LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE CANDIDATES
May 11th, 2009 | 
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Burnley’s Liberal Democrats are off the starting blocks for the forthcoming County Council elections, having announced a full slate of six candidates for the six Burnley and Padiham divisions up for election.
They say their top priorities for the County Council are jobs, schools and transport. That, and giving the “failed” County Council a “lesson to remember”.Â
Lib Dem leader of Burnley Council, Coun Gordon Birtwistle said, “These priorities are all tied together because without decent rail and road links, it’s harder to attract employers to the area. We want a new bridge turning left at Junction 9 of the M65, so a large new employment area can be created. We want improvements to our train stations, and the direct link to Manchester re-opening.
“Without a decent education for our kids, employers will find it hard to get the right calibre of people here. Burnley is the bottom of the league tables because of Labour’s botched investment, and it’s cost hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ pounds to put our schools at the bottom. The mess created by Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme has to be put right, and only we have the skills to do that.
“On top of that we have to get parking issues associated with the area’s colleges, hospital and football ground sorted out. These are County Council responsibilities and for decades the Labour-run outfit has failed spectacularly.
“Then you have the fact that Labour’s County Council has been investing pensions in hedge funds associated with the short-selling that led to the collapse of the world banking system. That is simply indefensible. They seem to have lost about £40m on it.
“But the biggest failure of all has to be the abysmal performance of the Health Scrutiny committees, who could have stopped the disaster in our local hospital services under Labour Coun Maureen Martin’s chairmanship. They knew in advance what was going to happen when they downgraded our A&E, because we told them. They did precisely nothing and everyone knows the result is a mess.
Speaking about his party’s candidates, Coun Birtwistle added, “Four of our six candidates are already councillors for Burnley Borough and will carry on working for people on both Councils.Â
“That’s important because we need to build stronger links between the two organisations and because we need to be able to hit the ground running. The County Council needs teaching a serious lesson to remember. Only the Lib Dems present a viable alternative to Labour in Burnley.”
The Liberal Democrats will be hoping that they can repeat their successes in Burnley which saw them take overall control of the Borough last year – the first time anyone but Labour has had overall control since the Borough was created in 1974.
The candidates are:
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Burnley Central West – Coun Charlie Briggs
Charlie Briggs has been Burnley Council’s executive member for community safety for the last year, and represents Gannow ward. He says his top priority has been getting anti-social behaviour under control, particularly when it comes to rubbish and litter, and he intends to carry on. His work has won national recognition. He is also leading the charge for restrictions on drinking alcohol outdoors throughout Burnley and Padiham.
Coun Briggs said, “Burnley needs to be made a nicer place to live. To do that, you have to get young people involved and on the right side of the community. You have to give them something to aspire to. Putting some common sense into the County Council’s education and youth policy is a fantastic chance to do that.”
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Cllr Charlie Briggs at Hameldon College, placed in Special Measures following Labour’s disastrous ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme. |
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Burnley South West – Coun Jeff Sumner
Jeff Sumner is Burnley Council’s executive member for customer services, where he has helped make sure that the contact centre delivers outstanding service for a reasonable price to the taxpayer. He says that the County Council failed the town badly when it failed to intervene over hospital services.
Coun Sumner said, ”People often don’t know which council deals with particular issues. Residents parking, for example, is that the County Council or Burnley Council? Most people wouldn’t know.
“That’s why we need councillors who understand both organisations. In my opinion we shouldn’t have a County Council at all. We’d be better off with just one Council, then people would know who to contact and there wouldn’t be all this buck-passing.
“And maybe we could have councillors who understand how important Burnley General Hospital is to the people of Burnley.”
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 Cllrs Gordon Birtwistle (left) and Jeff Sumner (right) campaigning for the return of hospital services to Burnley |
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Burnley Central East – Coun Bill Bennett
Bill Bennett has served on Burnley Council for the last five years and, like the Lib Dems’ other Burnley councillors who are standing in the County elections, says he intends to continue to do so if elected.Â
Coun Bennett said, “Time and again people tell me that the County Council doesn’t listen. That organisation doesn’t work properly. You can never get hold of a county councillor and I want to change that. People in my ward know they can always get hold of me and that I’ll do something about their problems.
“The same thing needs to happen at County Hall. We need a revolution there. I think their biggest mistake has been over the hospital and the electorate are going to make Labour pay for that.”
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 Cllr Bill Bennett h |
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Burnley North East – Coun Peter McCann
Peter McCann represents the Lanehead ward on Burnley Council and has been instrumental in trying to get the County Council and Borough Council talking more to each other. He has taken up many issues with the County Council on behalf of residents, especially related to traffic and parking issues over the last few years.
Coun McCann said, “It’s high time for a big re-think about parking. The fines system puts off shoppers. The lack of parking at our colleges and the hospital creates big problems for residents. The street planners at the County Council don’t consult properly and road safety schemes are often botched. All of this is the County Council’s responsibility.
“Then there are back streets that need resurfacing. The Liberal Democrat-controlled Borough Council has had to pay out for some of these recently even though we have no responsibility for it, because the County Council refuses to do the job. They need more of a can-do attitude instead of just finding excuses not to do things.”
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 Cllrs Peter McCann and Gordon Birtwistle and Mrs Margaret Brindle campaign for the return of hospital services to Burnley. |
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Burnley Rural – Margaret Brindle
Margaret Brindle has worked for both Central and Local government in Pensions and Welfare benefits in Burnley for over 23 years, and has been very active in her party’s campaign to restore Burnley’s lost hospital services.
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 A Burnley resident (left) meets (left to right) Margaret Brindle, Gordon Birtwistle and Charlie Briggs, and signs their petition for the return of services to Burnley. |
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Padiham & Burnley West – Martyn Hurt
Martyn Hurt has been an active volunteer for his local community since coming to Burnley fourteen years ago. He helps to run a local youth club and was a director for several years at the Community Alliance, which seeks to empower local people through advice and training to achieve more for their areas.
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