Heywood and Middleton constituency General Election hustings

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Four of the five parliamentary candidates fighting for the Heywood and Middleton seat in the upcoming general election got together in front of a packed church yesterday evening (Sunday 19 April) to take part in the 2015 Heywood and Middleton constituency hustings.

Labour candidate Liz McInnes, UKIP candidate John Bickley, Liberal Democrat candidate Anthony Smith and Conservative candidate Iain Gartside were questions by a packed audience at Heywood Baptist Church.

Green party candidate Abi Jackson did not attend.

To start the hustings, candidates were asked about changes to the benefits system which is causing hardship and the use of food banks.

UKIP candidate John Bickley said: “The bedroom tax is a pernicious tax. It is wrong to save a few pounds and make people move away from an area that they may have lived in for years. This is not a sign of a caring society. Food banks would not be needed if there were jobs. We should keep British jobs for British workers.”

Conservative candidate Iain Gartside said: “In terms of food banks we need to deal with benefits being delayed and sort out admin problems. We need to make sure people get the benefits they need. The government helps food banks and gives support to vulnerable people. We believe in the big society.”

Labour candidate Liz McInnes said: “It is shocking that we need food banks. I appreciate the work that they do but now even people who are in work need them. We need to look at sanctions.”

Anthony Smith, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said: “It is a disgrace that we need food banks. This increase in poverty is under Labour. The Liberal Democrats raised the minimum wage – we need to help people who are in work.”

The candidates were then questions on how they would integrate multi-agency help in Heywood.

Mr Gartside said: “Mental health has been ignored for far too long. We would help with fairer funding from central government.”

Ms McInnes said: “We would integrate mental health and social care and we will provide home care so people can leave hospital. We would also give a rate rebate for companies who pay the living wage.”

Mr Smith said: “We would increase funding for the NHS with the top priority being mental health. There would also be help for carers and we would raise pay for workers.”

Mr Bickley said: “We would raise funding for the NHS with more staff for the NHS. We would improve education and bring grammar schools and technical colleges back and get inward investment.”

Following on from the NHS, the candidates were asked how they would ensure that health services stayed locally.

Ms McInnes said: “I worked to help bring back the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening (DRS) back to Heywood. We have a building that is under used and people need local services. I would make sure health services stayed local.”

Mr Smith said: “I also worked with the group to help bring the DRS Service back to Heywood. We need to work together with local people to keep services local.”

Mr Bickley praised the efforts of Ms McInnes and Mr Smith and added: “I was at that meeting and also helped to bring the service back to Heywood. We need to keep services local and take these challenges on.”

Mr Gartside said: “We need to keep services local. Managers like to centralise but people need things locally. We need to fight the managers.”

The candidates were then questioned about the present levels of immigration and if they think we can keep the present levels.

Mr Smith said: “If we closed the borders would it solve the problem? I think we are a good, multicultural society, so as long as people work there is no problem, we have made changes so no one gets benefits for five years.”

Mr Bickley said: “We would control our borders similar to the Australian immigration system. Every country controls its borders. You would not get into Australia, the USA or most other countries without going through their immigration system. That is all we want but in the EU, everyone is allowed in. You cannot plan infrastructure if you don’t know how many people are coming in.”

Mr Gartside said: “Immigration adds value. We need a sensible approach and to clamp down on illegal immigration. Inside the EU immigration is a problem and we are the only party to offer a referendum.”

Ms McInnes said: “I am a fan of the EU. I am proud to be European. I welcome diversity so long as they work. We need to clamp down on unscrupulous companies who pay less than minimum wage.”

Following on from health issues, the candidates were questions on housing issues. They were asked about homelessness, decreased building and how they would provide more social housing.

Mr Bickley said: “We would offer a brown field building incentive and would build 1 million homes by 2020.”

Mr Gartside said: “Wen would build more homes, free up empty properties and would use the right to buy scheme and help young couples.”

Ms McInnes said: “We have seen a shocking rise in homelessness. Selling off social housing would not solve this problem. The bedroom tax, which is a cruel tax, would be scrapped.”

Mr Smith said: “We are not building enough homes. The coalition have built more social houses, brought in the own home scheme and have created conditions where houses can be built.”

The candidates were then questioned in relation to private religious beliefs. Candidates were asked is there a right to private religious belief? How should you protect Christians?

Mr Gartside said: “The government has invested to rebuild churches but all religions need help.”

Ms McInnes said: “Religion doesn’t need to be kept private, there is a right to believe or not to. I see the great work that the church does locally. Church leaders should get involved with politics to speak up for vulnerable people.”

Mr Smith said: “The state should be secular but we should protect all rights and all people.”

Mr Bickley said: “I defend your right to have a faith and to practice religion. We need to protect your right to practice yours.”

The candidates were questioned about young people in England not being encouraged to vote. The candidates were asked what they would do about this.

Mr Gartside said: “We would recruit young people to the party and encourage the young into councils, which is a good start into politics.”

Ms McInnes said: “We would give votes to 16-year-olds. They should have the right to vote. If they can work, get married, join the army, work in schools and teach politics, they should be able to vote.”

Mr Smith said: “Half of under 24-year-olds don’t vote. We would work with young people to encourage them to get involved with education.”

Mr Bickley said: “Politicians need to make politics relevant. We should teach it in schools and work with schools to visit parliament.”

Finally, the candidates were asked how they would support local school and faith schools.

Mr Smith said: “I would make sure that each child could reach their potential and would defend faith schools – I am a governor of a faith school.”

Mr Bickley said: “We would bring back grammar schools and scrap tuition fees for approved degrees if they stay in the UK to work for five years after their degree. I would defend faith schools but insist on a national curriculum and a transparent selection of governors.”

Mr Gartside said: “I support faith schools and we would invest in new schools. Education is fundamental to compete in the world.”

Ms McInnes said: “We support all schools and faith schools but we would make sure they taught about all faiths. We would reduce class sizes and get rid of unqualified teachers. We would also reduce tuition fees.”

Overall, the meeting received positive praise.

Full details of each candidate standing for the Rochdale parliamentary seat can be found at: 

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/election-summary/24/heywood-and-middleton-general-election-2015