Call for independent councillors

A call has gone out for members of the public to stand as independent candidates for the council in next year's local elections. Disillusionment with the three political parties, and particularly the ruling Lib Dems locally, is rife and a debate on the Rochdale Online message board shows support from the public with "predictable" opposition from activists of the established parties.

Ken Hall sets out his view of independents, though his idea of a 'party' of independents, it has been pointed out, runs the risk of simply creating another party.

Another poster says: "Prominent, non-political individuals campaigning on a platform of openness, honesty and anti-sleaze could do very well."

Former councillor Lynne Brosnan added: "If there was a group of Independents they could agree to take up issues on behalf of the communities they represent and agree not to be governed by the whip. It would be an interesting scenario as the main parties would not know who was going to vote for what. Independents could be quite powerful if there was enough of them."

Asked if she would consider standing as an independent, Ms Brosnan said: "It's getting mighty tempting!"

A sentiment that won support from Keith Barker and current councillor Ann Metcalfe who said: "Go for it girl! You've got common sense, broad shoulders, experience and you are most certainly nobodies fool.

I for one would welcome working with you as we have in the past."

Former Labour Party activist - until he fell out with the Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate - Steven Burke highlighted the difficulties: "It is always going to be difficult for an Independent to campaign for election to the Council, as those with any campaigning experience are either in a political party or on a single issue campaign, for example, wind farms.

"So if you don't have a party to round out your campaigning platform you end up trying to widen your views beyond your experience and knowledge. Which is where you get picked apart on an issue by issue basis. For instance, if you are heavily involved with and have a broad knowledge of housing in Rochdale you may not have a thorough understanding of the highways and their issues in Rochdale and vice versa.

"Difficult but not impossible."

Another Labour Party member, and former councillor, Brian Davies added: "I understand the attraction of non political therefore technically independent individual members controlling the borough but, who forms and how is policy formed?

Several policies stand no chance of gaining ground and support. Officers would love it with no group strong enough to oppose their ideas. Inevitably individuals would join together to form a group and they you are, back to party politics."

Lib Dem activist John Heyworth said: "I have been on here before to say that I agree with the principle of an elected mayor for the Borough, however I do agree with Minnie Mouse that the true independence of a candidate would be hard to achieve. Minnie herself, a possible candidate was after all a Labour councillor. Who could achieve the title of a truly independent mayor without being tainted by the party brush?"