Who gets your vote? The key policies and pledges from all the parties and independents standing in the Rochdale Council local elections

Voters in Rochdale will go to the polls tomorrow (6 May) to choose which candidates will represent them on Rochdale Council.

The council is currently dominated by Labour which holds 44 of its 60 seats. A remarkable result would be needed to loosen the group’s grip and put the council into no overall control.

The borough did, however, experience a ‘political earthquake’ in 2019, when Chris Clarkson was elected as Heywood and Middleton’s first ever Tory MP.

Whether further shocks are in store remains to be seen, but the Conservative group will hope to emulate that success and add to its nine-strong presence on the council.
 

Read more: Rochdale Council local elections 2021: All the candidates standing in your wardPublished: 14 April 2021

Labour and the Conservatives have each put up a candidate in the 20 wards that make up Rochdale Council and the Liberal Democrats have candidates standing in 18 wards.

Meanwhile the Green Party is having a real tilt at it this year, fielding 14 candidates across the borough, with environmental issues at the heart of their campaign.

The anti-lockdown Freedom Alliance will contest Balderstone and Kirkholt and there is a candidate for the Social and Democratic Party standing in East Middleton.

And, in Heywood, three independents are hoping to persuade voters to forgo the mainstream parties and back them to make the right decisions for their communities.

There is just one candidate standing for UKIP this year, in North Heywood ward, compared to 16 UKIP candidates in the last local election in 2019.

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For those floating voters out there, here are the key policies and pledges being put forward by the main parties and independents standing this time around.

Labour

The Rochdale, Pennines, Heywood and Middleton Labour Party are the only party in the borough to publish a manifesto each year. This year’s manifesto is a real culmination of our member’s ideas and ambition for the borough and each section’s pledges were devised by the members. Our manifesto is brimming with exciting polices we believe will entice the people of Rochdale to Vote Labour for the tenth year running. Please take a look at all of our policies but our five key pledges are:

1. To open a pop-up Birthing Centre, so that children can be born in Rochdale Borough again;
2. To become the most eco-friendly and sustainable Council in the country
3. To create the ‘Responsible Resident Council Tax Giveaway’ scheme.
4. For highway maintenance services to be brought ‘in-house’.
5. Rochdale Labour Party will develop an exciting masterplan for each of the Borough’s key towns.

 

Conservatives

In this election you have a clear choice – a Labour council which will raise taxes and approve unnecessary building on precious green spaces, or a local Conservative councillor who will stand against the destruction of our environment and fight to keep your taxes low.

We believe that communities should have the final say on what happens locally and you should be able to decide what happens with the hard earned money you pay in council tax.

We stand for a cleaner, greener borough. We recognise that Heywood, Middleton, Littleborough, Wardle and Milnrow are just as important as Rochdale and that a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t the right way forward.

If you’re tired of not being listened to by a Labour council who have taken your vote for granted for too long, do something different and back a candidate who will be your voice in the council chamber, not the council’s mouthpiece in your community.

 

Liberal Democrats

Our vision for Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton is based on five themes for action:

• Community pride – The redevelopment of brownfield or vacated sites for housing, proper investment in community policing and reintroducing free bulky waste collection.
• Mental health and social care – We want a mental and social health care to have the same weight and priority as physical.
• Green spaces for all – We will protect our local natural heritage. We support the campaign to make our countryside into a regional park and drive towards a low carbon, sustainable economy.
• Skills for all – We will provide people of all ages the ability to train or retrain in crafts and technologies that will help us build a vibrant local economy.
• Local jobs – We support the extension of the Metrolink – and other public transport initiatives, and deliver low or zero business rates for local businesses in their early years.

 

The Green Party

The Green Party combines policies which are right both for the wellbeing of Rochdale people now and also for the long term health of the planet. For this reason the Green Party is the party of hope.

Green Party councillors will work to solve the daily problems we all face: housing, littering, the environment and parks, speeding, highways, cycleways, education, community safety, bins, clean air, safeguarding and planning.

We will secure the earliest possible complete decarbonisation in Rochdale Borough.

We condemn the inequality and poverty inflicted on Rochdale residents: we will support ending austerity and promote greater social and financial equality.

Rochdale Green Party have a local manifesto: ‘Greening Rochdale Borough’ which goes into more detail.

 

Freedom Alliance

Laura Grabowska is standing in Balderstone and Kirkholt.

“My name is Laura Grabowska and I was born in Warsaw. I came to the UK fifteen years ago whilst travelling, and was so impressed by the country – by all its opportunities, the beauty of the countryside, and the wonderful people I met – that I decided to stay .

“I am currently employed as an associate at a warehouse. When I encountered Freedom Alliance and their commitment to personal liberty, it was like re-encountering the sense of opportunity and freedom I felt when I first came to the UK.

“I decided to stand as a candidate for Freedom Alliance as they represent genuine opposition and a real alternative to dealing with the coronavirus crisis, without compromising essential rights and freedoms.

“Freedom is a human right, and it’s crucial people are able to exercise complete freedom of choice – including medical freedom.

“I say no to lockdowns, curfews, and vaccine passports, and yes to freedom, choice, and change. I hope the people of Rochdale do, too.

“To find out more, please visit us on our website www.freedomalliance.co.uk”

 

Independent candidates

Ian Kilgannon, Martin Orson and Colin Lambert are standing in Hopwood Hall, North Heywood and West Heywood respectively.

A statement on behalf of all three reads: “We are independent candidates who truly believe in the best for our town.

“The main political parties have let down our local community, and it is time we had our independent voice back.

“We will not be controlled by a political party decision, but by what we believe is best for our town and your local people.

“Taking the decisions that are right for our community not a political party.”

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View the full list of candidates in every ward, along with candidates' personal pitches if they have submitted one, in the local election 2021 section of Rochdale Online:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections

 

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Polling stations across the borough open tomorrow (6 May) at 7am until 10pm.

The council says polling stations will be safe places to vote, but is encouraging people to wear a face covering, bring their own pen or pencil and sanitise their hands when entering and leaving.

Voters should also keep a safe distance from others when entering the polling station.

If you are unable to attend a polling station on the day of the election because you have Covid-19 symptoms or you have been asked to self-isolate, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day.

Find out more here: www.rochdale.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/Pages/voting---faq.aspx

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter