David Clayton
Liberal Democrat Party
Kingsway Ward
I am 53 years old, married to Jane and we have three children, Catherine 26, Shaun 24 and Mark 20.
We live in the centre of Kingsway ward at 31 Deepdale Avenue, near Morrison's.
I have been a teacher for nearly 30 years and giving our young people a strong voice is one of priorities. Here in Rochdale, our young people are being let down by Labour. Educational attainment in our Borough is getting worse and I want to be in a position to do something about it. The Liberal Democrat 'pupil premium' - basically giving our schools more money for every child eligible for free schools meals has seen millions poured into our Borough. Labour have squandered this money and let down our young people as a result. I want to be in a position to do something about this. Last minute electioneering by Labour - announcing extra funding for apprenticeships simply doesn't cut the mustard.
I first stood for Council and was elected Councillor for Milnrow and Newhey over 25 years ago.
When I moved to the Kingsway area, I represented our area for a proud 8 years.
When I look at politics in this Town I despair.
Labour are in chaos - not least because of the antics of Simon Danczuk MP. Whilst he's being getting up to all sorts - he's been fully supported by some of the same old faces - Councillors Richard Farnell, Allen Brett and Neil Emmott. It's no wonder our Borough is seen as a 'basket case', one of the 'most deprived' in Britain and the 'most declining' Is this what we want or what we deserve?
You just have to take a walk around our area to know how much Labour are letting us down.
Our pavements and roads are in the worst state for a generation. No amount of last minute promises to fix our broken roads and pavements will convince me they'll actually do this. I've been around long enough. I've heard it all before. That's why I back the sensible manifesto commitment by the Liberal Democrats to put the Townships in charge of sorting this. By raising extra money through sharing Council Services with other authorities and investing in our Townships - we can get to grips with Labour's neglect.
I also back the Liberal Democrat plans to get rid of the Police and Crime Commissioner. This has been a failed experiment and costs Greater Manchester Police an estimated £5 million per year. Politics should not be at the top of policing and I'm afraid - our area is less safe since Tony Lloyd - a Labour old boy took charge of our police. This has led to politically motivated decision making at the top of our force. We will scrap this and invest the money in front line policing.
Rochdale is at the heart of the 'Northern Powerhouse' our young people should be equipped with the right skills and qualifications to ensure we take full advantage of this. With Labour in charge, I'm not convinced we have the best chance to take advantage.
Finally can I remind all those Conservative minded voters that until we replace our unfair electoral system they might end up letting in the Labour man through the back door.
Rochdale desperately needs opposition and scrutiny.
At the moment, that is not provided by the Conservatives who have been quite frankly hopeless.
Our Town needs Liberal Democrats to give it a fresh start.
Please use your vote carefully.
