Election Address - Liberal Democrat Leader Alan Taylor

Liberal Democrat Leader Alan Taylor

This Thursday, you have a clear choice; a vote for the Liberal Democrats who put your interests first - fight for the issues that matter to you including anti-social behaviour, for more police on the streets of our Town, to reduce crime and a for cleaner Rochdale Borough.  Campaigning to improve education at all levels including a new Sixth Form College, or a negative Conservative/Labour Coalition opposition who practice negative American style campaigning.

Just a look at the pitches on Rochdale Online shows that we are enthusiastic across our Borough and that Rochdale Online readers are interested in what our candidates have to say.  This last year has been a proud one for me as the Leader of our Council.  I have enjoyed every minute of it - I don't just lead a group of 30 Councillors, but the hundreds of members across our Borough and had the privilege of leading you the residents of this Borough.

In May 2006, the Liberal Democrats took full control of the Council's Cabinet for the first time ever and we have delivered on our promises, which has led to the award of an improving three star Council from the Audit Commission.  People ask me why are three stars important?  Well, firstly it shows us going in the right direction in terms of listening to residents but more importantly this gives us more flexibility on how we spend your money. On a hugely increasing number of occasions Government money is ring-fenced and the Council is a delivery agent for the Government.  I want to see that changed as a Liberal Democrat we have a strong belief in localised decision making.  That is why we made the commitment last year to devolution and why this year we have devolved more power to our Townships than the old Heywood, Middleton, Pennines and Rochdale Town Councils that the Conservative's abolished in 1974.

We are now a listening Council, listening to you on the future of Rochdale Town Centre, schools reorganisation and much more.  We listened to you when we proposed the lowest Council Tax increase for a decade.  Labour and the Tories can say what they want, but actions speak louder than words - last time Labour had the job in 2004 Councillor Brett proposed a rise of 7.92%, and the Conservatives proposed 4.62% last year.  It is our intention and manifesto commitment to continue to keep Council Tax as low as possible. The Liberal Democrats in this Borough are hugely disappointed with outcome of the Lyons Report into Local Government Finance.  This report promised much and delivered little.  Whilst acknowledging that Council Tax is a huge burden for many of our vulnerable, the report refused to actually recommend anything positive to alleviate the problem.

This Council, just like many across the country has problems but these problems are being sorted by the Liberal Democrats.  We are currently paying outside consultants to bring hundreds of million pounds worth of investment. Speculate to accumulate - if it was up to Conservatives and Labour our Town Centre would rot!  We are committed to prioritising a new first class arts venue in the centre of Rochdale.  Talks have been ongoing for several months about a suitable venue, a site close to the Town Hall has been identified.

Looking forward, we are the only party with a local manifesto, yet again we are the only party to publish our party manifesto.  Hundreds of these have been distributed across the Borough.  It is important that you know what you are voting for - we have revealed our detailed policies.  We don't know what the Conservatives stand for both locally and nationally and Labour is just a reactive body who do our town no favours.   We are the only party that keeps in touch throughout the Borough all year round with our popular newsletters and the only party to have a regularly updated website - www.rochdalelibdems.org.uk.

Our priorities for next year include the voluntary sector; the Liberal Democrats have guaranteed three-year inflation-proofed funding for the voluntary sector.  We are increasing funding for groups that are delivering the Council's priorities, and funding new groups for the first time.  We will commission more services from the Voluntary Sector.

We aspire to move from being one of the worst recycling Boroughs in Greater Manchester to being one of the best.  We are looking to offer an improved recycling service for schools, the Council itself, and charities.  We have delivered on our pledge to set up a 'Green Team'. This team will, over the coming years, ensure that protecting our environment and tackling climate change are built into Council policy.  The Liberal Democrats have watched the opposition on this Council break all party agreement not to criticise the Alternate Weekly Collections and seen them turn this into an election issue to win votes.  This is despite the Labour Government installing huge levies on landfill waste that will see our Council Tax rise significantly if we do not meet their targets.

In our renegotiation of the Council's contract with Rochdale Borough Wide Housing we aim to build new affordable social housing.  We are taking positive action to solve the problem of the complete lack of affordable housing, a legacy of Thatcher's 'Right to buy Scheme.'  We have allocated £7.5 million for environmental improvements on Council Estates.  We have introduced Introductory Tenancies to give us powers of eviction with problem tenants - showing more positive action against anti-social behaviour.

This Liberal Democrat Council is answerable to you, the residents and the electorate. At the moment our decisions can be called in for review only by other councillors.  We will propose that Council decisions can be called in by any one hundred residents - and that includes one hundred schoolchildren if a decision has been made affecting them - this will increase democracy and accountability.  It is our hope that by doing this we start to reverse poor turnouts in local elections.   We continue to affect a fundamental change of attitude across the Council.  Residents must come first! In 2007-8 we will have a People's Champion, and will press ahead with the 'One Stop Shops' in each township so that residents can easily access council services.  The opposition on the Council, as usual are against increasing the effectiveness of this Council and how it helps you.

Almost one third of residents are over 50.  This older part of our population is generally healthier and has a longer life expectancy than previous generations.    We want to scrutinise Council strategies and policies from the point of view of older people's aspirations and expectations.    We are transforming our services to encourage active and independent living - one aspiration of the vast majority of older people. The Liberal Democrats have already made a powerful political commitment to the needs of older people.    We have brought professional and Government attention to Rochdale in a very positive way, and it has allowed us to make successful bids for external funding and for other Government initiatives.

The Liberal Democrats have funded an extra year-on-year £250,000 budget to the Youth Service. Most of this money will go directly into on-the-ground teams providing activities for young people.  The Liberal Democrats  wholeheartedly support the £150 million proposed investment in the Borough's Secondary Schools, and repeat our commitment to full consultation in every area affected - we are shocked that Labour have made this a campaign issue.

This is the most negative campaign I have seen from the opposition in the 40 years I have been involved in politics.  Negative campaigning illustrates inactivity - please do not be fooled by their lies.  I'll give you examples,  Labour who are under pressure from our excellent candidate Liz Thirsk, in Balderstone and Kirkholt, have resorted to 'peddling' the biggest lies.  Residents will be shocked to find Labour frightening parents by announcing that we have 'closed' Balderstone Technology College or in Kingsway our highly respected candidate Naim Mahmud has 'axed' home helps - simply untrue and scaring our elderly.  Or in Spotland and Falinge where our candidate Greg Couzens has been accused of voting for 'free parking' for Councillors and voting against free parking for the disabled despite the fact that he has not even been elected yet.  These are lies. Councillors from all parties can park at the front of the Town Hall for official Council Meetings but have to pay everywhere else, and it was the Labour/Conservative coalition's original decision anyway. Disabled rights campaigner Sir Cyril Smith is quite rightly furious, as is our fine candidate in Milkstone and Deeplish, Javed Iqbal.

Across the Borough, we have selected some great candidates including Andrew Abbott from Bamford and Joanne Payne from Norden who have been working hard all year.  We also have our sitting Councillors Brenda Kerslake, Khalid Mahmood, Ted Flynn, Elwyn Watkins, Rosemary Jones, and Keith Swift, who will no doubt continue to represent our town in the same, hardworking manner. 

On Thursday, a vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to continue our excellent progress.

Councillor Alan Taylor