Government Ministers hit the campaign trail in Rochdale

Housing Minister Caroline Flint on the campaign trail with local councillors.

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Rochdale residents received a surprise visit over the weekend as two Government ministers took to the streets to speak to people on their doorsteps about the issues that matter to them.

Housing Minister Caroline Flint MP and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham MP canvassed residents in the Milkstone and Deeplish Ward prior to the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson MP, paying the area a visit to name the new Nye Bevan health centre in the afternoon.

Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, who organised the visit, said afterwards that he was pleased to see Rochdale getting attention from senior Government ministers and that the session had been very useful. “It’s not often that you get three senior Government ministers walking around the streets of Rochdale in one day,” he said. “I want the concerns of people in Rochdale to be heard at the heart of Government and I was delighted to see people take this opportunity to tell Ministers what changes they want to see in Rochdale.”

Among the issues discussed on the doorstep with local residents included anti-social behaviour, heating bills, sports provision and housing related support for people with disabilities.

The Housing Minister, Caroline Flint MP, advised a number of people how to get free cavity wall and loft insulation under new Government measures in preparation for the winter and also discussed problems people were having with housing related support and anti social behaviour. She said it was “disappointing” to hear that Rochdale Council had recently been awarded zero stars for their Supporting People programme and urged people to hold their local council to account for not delivering services that had received generous Government funding.

“A lot of money has gone into housing related services under the Supporting People programme. There can be no excuses, your council must do better,” she said.

On the issue of anti-social behaviour, which was raised by a number of residents, she said the Government must protect communities from being blighted by the mindless actions of a minority but warned that the Liberal Democrats constantly opposed tough measures to tackle these problems.

“We recognise that far too many communities are blighted by anti-social behaviour but it’s worth looking at how your Liberal Democrat MP voted on anti-social proposals by the Government,” she said. “A lot of Lib Dem councillors talk tough about doing more to protect people from anti-social behaviour. But then their MPs constantly vote against measures such as toughening up the laws to take alcohol away from children and dispersal orders that stop the public being harassed and intimidated by gangs of youths.”

Returning to Rochdale for the second time this year, Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham, said he always enjoyed visiting the Borough.

He spoke to a number of youngsters in the street about existing sporting opportunities in Rochdale and promised to return in the next few months to see what he could do to help the area improve its sports facilities.

“To see youngsters talking to a Government minister in the street about their love of sport is a great example of what politics should be about,” said Rochdale Councillor Ibrar Khan afterwards. “The Minister is renowned for his own love of sport and seemed to really understand where the youngsters were coming from. I’m pleased that he’s promised to return because we need help in getting better facilities to take kids off the streets.”