General Election 2017: MM's Essential Guide

GENERAL

ELECTION2017 MM’s ESSENTIAL GUIDE

INSIDE The Battle for Bury North - inside Britain’s bellweather constituency The science of a political campaign exclusive interview with Labour election chief Andrew Gwynne Leaders under the spotlight - how do May, Corbyn and Farron fare in the division lobby

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After breaking the tuition fee pledge in 2010, Tim Farron knows that he has a mountain to climb if young people are to back the Lib Dems again in a General Election.

But, in an exclusive interview, he tells Alex Ritchie how Manchester could be the start of the Lib Dem revival.

The Liberal Democrats are confident that renewed student support will translate into victory in Manchester this week, according to party leader Tim Farron.

He claims that his party’s stance on Brexit would be enough to win back the youth vote, after experiencing a stark loss of support in 2015.

Farron, who styles the Liberal Democrats as the only major pro-European party on offer to voters, argued that Manchester’s large student population of enthusiastic and largely aggrieved Remain supporters would turn to the Liberal Democrats in their droves, as they had done in 2010.

His party’s election manifesto has committed to a second referendum on the terms of the Brexit negotiations, as well as a pledge to remain in the single market, calling Theresa May’s proposed exit from it ‘economic suicide’.

“I think the biggest issue facing students and young people of all ages is the direction this country is heading towards an extreme version of Brexit,” he said.

“That will affect their future more than almost anything else.”

The best hope for the Liberal Democrats in Manchester is in the constituency of Withington, held by now sole opposition Manchester City Council member John Leech between 2005 and 2015.

The constituency’s current MP, Jeff Smith, was one of the 47 Labour rebels who defied the Party whip in February’s vote to approve the triggering of Article 50 by the Prime Minister, but that hasn’t stopped the local Liberal Democrats accusing Smith’s party of writing Theresa May a blank cheque.

“Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party, along with UKIP voted with Theresa May voted for that extreme version of Brexit outside the single market,” Mr. Farron explained.

“If you want to change the direction that our country faces – and the future generations of our young people will be far more affected by this than people of my age and above – then the Liberal Democrats are

THE LONG ROAD BACK STARTS HERE

now your only hope.” and it is fundamentally dishonest of Labour to suggest that It remains uncertain whether Labour’s lack of opposition there is available money to put an end to them. As someto the Brexit bill will be enough to draw youth support body who voted against tuition fees, and who has consisaway from the party. tently opposed people having to pay for a first degree, I When asked if voters were know that’s unpalatable, but it is ready to forgive the Liberal Dejust unaffordable at the moment.” mocrats for their role in the 2010Clearly, the success of the Lib15 Coalition government, with its eral Democrats in Manchester legacy of raised tuition fees still hangs in the balance. It remains firmly engraved in the public conuncertain whether it is simply too sciousness, John Leech was soon after the Coalition for the open about the challenges his party to be able to bank on a reparty faces. gaining of trust among the voting “It is certainly the case that we block on which it has previously lost a lot of support over the heavily relied on for support. issue of tuition fees. Parties who John Leech, however, remained make those promises and are confident that his party’s firm oppothen unable to deliver them, for sition to a so-called ‘hard-Brexit’ whatever reason, get punished would be enough to cleanse the by the electorate, and we cerLiberal Democrats of their pertainly got punished in 2015,” he ceived sins. It is on the theme of said. opposition that he chose to direct But when pressed on why the his closing remarks to MM. Liberal Democrats chose not to “Regardless of how many seats match Jeremy Corbyn’s manithat we end up with after June 8, festo commitment to abolish tuwe will be the only party opposing HOPE: Leech is looking to regain his seat ition fees, Mr. Leech went back Theresa May, opposing a hardBrexit, and holding the Conservative Party to account. on the attack.

“The Labour Party will go into civil war after June 8 – Je“I think Labour have cynically said that they are going to abolish tuition fees, knowing full well that they’re not going remy Corbyn has already made it clear that he has no intention of standing down as leader, and the vast majority to be in government, and not going to be in a position to of his MPs will be trying to get rid of him. deliver that.

“The public will need a strong band of Liberal Democrat “History tells us that it was Labour that introduced tuition fees in the first place, it was Labour who tripled tuition fees MPs to be able to hold Theresa May to account during the process of leaving the European Union, because, believe and then introduced the Browne review to examine unlimme, the Labour Party will be completely incapable of doing ited fees. so.”

“We simply don’t have the cash to abolish tuition fees,

Leaders under the spotlight...

While very few people will actually admit reading a party’s General Election manifesto, policy - and a leader’s stance on a range of issues - are absolutely key for the electorate when it comes to making up their minds.

Bradley Marshall looks at the three main party leader’s voting records.

LGTBQ rights Theresa May has a mixed voting record on LGTBQ rights, while Jeremy Corbyn has voted 23 times for gay rights between 1999 and 2014.

Tim Farron has also generally voted in

favour, with six votes for and one against as an MP. Theresa May voted against reducing age of consent to 16 for homosexual acts, while Jeremy Corbyn voted for.

Tim Farron was not an MP at this time; or for the vote on Adoption and Children Bill, which again May voted against, with Corbyn for. All three leaders voted for legalisation of same sex marriage.

European Union Jeremy Corbyn voted to say that the UK needs to stay in the EU in June 2016, but since voted in favour of all motions relating to Brexit.

Tim Farron has been absent or voted against all motions in favour of Brexit.

Foreign Policy/ Defence Theresa May voted for UK military action in Iraq, Afghanistan, and against ISIS; and is in

favour of replacing Trident. Jeremy Corbyn voted against all of these actions and replacing Trident.

Tim Farron voted in favour of actions in Afghanistan and against ISIS, but was not an MP for votes on Iraq; he has also voted against replacing Trident.

Welfare/Benefits Theresa May has consistently voted against welfare increases or protection, including voting for the ‘bedroom tax’, capping benefit increases at 1% not 2.2% in line with prices, and reducing public spending on welfare; and against protecting or increasing disability or illness welfare.

Jeremy Corbyn has consistently voted to protect welfare, including against the ‘bedroom tax’, welfare caps, and in favour of protecting or increasing public spending on welfare, including disability or illness.

Tim Farron has voted for the ‘bedroom tax’ and capping benefit increases at 1%, but has a mixed voting record on disability and illness welfare, and public spending on welfare.

Young People Both Theresa May and Tim Farron voted against measures to guarantee jobs for longterm unemployed young people, using funds for taxing banker’s bonuses, whilst Jeremy Corbyn voted in favour.

Transport Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly voted for public ownership of railways and to allow, but not require, HS2 to be publically run.

