Labour launch their local election campaign as they aim to rebuild trust following “circus” by-election

Labour officially launched their local election campaign this week – and have vowed not to let it become “a circus” like the by-election.

Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of the council, gathered his colleagues at the Labour Club in Rochdale on Monday (8 April) and said their task is to rebuild trust with the electorate following the by-election. The now Rochdale MP George Galloway arrived in the town and pushed the agenda of the Gaza war – which led to controversy and huge national media interest in the election he eventually won by more than 6,000 votes.

The Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali saw his endorsement removed by Labour after comments he made during a meeting last year about Israel and Jewish people.

The Lancashire County councillor also blamed Jewish media fuelling criticism against a pro-Palestinian Labour MP. He did apologise for the comments, but Labour did not reinstate their support of him as a candidate.

After this, Labour were left with no candidate in the running despite previously holding the seat with Sir Tony Lloyd before his death on 17 January – which triggered the by-election.

 

 

During his speech, Councillor Emmott said: “In recent times, Rochdale has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The death of Sir Tony Lloyd robbed our town of a tireless servant for ordinary people.

“We all miss him and honour his service to the people of our town. There’s no hiding the fact that the subsequent by-election turned into a circus – both for our party and for Rochdale. We don’t shy away from it.

“One in three people who voted in the 2019 election didn’t bother casting their vote in the by-election. There are thousands of people who thought ‘none of the above’. We can’t blame them.

“For us, the task of rebuilding trust with voters started the very next day as our teams went back out on the doorstep. People are looking for something positive to vote for.

“A plan for our town – and candidates with the right values to stick up for the borough. Friends, that is what we must offer.

“Our task is to let the people of Rochdale know that we are there for them in good times and bad.

“That we are on their side – always. Protecting the vulnerable, delivering high-quality frontline services, running a tight ship and keeping costs down, bringing new investment and jobs to our town, that we are champions for Rochdale.”
 

Read more: All the candidates standing in this year's local election for the borough of RochdalePublished: 08 April 2024

The Labour leader went on to suggest that Mr Galloway was simply passing through the town using the area as “a flag of convenience for his politics of opportunism”. Councillor Emmott urged his Labour colleagues not to be side-tracked by their new MP.

 

 

Turning his attention to local matters, Councillor Emmott referenced fuel poverty, 14 years of cuts and austerity and blamed the Conservative government for families being left with the choice of ‘eating or heating’.

Referencing his council’s financial record despite claiming their budget had been reduced by £180m since 2010 (28 per cent), Councillor Emmott said: “Our decisions meant that we were able to keep our branch libraries, leisure centres and sure starts open – when so many other councils had to close theirs. I’m proud of our record – and you should be too.

“We are also in a position where this year we are giving a two per cent rebate to every household on their council tax bill. We are also proud of our borough.

“Our newly-renovated Town Hall is one of the finest – if not the finest – in the country. Last year, we won a prestigious Royal Horticultural Society award for ‘Best Small City’.

“This year our town centre has been shortlisted as a ‘Britain in Bloom’ Finalist. And as a key partner in ‘Atom Valley,’ Rochdale’s economy will benefit from thousands of new high-skill, high-wage jobs and new homes that will be built at the site.

“As we go out and talk to voters, we have tangible things to say.”

The pledges made by Councillor Emmott and the Rochdale Labour Party include:

• Free breakfast clubs and warm spaces: Ensuring every primary school child is fed before school
• Improving town centres: With masterplans for Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton town centres now in place, Labour want to focus on putting the heart back into the high street by improving public realms and reducing the number of empty shops
• Fixing potholes: They vowed to repair 30,700 potholes between 2024 and 2028
• Bulky waste: Two free bulky waste collection per year are offered by the council, and more is promised to be done to crack down on fly-tipping
• Buses: More frequent and better quality buses promised as Rochdale becomes part of the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s Bee Network
• Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour: They are working towards guaranteed patrols in the town centre and a named police officer in every community

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter