Heywood councillor Alan McCarthy named as Brexit Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Bury North

Local councillor Alan McCarthy has been announced as the Brexit Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Bury North.

Councillor McCarthy spent 20 years as a Labour councillor on Rochdale Council representing West Heywood but defected to the Brexit Party in July this year. His current term as a councillor ends in May 2022.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/128907/heywood-councillors-leave-labour-party-for-independence-and-brexit-party

A fork truck lift driver, Councillor McCarthy has lived in the Heap Bridge area for 27 years with his partner and has four children and ten grandchildren.

He is an ex-commercial inspection and construction diver, with his main area of operations being the Persian Gulf and is also a former computer engineer. 

Councillor McCarthy said: “Irrespective of whether you voted to leave or remain, politics is broken and Parliament has destroyed the very meaning of democracy. The UK voted to leave in a referendum, and we haven’t done so.

“Bury North constituency voted 53.7 percent to leave the EU – so who is going to stand up for them?

“Politicians need to remember that they are elected as the voice of the people they represent. It’s time to change politics for good. What the Brexit Party is not - is a job for the boys’ party - of career politicians.

“How many times have we heard the expression ‘they’re all the same’?”

Councillor McCarthy added: “I will call for reform of the House of Lords and I pledge to scrap HS2 and divert the money to infrastructure projects in the North and Midlands. I promise to halve foreign aid spending and save £39 billion of taxpayers’ cash by leaving the EU on WTO terms.

“Student loan interest must be cut, and the BBC reformed and its licence fee scrapped.

“I believe this nation has some of the best entrepreneurial business minds across the globe and, as a nation, we can weather any storm.”

Councillor McCarthy's selection was welcomed by Brexit Party North West MEP Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, who said: “Alan is an experienced local politician who knows and cares about local as well as national issues.

“He is plainly forward-thinking and a man of sincere beliefs who will be an asset to the Brexit Party.”

The Brexit Party currently has 635 approved candidates, 425 who have been allocated constituencies across the country.

So far, 300 prospective parliamentary candidates have been publicly named with more to be revealed over the following weeks. 

Earlier this month, former council leader Colin Lambert was named as the Brexit Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Heywood and Middleton.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/129529/former-council-leader-colin-lambert-named-as-local-brexit-party-prospective-parliamentary-candidate