Theresa May voted against public running of

HS2 and was absent for other votes relating to renationalised railways from 2014-2016. Tim Farron was absent for all votes on renationalising railways from 2014-2016.

Royal Mail Jeremy Corbyn rejected all moves to privatise the Royal Mail from 2009-2011. Theresa May voted to permit the privatisation in 2010 but was absent from 2009 and 2011 readings of the motion.

Tim Farron has never voted on the issue.

Surveillance Theresa May has consistently voted for and to expand the remit of information retained relat-

ing people’s communications and internet use, and to allow bulk interception and mass retention of communications and data.

Jeremy Corbyn voted for requiring mass retention of information about but not content of people’s communications, but was absent for votes on the Investigatory Powers Bill, and has never voted on mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities.

Tim Farron has voted against bulk interception and mass retention of communications and data, was absent for votes on the Investigatory Powers Bill, but voted for requiring mass retention of information about but not content of people’s communications.

Immigration Theresa May has voted 21 times for a stricter asylum system and stronger enforcement of immigration rules.

This included restricting support available to failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants and the second reading of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill; and against giving asylum seekers permission to work if a decision on their application takes over six-months.

Jeremy Corbyn has voted 22 times against and once for a stricter asylum system and enforcement of immigration rules. Tim Farron has similarly voted 16 times against stricter immigration rules motions.

Constitutional Issues On lowering the voting age Theresa May has voted four times against; Jeremy Corbyn has voted twice for and once against; and Tim Farron has voted four times for, between 2004 and 2016.

In votes for a wholly elected House of Lords May has voted eight times for and five against; Corbyn has voted nine times for and four against; and Farron four times for, between 2003 and 2016.

And on motions to introduce a more proportional voting system May has voted three times against; Corbyn two for and one against; and Farron four for and one against, between 2010 and 2016.

Education On votes to raise England’s undergraduate tuition fee cap to £9,000 per year Theresa May voted for despite voting nine times against and

only three times for tuition fees between 1997 and 2016.

Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron both voted against raising the cap, and Corbyn voted seven times and Farron three times against tuitions fees between 1997 and 2016.

May has voted nine time for academy schools; Corbyn 11 times against and Farron twice for and twice against, between 2010 and 2016.

Trade Unions Jeremy Corbyn has always voted against more restrictive regulation of trade union activity, ten times between 2008 and 2017.

Theresa May has always voted for, eight times in the same period. And Tim Farron has voted once for and five times against.

Taxation Both Theresa May and Tim Farron have consistently voted in favour of reducing the rate of corporation tax, May voting 16 times for and

Farron 11 times for and four against, between 2010 and 2016. Jeremy Corbyn has voted 21 times against and only once for in the same period.

On measures to reduce tax avoidance both May and Corbyn have mixed voting records, while Farron has generally voted for, despite eight absences on votes between 2013 and

2017.

On bankers bonus taxation, the so-called ‘Mansion Tax’ and increasing the rate of tax paidon incomes over £150,000 May and Farron have consistently voted against with a combined 33 votes against the measures, Farron has only voted once for bankers bonus taxes.

Jeremy Corbyn has consistently voted for these measures, with a combined 27 votes for and one vote against bankers bonus taxes, from 2011 to 2015.

Environment Theresa May has voted nine times against and six times for measures to prevent climate change, including for the Climate Change Bill (2008), but against setting a decarbonisation target for the UK within six months of June 2016 and to review it annually thereafter.

Jeremy Corbyn has voted 21 times for and four against measures to prevent climate change including against establishing a Green Investment Bank, but for the Climate Change Bill (2008).

Tim Farron has voted 17 times for and four against measures to prevent climate change, including for the Climate Change Bill (2008).

Health Theresa May has voted four times against restricting the provision of services to private patients by the NHS, Jeremy Corbyn voted seven times for, and Tim Farron voted three times against.

Theresa May also voted for and Jeremy Corbyn against the Health and Social Care Act (2012).

Fox Hunting Theresa May voted six times against the introduction of a fox hunting ban, whilst Jeremy Corbyn has voted seven times for, Tim Farron was not an MP at the time of the votes.

Forget Brexit...

On June 8th, Leythers will elect a new MP for the first time in 16 years.

Some of those in the running hope their vote will determine whether Leigh breaks from Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council to form an independent local authority.

The road there may not be as easy as they hope. Matthew Calderbank finds out m o re .. .

The departure of former MP Andy Burnham has energised political debate in Leigh and many residents see this election as the most important and contentious in recent history.

According to some, they will decide whether their future lies within Wigan MBC or in a brave new world of local government independence.

Labour has held Leigh since 1922 and it is historically one of the safest Labour seats in the country. But could the winds of change leave Labour candidate and Burnham protégé, Jo Platt, out in the cold?

MM spoke to candidates James Grundy (Cons), Mark Bradley (UKIP), Joanne Platt (Lab) as well as Lord Peter Smith (Leader of Wigan Council) about the prospect of a ‘Lexit’.

Grundy and Bradley both pledge to work towards delivering a ‘Lexit’ if elected. They intend to seek a formal separation from Wigan Council and establish an independent local authority for Leigh.

Before we look at why and how, lets head back to the very beginning.

Situated nearly eight miles south-east of Wigan and with a proud civic identity of its own, Leigh was absorbed by Wigan MBC after the Local Government Act of 1972.

This is ‘Lexit’

M

RIVALS: Leigh Centurions have already dubbed this week’s game - on General Election night no less - The Battle of the Borough any residents are unreservedly vocal about their perceived neglect at the hands of a Wigan-centric Labour council and there is some support for an independent local authority.

Bradley has chosen ‘freedom’ from Wigan MBC as his flagship campaign policy.

He said: “Since we were forced under the heel of Wigan Council in 1974, our area has been neglected and run down.

DEPARTURE: Andy Burnham

“It is unacceptable that taxpayer’s money from Leigh should continue to be poured into projects in Wigan.”

But is the prospect of political and economic independence for Leigh a realistic proposition?

Bradley confidently cites The Government’s Localism Act 2011 as the vanguard for further change. This Act aimed to facilitate the devolution of decision-making powers from central government control to individuals and communities.

Lord Peter Smith, leader of Labour-controlled Wigan Council, is sceptical that such radical changes to local government can be realised.

He said: “The Local Government Act of 1972 set up the current Council and its functions. It would need a new Act of Parliament to change the existing status.

Given the need to change our laws to cope with Brexit there would be no time in Parliament to institute further changes to local government.”

Councillor Grundy is a long-standing proponent of independence for the town and previously raised the issue with then-Local Government Minister Eric Pickles in 2015.

He points to the reorganisation of Cheshire into two unitary authorities in 2009 as an example of successful structural changes to local government.

