future of the United Kingdom Independence Party and Rochdale.
The United Kingdom Independence Party, in Rochdale, will work with the local people, the local government to improve and grow our town. We won’t play politics with the long-term future of Rochdale, but will work to get it right.
This town faces challenges which are complex and interconnected and hard work, forward thinking, innovation and research is required.
We need to address the issues of drug abuse, family breakdown, poor public space, crime, and develop ideas for a school leaver programme which encourages public service, self-respect and good values.
Planning and Greenbelt
I need to meet the challenges facing us in order to earn the respect and trust of the community of Rochdale. One of my concerns is the TBA site, the fact is this site has been declared contaminated years ago.
We all have a responsibility, as individuals, parents, families, entrepreneurs and residents. By empowering the members of the community, and sharing responsibility, I believe we would achieve a stronger society with good values.
Meritocracy
UKIP believes in supporting and encouraging the gifted in society to the utmost. We support local entrepreneurs and local business, especially those which support local communities. We believe that the successful, the strongest and most gifted in our society should shoulder the burden to help support those less fortunate, the elderly, and the sick.
Defence
UKIP will always put the defence of our country and our citizens before the interests of others. We seek to strengthen ties with our brothers and sisters in Commonwealth countries as well as playing a leading role within NATO. We are and will remain a permanent member of The UN Security Council.
UKIP will ensure that our armed forces will receive fair pay and the best equipment. In addition, our veterans will always be properly rewarded and cared for in return for their services to our country. We are fully committed to maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent.
We will immediately re-establish control over our seas and the waters surrounding our country. This includes the fishing rights which belong to our fishermen and our people.
Immigration
The policy of free movement of people across an expanded EU of vastly unequally living standards has, in the past decade, caused great resentment in many parts of Britain.
The British working class and existing immigrant communities have been disproportionately negatively impacted by EU free movement, especially in the past decade of rapid EU expansion. It is a scandal that most Labour politicians fail to acknowledge this fact and, in some cases, champion the very policy which has harmed Labour’s traditional supporters.
We recognise that our health service, social services and education, as well as our infrastructure, are all struggling to cope with growing demands. UKIP would seek to limit immigration by controlling those who are allowed to enter our country, who take advantage of our social benefits. We are not against immigration but would put systems in place to ensure that only individuals with those skills we need would be allowed to enter then to settle here. We are against the free movement of people from the EU. They are unfairly favoured over others coming from, for example commonwealth countries.
The vast majority of English people want the Conservative, Labour and the Liberal Democrat policy of free migration to end - and the vast majority of those striving to bring it to an end are UKIP supporters
NHS, social care and other essential services
We support the NHS free at the point of delivery for our UK citizens and would commit funds made available from a reduced foreign aid budget and from EU charges (when we finally get free from them) to front line NHS and social care services.
Overseas visitors would be expected to pay for their treatment in just the same way as UK citizens are expected to pay for treatment overseas. We believe in a National Health Service – not an International Health service.
Roads and Infrastructure
We are against HS2 and believe the money should be better spent on local infrastructure like improving our trunk roads and motorway and rail links between west and east sides of the country up here in the north.
Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have no policies or answers to outsmart UKIP; they are lost parties whose leaderships have not only mislaid the compass but the map as well.