“There hasn't been any great issue with this and no-one is calling for those authorities to be recombined. I do not see any insurmountable hurdles to establishing an independent authority for Leigh,” he said.

Claims that Leigh is underfunded and neglected by Wigan Council are contentious. Bradley highlights several perceived injustices including crucial services that have closed and relocated to Wigan.

He points to the closure of the A&E unit, maternity home, Magistrates Court and police station as prime examples of Wigan MBC’s apparent indifference to Leigh.

Lord Peter refutes Bradley’s allegations of neglect and underinvestment. He insists that Leigh has received considerable investment over the last few years.

Examples of substantial investment in Leigh include the £1.8m awarded last year from the Community Investment Fund (25% of the total fund for Wigan MBC), £68m for the Leigh-Manchester Guided Busway, new pitches at Leigh Sports Village and a further £4m earmarked for town-centre regeneration.

But the local Conservative and UKIP candidates both claim that the public’s disillusionment with Wigan MBC is one of genuine antipathy.

Coun Grundy said: “There is certainly a long-standing feeling that Leigh plays second fiddle and this sentiment has made the Leigh seat competitive for the Conservatives for the first time in almost a century.”

Coun Grundy refers specifically to the fact that Lowton Civic Hall and Formby Hall in Atherton were sold to developers and demolished for housing despite strong local opposition.

He argues that this in stark contrast to the £6m restoration of Haigh Hall in Wigan which was secured through a partnership deal with private investors who will fund the refurbishment.

Coun Grundy also claims that Wigan MBC lobbied for the route of HS2 to ‘plough’ through Leigh with little regard for its greenbelt.

Councillor Jo Platt is opposed to an independent local authority and says that the people of Leigh need ‘solutions, not empty gestures’.

She said: “A new local authority would cost millions to set up and I feel that the vast majority of Leigh residents would prefer their elected representatives to continue to focus on solutions rather than setting up new and expensive bureaucratic bodies.

“True devolution is about putting power back in the hands of communities and not by creating further levels of bureaucracy.”

Wigan MBC is confronting the consequences of cuts to services totalling £160m.

Coun Platt insists that in a time of austerity, ‘Lexit’ is not the answer “Together it is not going to be easy. Divided it will be disastrous.”

Green the issue for both blue and red in Salford Labour may have had the upper hand in the last two General Elections but the Tories’ Iain Lindley is hoping it’s third time lucky as Karilynn DeWolff finds out...

It might be a straight race between Labour and the Conservatives in Worsley and Eccles South this week but it’s green issues which are at the heart of the two campaign.

Labour’s Barbara Keeley – Leeds-born but a former student at Salford University – won a majority of 5,946 at the last election but her party isn’t taking anything for granted this time around.

An advocate for protecting local green spaces, Mrs Keeley has worked alongside local residents to campaign against the continued extraction of peat at Chat Moss, which is a lowland bog of unique habitat south of Eccles.

Since first opposing exploratory drilling at Barton Moss, she also continues to fight against fracking in the area.

Her opponent on Thursday is well known to both her and the constituents.

As a young candidate at the age of 34, Iain Lindley has been a councillor for Walkden South since June 2004 and stood as the Conservative candidate for Worsley and Eccles South in both 2010 and 2015.

Mr Lindley notes that the need to create new jobs and skill sets for local people could be absolutely key in Worsley and Eccles South.

He tells MM: “We can only do that with a strong economy and that means having a Conservative government creating the best deal for Brexit and making sure that we can access jobs and can continue to prosper locally and nationally.”

Mr Lindley also mentions the need for further expansion of transportation links in the area.

He says: “Some of the big priorities are making sure we improve our transport infrastructure and tackle the congestion

problems that we’ve got in Walkden and Worsley.”

Balancing the economy with environmental conservation is also important, such as campaigning to safeguard the Moss in Irlam, Cadishead and Barton.

“Protecting the local environment and fighting against the Labour Council’s plans to use huge swaths of our green fields and green belt for inappropriate development is another key priority that I’ve been speaking to a lot of people about.”

Mr Lindley appreciates the need for economic growth and prosperity while creating a sustainable social system, with regards to health, social care and education.

“They go hand-in-hand. It’s not a case of either-or. We will make sure we have the investment and support in our health and social care system.

“We need to make sure we continue to fund health services and that means a strong economy because without a strong economy you’ve not got the money to balance it.

“If we don’t provide the jobs for local people and the skills people need to access jobs then we are not going to have the resources available to put the funding into local hospitals.”

When asked about getting young people involved in politics, he says: “I’m a local lad. I’ve grown up here. I’m really passionate for getting local young people involved.

“I’ve been back to my old school and Salford City College to speak to them over the years. I want to make sure everyone is enthused about this election regardless of their age.

“Local schools and college gave me a great start in life and I want to make sure the next generation of young people have the same opportunity.”

Battle for Bury North Tom George hits the frontline in Britain’s bellweather constituency

HISTORIC: Peel Tower which is in honour of Sir Robert Peel, former Prime Minister and the founder of the police force.

Nestled in the shadow of the West Pennine Moors, Bury is a town steeped in political history...

The old Lancashire mill town may be renowned for black pudding and its ‘world famous’ market, but it is also the birthplace of Sir Robert Peel, the two-time Prime Minster of the United Kingdom and founder of the police force and modern Conservative Party.

Peel is revered in the town, with a statue of him taking pride of place in Bury town centre, and a monument in his name standing on top of nearby Holcombe Hill.

Despite the omnipresence of one of the most influential members in Conservative Party history, Bury is a town split when it comes to politics.

The Bury North constituency, covering much of Bury, as well as the towns of Tottington and Ramsbottom, was created in 1983 and has been a bellwether seat ever since; the party that has triumphed here has won nationally during each of the last eight general elections.

Its reputation for swinging with the political wind means that it has become a key battleground for both Labour and the Conservatives, and all eyes will undoubtedly be on the area come election day.

From its creation in 1983 to 1997, Bury North was represented by Buryborn Conservative Alistair Burt, the now MP for North East Bedfordshire.

When Burt lost his seat in the Labour landslide of 1997, he was replaced by David Chaytor, the disgraced former

Labour MP, who became the first MP to be jailed during the parliamentary expenses scandal.

The current MP is the Conservative David Nuttall, who retained his seat in 2015 with a slender majority of just 378 votes, fending off strong opposition from Labour’s James Frith.

The pair will go head-to-head again this year after Frith won the Labour nomination, beating off competition from Karen Danczuk, the ex-wife of Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk.

The man charged with winning back the seat is already working hard to regain the trust of the people of Bury North. The 40-year-old, formerly a local councillor for Elton, is the founder of education and careers advice company All Together and upon announcing his intention to stand for a second time declared that he had “unfinished business”.

Frith has promised to work alongside newly elected Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to rewrite the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, a highly contentious scheme which proposes mass house building on vast swathes of green belt land around the region.

Nuttall has also expressed his own criticism of the plans, and has even raised the issue in Parliament over the last couple of months.

A large group of Bury residents have been vociferous in their opposition to the project, and the candidates’ views

on this matter are likely to be an important factor when people head to the polls next month.

Nuttall was one of a number of Tory MPs recently under investigation over claims the party breached election spending rules in 2015, although he was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.

The 55-year-old former solicitor is now free to compete to retain his seat for the third time and has stated that he believes the current campaign will be fought along Brexit lines, something which 54% of his constituency voted for last June.

Since becoming an MP in 2010, Nuttall has forged a reputation for himself as a Conservative Party rebel, sitting ideologically on the right of his party on the majority issues.

There has even been talk of him defecting to UKIP in the past, such is the conviction of his belief that Britain should leave the European Union.

In April, UKIP leader Paul Nuttall pledged that his party would stand aside in seats where the Conservative candidate shares a similar view on Brexit, even going as far as citing Nuttall as an example.

With UKIP now having confirmed that this will be the case in Bury North, the prospect of all 5,559 votes the party’s candidate received two years ago being transferred to Nuttall would be a huge blow to Frith’s chances.

The Green Party have also an-

nounced that they will not be fielding a candidate in Bury North for what they describe as the ‘common good’.

While the Liberal Democrats’ candidate Richard Baum will stand for the third time, but has urged supporters to vote for Frith in a bid to defeat the Conservatives.

The Somerset-based NHS worker finished 5th in 2015 receiving just 932 votes.

It is clear that the Tories are confident of building on their existing foundations in the North West, with Theresa May even opting to launch her party’s campaign in neighbouring Bolton.

Earlier in the month The Bury Times carried an advert from the party on its front page, urging voters to get behind May’s ‘strong and stable leadership’.

This highlights just how committed the Tories are to building on their foothold in the town, however, it caused uproar among some residents due to the fact the paper went on sale the day the town was due to head to the polls for the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election.

After speaking to people at Bury Market, it is clear that many here will base their vote on what is going on nationally rather than locally. In fact, many admitted knowing very little about what was being offered by either Nuttall or Frith.

Bury resident Jean Tannock, 79, said: “I haven’t had any literature from local candidates. I have had lots of ‘personal’ letters from Theresa May. It’s gotten silly, I would like to hear more from the local candidates because I

don’t know who they are.

“The main issue for me will be whether my pension keeps going into my bank account and whether they do away with bus passes because if they do I’m lost. I’ve always used public transport and it’s the one thing that I’m so grateful for because my bus pass allows me to see my family and go out with my friends.”

Meanwhile, Mark Hamer, co-owner of one of the market’s numerous butchers said that he intends to vote Conservative, although he does not know ‘too much about any of the local candi-

INCUMBENT: David Nuttall

dates’.

Laura Murphy, a 23-year-old paralegal, told MM she was undecided on who to vote for, although she is currently edging more towards Labour.

“I don’t want fox hunting to become legal and Theresa May isn’t a good prime minster. Some of her policies are not just not good for the country,” she added.

TRADITION: Ramsbottom hosts the World Blackpudding Throwing Championship in which competitors have to dislodge Yorkshire puddings

In Ramsbottom, a traditionally Conservative part of the constituency which is often named one of the best places to live in the country, voters are also split.

Ramsbottom resident Laura Bradley, 46, is adamant she will be voting Labour. “I always have done and always will do, I believe in equality. I’m not very positive about David Nuttall at all.”

Mother-of-two Joanne Barrett, who lives in nearby Greenmount, told MM that she planned on voting for the Conservatives.

She said: "I prefer their approach to that of Labour. I would like to see the NHS funding managed better, social care given more careful consideration and I think that immigration does need to be reduced to a more sustainable level.”

The town, just four miles north of Bury town centre, has undergone gentrification over the past few years, with a number of independent bars, restaurants and coffee shops sprouting up imbuing the area with an almost Chorlton-esque feel.

Every September Ramsbottom plays host to the annual Black Pudding Throwing World Championships, where participants toss black puddings in an attempt to dislodge a stack of Yorkshire puddings.

Despite the old cliché you should never mix politics with sport, this may well be an apt analogy for what Frith hopes to do to Sheffield-born Nuttall come election day.

Foreign policy: Idealism v realism?

L

ast summer, after David Cameron’s post-Brexit resignation, Theresa May assumed office as Prime Minister with the Conservative party’s support.

One of the first votes passed through the House of Commons under her leadership sanctioned a series of air strikes on Iraq and Syria, intervening in civil wars where extremism exists, but causing further casualties in the process.

This preceded several multi-billion pound arms deals with Saudi Arabia in the name of fighting terrorism against the so-called Islamic State (IS) across the Middle East.

The Prime Minister stated that close ties with Saudi Arabia would “keep people on the streets of Britain safe” but this was contested by the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

He highlighted claims by a Parliamentary committee that British weapons were likely to have been, albeit indirectly, used to violate international humanitarian law during the Saudi Arabia-led intervention in Yemen.

This conflict continues to see Jihadist militants from al-Qaeda and rival affiliates from IS seizing territories amid similar turmoil similar to that in Iraq and Syria.

On 22nd May 2017, shortly after the most recent of May’s arms deals, Manchester was victim to the worst act of terrorism in the UK since the London bombings of 2005.

The Manchester Arena was attacked by a suicide bomber as fans of the US pop singer Ariana Grande made their way home, taking more than 20 innocent lives, including many children.

The event sent tremors of fear beneath the strong foundations of the community, but its people responded to the attack with strong defiance, heart-warming kindness and true Northern spirit.

Whilst visiting Manchester the day after the attack, May condemned the actions of IS, who had recently taken responsibility for the attacks.

Later that week, the Prime Minister dismissed a speech on foreign policy by Corbyn, who stated that the war on terror in the Middle East wasn’t working, deflecting her own involvement whilst in power.

The attack occurred in the final stages of the current general election campaign, during which much has been said in the press of each leader’s approaches towards defence.

These points have also been addressed in the assessment of their party manifestos and now - through the thick web of spin, biased and social media - their feelings on the issue are known.

Both leaders condemned the actions of all terrorists, but the tone and language of their speeches, interviews and press conferences since the attack have been noticeably different.

C o m m en t b y S t u a r t H ol m e s

Corbyn - who won the Gandhi Foundation International Peace Prize in 2013 - spoke calmly as a humanitarian whilst facing press allegations concerning his past involvement in the Northern Ireland conflict and his personal views on Trident.

Meanwhile, May took a pro-war stance tinged with anxiety, countered by diplomatic reassurances to the public, whilst facing little scrutiny of her questionable morals in selling arms to the Middle East.

Perhaps this contrast in approaches pits the current leader’s realism against the opposition’s idealism, but to be a realist is to never consider whether other options might work.

The aftermath of the attack also saw a parallel between these political stances and the response on social media.

Whilst anger is a justified, Facebook and Twitter saw waves of hope from the left met by ripples of fear from the right: the progressive movement of the sea was met with an undercurrent of tension.

Small cracks of division could be seen whilst the country united in the commonality of compassion for those affected, but its true extent will remain unclear until after the election polls have closed on 8th June.

Until then, it remains to be seen whether the Manchester attack will have resonated a desire for war or peace with voters.

Defence takes many forms and the public can choose whether they seek retaliation or resolution in tackling the problems currently faced by the country.

The extensive loss of innocent lives during the war on terror has highlighted that military intervention should be a last resort and not a first response.

On the basis of the evidence provided, it seems probable that the victor in the election will lean either heavily for or against using ruthless methods when faced with the unenviably duty of care which defending the country holds.

Whilst the country requires leadership which has the best interests of the public at its heart, many will vote with their head, but it is worth considering that taking an eye for an eye makes us blind.

As history has shown, there is no guarantee that any political actions – whether they are perceived to be good or bad by the public – will prevent future acts of extremism.

But there is certainly solace to be taken from the tragedy of the Manchester attack when witnessing how strongly the community’s common values raised above the reaction which such attacks wish to provoke.

And as hope prevails over hate during the city’s darkest days, alongside an election campaign which leaves many voters unnerved, its people have undoubtedly shown that a peaceful future may not be out of reach.

All aboard the battle bus!

What really happens on the campaign trail?

M a t t N i c h o l l s ex p l o r es t h e s c i e n c e be h i n d a p o l i t i c a l c a m p a i g n Running Labour’s general election campaign is both ‘exhilarating and shattering’ according to it’s chair Andrew Gwynne.

As well as having to fight the good fight for his own seat in Denton and Reddish, Gwynne has been in the Labour war room every day, executing plans to see the party to victory on June 8.

He told MM: “Essentially we plan out the election from what goes in the leaflets, what goes in advertising, where the battle bus goes to, what speeches certain politicians are making, what interventions are being made by different frontbenchers, by Jeremy as leader, and basically pull together the campaign as much as we can.”

On April 18 Theresa May called a snap election at a time when the polls suggested Labour would get 25% of the vote and the Conservatives 43%.

As polling day approaches, Labour appear to be closing in with the gap in some polls down to just six points.

Hi Andrew, just to start off with, could you tell me what your primary duties are as Labour’s campaign chair?

Well, I have to spend some of my time in Denton and Reddish because I’ve got to campaign for myself. I’ve also got to spend some of my time down in London where we have weekly strategy meetings, and plan a grid for the week ahead.

It’s not an exact science but in a grid you have a daily theme that you want to get across, media you want to do, who you want as the message carrier, and so on.

The Tories and the Liberals do the same which means that sometimes it doesn’t quite go the way you want it to.

Events can also take over, for example, the tragic incident in Manchester last Monday effectively wiped a whole week out of the grid.

Essentially we plan out the election from what goes in the leaflets, what goes in advertising, where the battle bus goes to, what speeches certain politicians are making, what interventions are being made by different frontbenchers,

by Jeremy as leader and basically pull together the campaign as much as we can.

It’s interesting that you mentioned how the Tories and Liberals’ actions can get in the way of some of your plans; how much of your campaign is planned ahead of time and how much of it is a reaction to the actions of opposing parties?

Its mostly about 50/50.

Obviously you want to get your point across on a particular day, on a particular issue, so that’s the proactive side that’s in your grid.

But you’ve also got the rebuttal side of the things that the Tories, Liberals, or any other party want to get across because they’re in the business of attacking you.

To be able to coordinate a campaign of this size, you must have a huge workforce; how many people does it take to run a campaign at this level?

At a national level, hundreds.

We’ve got the whole of the Labour party headquarters from press to policy, you have the organisational side who run events and recce certain venues, right the way through to organisers on the ground making sure that all the materials get out to the right seats at the right time.

It’s a massive operation and I’m just one of the generals in the war room planning ahead for the many thousands of volunteers who get the job done on the ground.

The snap election was a shock to

most of us – I certainly didn’t see it coming – was it a complete surprise to you or were you prepared for it?

We actually put some preparations in place as there had been rumours circu-

BIG HITTER: Prescott has recently joined the Corbyn campaign

lating around Westminster since Christmas that she might go for an early election.

One of the things we got done in the weeks before she called the election, was a snap election guide which was kind of an off-the-shelf guide for candidates.

It included such things as: winding up your office, the things that you can and can’t do during an election campaign, the timetables, the materials you need to think about, the leaflets, and the time it takes to get the leaflets to the printers to be ready for delivery at crucial times of the campaign.

In this respect we were one step ahead of the Tories.

On the topic of being prepared, did you devise any of Labour’s manifesto before the election was announced?

Yeah, in some areas we did.

In the run up to the local elections we had already started announcing some of the Labour policies.

Policy development is usually a five-

year process, and we’re a democratic party so it goes through party members at the local level, then it goes up to the national policy forum, from the national policy forum it goes to an annual conference where there are votes on what our policy should be; that’s the usual mechanism over a five-year cycle.

We had to fast track all of that so we did great work in getting together what has turned out to be a very popular manifesto with some really good, fullycosted policies, in a very, very short period of time.

We effectively crunched five years worth of work into a couple of weeks to get the manifesto in place.

Why did you feel you had to release a separate document for costing? Was it because Jeremy Corbyn had been criticised for announcing expensive policies?

If we want to have fully funded public services we need to be honest and open about how to pay for them and for too long in this country we have been handing out tax cuts to those at the very top of society.

In the last seven years the richest people and the biggest corporations in Britain have had a £70bil tax giveaway.

At the same time all of our public services are crumbling under stress, strain, and underfunding.

We can fully fund our health service, we can look after our elderly with dignity and we can ensure that students aren’t crippled with £50,000 worth of debt before they’ve even started out in life.

The money we need is there, it’s just that the previous governments – the coalition and the Tory governments – have decided to use it as tax giveaways to those at the very top.

We think that’s the wrong priority; we should be spending it on rebuilding Britain and creating a fairer and more equal society.

SUPPORT: Wherever he goes, Corbyn is guaranteed a crowd... of all ages

RELAXED: Corbyn is often at his best talking to crowds from the stump.

The poll gap between the Tories and Labour has significantly reduced, to the point in which Labour are only eight points behind. Which parts of your campaign have contributed to this the most?

At the end of the day polls will change and the only poll that matters is the poll on June 8.

I think what has happened over the duration of this campaign is that people have listened to the vision that labour has set out, agreed with a lot of the policies that are in the manifesto and understood how we are going to pay for those pledges.

We don’t want to fall foul of some of the mistakes the Liberal Democrats made – promising the earth and then delivering the complete opposite in government – we want to rebuild trust in politics and make people realise that politics can make difference.

After the Second World War – when the British economy was completely decimated – it was a transformational Labour government that introduced the National Health Service, the education system, the welfare state, and rebuilt our country’s infrastructure.

We did that on the back of literally nothing, but people had hope and they had belief that politics and politicians could make a difference.

Well now it’s time to do the same and I think that that vision has particularly resonated with young people, who don’t traditionally vote in big numbers, but realise that this country’s future is now in their hands.

They have an opportunity to vote for a different kind of politics, one that will look after them and look after their interests for the future.

Speaking of old Labour governments, John Prescott has recently climbed aboard your battle bus and has been asking people to vote for Jeremy Corbyn. Do you think having him on your side has had a positive effect on the Labour campaign?

I think it certainly has because with John Prescott you’ve got a link to the past; we should always be proud of the achievements of the last Labour government.

It’s easy to be critical of the things we did or didn’t do, things people think we got wrong, but actually those 13 years in government made a tremendous difference to so many lives.

Things like the national minimum wage, rebuilding over 100 hospitals, massive investment in education, Sure Start – which gave early years a priority that it never had before and its not had since – we did some great things in government and John Prescott is a good reminder of that.

The other thing is that John Prescott is working class, he resonates with the traditional Labour vote and he is just one of our best campaigners, he always has been.

He’s got that common touch, people warm to him and he says it as it is. You know sometimes in this overspun media world that we live in, where we’re frightened of saying things in case they get twisted and go viral on twitter, John Prescott is a breath of fresh air because he campaigns the traditional way.

He stands in the town squares, he gives it what for, people know where he’s coming from and I think there’s a place for that in modern politics.

People don’t want their politicians to be robots they want them to be ordinary human beTV CAMPAIGN: ings, they Gwynne has been a want the regular on our screens kind of peosince the election was ple that they called see on the market square or that they have a drink with in the pub.

Jeremy Corbyn could easily deny the accusation that he supported the IRA; why do you think it is that he’s chosen to avoid saying that and has instead insisted his meetings with them were crucial to Ireland’s peace process?

It took brave decisions, 20 years ago, to bring republicans and unionists together.

Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are far better places because of those pretty tough decisions that were taken by politicians of all persuasions.

The Thatcher government was meeting the IRA behind the scenes all through the 1980s, the Major government was the government that went public with meeting the IRA, and it was the Labour government under Tony Blair and the brilliant leadership of Mo Mowlam as Northern Ireland’s secretary, that secured the Good Friday Agreement.

It’s easy to look back and be critical but it took some pretty brave people across the political spectrum to think the unthinkable in the 1980s and the 1990s to bring that bitter period of our history to an end.

One final question for you: are you looking forward to the campaign being over?

Yes, because it is exhilarating but it is also shattering.

All my days have merged into one; if you ask me now what the day is I couldn’t tell you because it’s just been one massive whirlwind.

For example this morning (May 29) I got up at the crack of dawn to do Good Morning Britain, to do LBC, to do Sky Sunrise, to do the BBC today programme, I’m now doing you, and ill be in the spin room for the leader’s debates on Sky News tonight – God only knows what time ill get to bed – I’m then up at the crack of dawn to get the train back to Manchester to do some campaigning in my constituency.

That is a pretty standard snapshot of any particular day in my life at the moment.

When politicians meet children...

There’s an old saying in showbiz that you should never work with kids or animals. So, with that in mind, Bradley Marshall looks at some memorable encounters. Enjoy!

Ed Balls requiring to be helped up from floor by his wife and MP Yvette Cooper. Don’t let go of the wall Ed!

Uh-oh, this isn’t a good look - Theresa May’s recoiling grimace, looking confused and almost squeamish, as she chats with some year six pupils.

In what might be the highlight of the general election campaign so far, a wide eyed Jeremy Corbyn reads to children in a touching PR magic moment.

Perhaps the greatest PR gaffe of all time.

Bullingdon’s favourite son, Boris Johnson, rugby tackles a Japanese school boy.

ROCHDALE IS IT TIME FOR A NEW SHERRIF IN TOWN?

With sitting MP Simon Danczuk having been dumped by his party after nearly two years on the sidelines for allegations in his private life, Labour have selected former Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd to stand in his place.

Not everyone is happy about that, as Seamus McDonnell finds out...

Rochdale has been no stranger to political controversy, and the upcoming election sees the town balanced on a knife-edge.

The constituency has previously been a very close seat, decided by only 889 votes in 2010.

Incumbent MP Simon Danczuk was able to consolidate his position in the 2015 election but scandals surrounding his private life have driven him out of the Labour Party and once again opened up the field to new candidates.

Danczuk himself will run as an independent, despite an incident involving sending sexual explicit text messages to a 17-year-old girl which saw him suspended by his party from December 2015 until he resigned in early May this year.

In his place, the Labour Party has selected Tony Lloyd as candidate for the seat.

Lloyd was previously MP for Stretford and Manchester Central for a combined 29 years before becoming Manchester’s first police and crime commissioner.

His name was also associated with

the newly formed Manchester Metropolitan Mayor but the backing of the Labour Party, and eventually the job itself, went to Andy Burnham.

The two candidates will compete for the traditional Labour vote in the town, with Danczuk denouncing the party largely because of his public disdain

for its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as well as the self-professed poor treatment he has received.

Meanwhile, other political forces have gathered in the constituency with both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party seeing a chance to capitalise whilst the Labour vote is split.

Jane Howard, the Conservative

Party candidate, told MM she felt ‘quietly confident’ of success despite being in an area where her party has not held office since 1951.

Her challenge would mimic the arguments of the national stage and she expects the issue of Brexit negotiations to effect the outcome.

The Conservatives have placed Britain’s exit from the European Union at the centre of their plans and, in a constituency that voted overwhelmingly to leave (60.1%), the idea of continuity in leadership during discussions could be a strong argument.

This view on Brexit is also shared by UKIP candidate Christopher Baksa, who wants to continue his party’s progress in the area after they came second to Labour in 2015.

On the other hand the Liberal Democrats, represented by Andy Kelly, have committed to maintaining certain ties with the European Union as well as offering a referendum on accepting any deal that may be reached.

In Rochdale, the Liberal Democrats, and previously the Liberal Party, have been an important political body.

Historically, the office has switched between them and Labour since the 1950s and the last MP, who lost to Danzuk by 889 votes, was a representative of the party, Paul Rowen.

However, the party suffered heavily in Rochdale following revelations about long-serving MP Cyril Smith who was

ple.

Kelly said: “If you come to me on the 9th of June I will still be here. Even if I lose I will still feel a responsibility for the town.”

He compared his campaign to Tony Lloyd’s, claiming Labour ‘take Rochdale for granted’ by bringing in a

STILL FIGHTING:Sitting MP Danczuk will stand as an independent heavily linked to a number of child sex allegations after his death.

Kelly will hope to better the party’s 4th place in 2015 and believes his local heritage gives him an edge in the election.

He told MM how growing up and living his life in the town helped him to understand the issues faced by peo-

candidate that was not from the area and wouldn’t understand the issues.

Similarly, Howard talked of the importance of local knowledge to voters.

She said: “I am home grown, Rochdale born and bred. I have lived here all my life and I’m not a career politician.”

The connection between the candi-

dates and the town holds special importance in this situation as many people point to improving the image of Rochdale as one of the key priorities.

In this vain the fact that he is not from the town and doesn’t understand the importance of certain issues, has been the main critique of Lloyd.

But the ex-parliamentary Labour Party chair will hope that the strong party following in this constituency, coupled with his long political career, will be enough to gain the confidence of voters.

Similarly, Danczuk will hope he can tap into the votes he received in 2015 and convince voters that the work he has done in the town, including helping victims of the major grooming scandal, proves he is qualified to remain as MP. He pointed out to MM that he had already been in the job since 2010 and said: “I believe my track record shows I have the qualities to remain Rochdale's Member of Parliament.”

With the election fast approaching all the candidates will feel they have a chance of becoming the town’s representative in Westminster.

It is hard to tell who will win in Rochdale but it is clear that the result of this constituency could resonate on a national level.

Cuts and Fracking on the agenda as Conservatives look for a repeat of 2015 Francesca Marshall looks at the race for Bolton West - a marginal seat which has swung from red to blue at the last General Election - and finds that things may be tight again this time around.

In the 2015 general election, Bolton West was the Conservatives’ number one target seat and a formidable campaign led to a surprise victory over the incumbent Labour MP Julie Hilling.

The same tactics are sure to be deployed this time round, but it could be a far greater task as budget cuts continue to concern voters as well as the possibility of Fracking.

Bolton West is historically a marginal seat between the Conservatives and Labour. The 2015 election was won with a margin of just 801 votes - by Chris Green.

In June he will face competition from Labour candidate, Ms Hilling and Liberal Democrat, Rebecca Forrest.

Speaking to MM, both challengers were concerned about the impact which Fracking was likely to have on their region.

Ms Hilling said: “Fracking is a big concern for people; the current MP said he’d support anti-Fracking groups in our constituency but then voted differently.

“It’s something I’m totally opposed to and although we don’t have any sites under planning at the moment, we’re right for people to want to come in and Frack in our area so it is a great concern.

“I think one of the things that my opponent has done is that he has said he would support local groups and has done differently in London.”

Ms Forrest added that her background in science has allowed her to understand the full impact that Fracking could have.

She said: “Fracking being something both I and my party are against, and the urgent need to focus on renewable energy technologies.

“Chris Green has supported Fracking. Whilst he may have said no in his constituency, it has not stopped him voting to extend the Fracking exploration licences.

“The Conservatives have already overruled a Lancashire council who refused a Fracking exploration license and given the Conservative manifesto effectively green lights fracking if the exploration license is granted it means that a vote for Chris Green and the Conservatives will be a vote for Fracking.”

Ms Forrest joined the Liberal Democrats in June 2015 and is now hoping her passion for education and the en-

vironment will lead to an upsurge of support for her party in the constituency.

One that would be undoubtedly welcomed with open arms after they were faced with an agonising loss of 13% in 2015, being beaten by UKIP, Labour and the Conservatives.

Ms Forrest both lives and works in Bolton, where family on her mother’s side have lived for several generations.

She said: “I am uniquely placed as a teacher to understand the effects of changes to school policy.

“One of the biggest issues affecting my constituency is the cuts to the education funding which could see a loss of up to 171 teachers across the schools serving the residents of Bolton West.

“The Conservative manifesto fails to stop the real term cuts that the new funding formula allows and it is silent on where the additional funding of £4 billion is to be directed - it could be wholly directed to grammar schools.”

Ms Forrest also raised concerns over the changes which could potentially be made to free school meals.

She added: “Selective education mainly benefits the children from better off backgrounds and, in a further blow to the children from less well-off backgrounds, the school dinners for all early years children is being scrapped. Those who are just about managing are continuing to be let down by Theresa May’s Conservatives.”

These concerns were echoed by Ms Hilling. She said that the cuts to both the NHS and education had caused many people to feel uneasy about what the future held for them.

She also highlighted how the increased price of living rising above wages was a fear for many local people.

She said: “People are desperately worried about the cuts to the NHS, cuts to schools and the impact on care.

“People are worried about their ability to get the help that they need and to be able to pay their way in terms of the changes to wages and the price of living rising.

“I have lived in the constituency for over 30 years and have served as the MP previously so have a proven track record of speaking up for local people on the local issues.

“And having that deep understanding of the area I feel I am best placed to represent the people of Bolton West.”

Only Tories can get right Brexit deal for Britain, says Bolton West candidate

One of the biggest issues nationally going into this General Election is the challenge facing the next government navigating through Brexit negotiations, writes Francesca Marshall.

Bolton West voted to leave the European Union in last year’s referendum and incumbent Conservative MP, Chris Green, believes he has the right attitude to get the right deal for his constituents.

He said: “Bolton and Wigan voted definitely to leave the EU and I have made no secret that it was something which I campaigned for. I hear from local people that they believe Theresa May will get us the best deal in the negotiations.

“By far the biggest issue, and what has been coming up time and time again on the doorstep, is who the British people want to lead the country - Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn.

“Bolton West sits on a knife edge, so if Labour win here that could mean Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister.

“I am worried that his nonsensical and dangerous ideas could have a damaging impact on our society, our economy and our Brexit negotiations.”

On a local level, the Tory MP also hit out at Labour’s plans to develop on green fields in the constituency.

He explained that building on this land would not only be detrimental to surrounding areas, but it also moves crucial resources away from the town which could be spent in alternative ways.

Speaking to MM he said: “Locally, people are also concerned about Labour's plans to bulldoze over our remaining green fields here in Bolton West.

“I am also concerned that a Labour candidate winning here would see them prop up the decisions of the Labour run Wigan and Bolton Councils, giving the green light for our green fields to be built upon and more money directed away from our towns and into other parts of the boroughs.

“The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, approved by Bolton Labour Leader Cliff Morris, earmarked acres of land right around our area for new houses, despite massive opposition from local people.”

Mr Green concluded that it had been “an honour and a privilege” to serve as the Member of Parliament for Bolton West.

He said: “In that time, I have made it my aim to be as accessible as possible to my constituents, meeting with over a thousand people at my advice surgeries and public ‘Meet Your MP’ events, and helping local people through more than 6,000 pieces of casework.”

PM may hav e bee n a ll s mi le s o n la s t vi sit t o B ol ton N ort h Ea s t. .. b u t w il l she sti ll be sm il ing on m or ning of June 9?

With many within the Labour Party suggesting seats with majorities of less than 5,000 could be ‘at risk’ this time around, the previously safe seat of Bolton North East is suddenly up for grabs and Theresa May knows it.

Ged Griffiths looks at the runners and riders and why the PM chose to use the constituency to launch her General Election campaign...

Shortly after Parliament approved her motion for an early general election, Prime Minister Theresa May left London and took a helicopter to Bolton North-East.

Riding high on opinion polls that put her party more than 20 points ahead of Labour, she addressed cameras and the Conservative party faithful in Warmsley Parish Hall and issued her Brexit proclamation: “And that’s what this election is about: providing the strong and stable leadership this country needs to take Britain through Brexit and beyond.”

But hy did she choose Bolton North-East?

One reason was to lend support in the neighbouring constituency of Bolton West seat where Conservative Chris Green is defending a majority of just 801.

But another was to target Bolton North-East itself and take it from Labour veteran Sir David Crausby who won it last time with 43% of the vote and a majority of 4,377.

If the Conservatives can win seats like this one, Theresa May will secure the majority she desires in Parliament prior to negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union.

And if Labour lose seats like Bolton North-East, then they are likely to lose out in many other parts of their traditional northern heartlands.

But a win for Crausby and a loss for Green would signal that the Conservatives had not performed as well as the Prime Minister expected.

That could do serious damage to her as a leader.

So Bolton North-East is one of those seats which managers of both main parties will be watching closely.

Red, blue or yellow? Follow @mm_newsonline on Twitter for all the latest General Election news

The Race for Bolton North East Runners and Riders Sir David Crausby, Labour

First elected in the 1997 election that made Tony Blair Prime Minister, Sir David represents the rise and triumph of Labour in the 1990s and the early 2000s: Daly and May would like to see him come to represent both its decline and its fall.

Crausby has been MP since that 1997 triumph. He has won five elections in total but his majority has slowly been slipping.

Campaigning on local issues and his track record, Crausby is sticking to the line he used in 2015: “I'm Bolton's man in Westminster, not Westminster's man in Bolton."

He points to his past record protecting the Bolton Maternity unit, securing funding to save the Octogon Theatre from going bust, promoting Bolton’s status by making sure the Magistrates’ court did not close and helping to secure Bolton’s Institute of Higher Education becoming a University in 2004.

Referring back to the years of Labour power – “There are so many health centres and Sure Start centres that just didn't exist in Bolton before Labour's investment” – his campaign calls for more investment in the NHS, social housing and transport.

James Daly, Conservative

Though he campaigned here in 2015, Daly is in some ways a surprise candidate.

He was Conservative leader on the Bury council from February 2016 and only joined the campaign in May after Abi Kay, who was initially announced as Bolton North East candidate for this year's election, stood down citing personal reasons.

Daly talks about building the Northern Powerhouse, bringing jobs here and improving infrastructure, healthcare and education but for him

Brexit is paramount; as an MP he “ would be part of Theresa May's team to get the best deal from Brexit for Bolton.”

Harry Lamb, UKIP

Harry Lamb of UKIP won over 8000 votes – almost a fifth of the total cast - in 2015 and would claim that Bolton’s vote by 58 to 42% to leave the EU last year was a sign of growing UKIP strength in the Bolton area.

UKIP also won 20% of the votes cast in Council elections in 2016.

Harry Lamb and Bolton UKIP do not trust that the Prime Minister to deliver a sufficiently hard Brexit.

However, UKIP seems to have been in decline since the referendum and Nigel Farage’s resignation as leader. One of the key questions of this election is what will happen if the UKIP vote does not hold: will it dissipate or will it decamp en masse to the Conservatives?

Liz Spencer, The Green Party

The Green Party candidate Liz Spencer is running for the first time in Bolton North-East and she voices similar concerns to Warren Fox. For her, housing and funding for public services are the dominant issues.

She says: “The primary focus of the campaign here is on the effect of years of cuts to public services and the ongoing threats to these.

“Housing needs are a concern right across the constituency whether that is in regard to outright homelessness, the lack of social housing, and the massive problems in the rented sector or the difficulty of house purchase.”

Warren Fox, Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have tended to be a poor third in polling in Bolton North-East but they were punished for their association with the Coalition government and fell down to fourth position, securing less than 3% of the vote in 2015.

On Brexit Fox follows the Liberal Democrat position that a settlement on withdrawal from the European Union needs to be endorsed by a referendum and feels that Bolton is suffering from both local Labour dominance and national Conservative Leadership. Housing is a big issue as is local fear that implementing the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework will adversely affect the local greenbelt area.

He worries that neither of the two dominant parties have a realistic plan to deal with exiting the European Union and is concerned that their rivalry distorts local politics and leads to the neglect of local issues: “Some areas of Bolton are within the top 7% most deprived areas in the country. Yet Conservative policy at a national level and Labour policy at a local level has failed to tackle this at all.

“At a local level the Conservatives have the same issue as Labour nationally. They’re extremely weak in opposition.”

And finally...

Throughout any General Election campaign voters are bombarded with messages from political parties desperate to secure their vote. Here we look at some of the classic election posters from down the years.

This poster by advertising giants Saatchi & Saatchi was initially rejected

by Margaret Thatcher on the grounds that it mentioned Labour.

She later relented and despite a controversy over who was actually in the picture - the line is of members from Hendon Young Conservatives - Saatchi & Saachti estimate it brought in £5m of free publicity.

Labour PM Tony Blair hired Trevor Beattie, the creative genius behind the Wonderbra “Hello Boys” poster and French Connection’s FCUK campaign, for this attack on the Tories (and more pointedly leader William Hague) for the 2001 General Election. Using Margaret Thatcher’s hair and Hague’s face gave voters not only a giggle but a serious message as well

Sticking with a similar theme to the Labour poster from 2001, the Lib Dems were criticised on social media for this mash-up of Prime Minister Theresa May and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Some users - including prominent Lib Dems LGBTQ members - accused the party of "trans-phobia".