WHO will get your vote when Saddleworth and Oldham go to the polls on Thursday, May 5?
In the local elections, voters will cast their choice of who they want to elect to represent them on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.
One seat is being contested in each of the 20 wards in Oldham, including three wards in Saddleworth: Saddleworth North, Saddleworth South, and Saddleworth West and Lees.
Each ward is represented by three borough councillors, with one up for election each year.
Residents who are registered to vote can have their say for the ward in which they live.
Find out more about the elections on Oldham Council’s website: www.oldham.gov.uk/elections.
Here are profiles of the candidates standing in the Saddleworth North ward.
Gary Kershaw, Proud of Oldham and Saddleworth
Born and raised in Oldham, I now live in Denshaw, and work professionally in the financial sector, although I have a keen interest in education and have been involved in the design and implementation of new T-Levels for 16 to 18-year-olds.
Socially, I am a keen cricketer, and an active volunteer, assisting in a variety of community projects, such as Denshaw Community Association, Light up Denshaw and Friarmere Cricket Club.
I feel the time is right for me to represent the villages within Saddleworth North, a genuine voice for the community.
I will be seeking to preserve green spaces, protecting them from development; reduce anti-social behaviour by developing appropriate facilities to occupy young minds; campaign for better maintenance of pavements and public footpaths; reduce the incidence of fly-tipping by identifying and prosecuting offenders.
VOTE FOR GARY KERSHAW
Joshua Charters, Labour and Co-operative Party
I am proud to be the Labour and Co-operative candidate for Saddleworth North.
Labour locally has been working hard for you. Over the last year we have delivered the £27 million new Saddleworth School with first class facilities for our young people; we have protected our greenbelt through our ‘Mill Strategy’ and brownfield first approach to planning; we’ve invested in Saddleworth businesses through our Business Growth Fund and we are also investing in local services, including our ‘Don’t Trash Oldham’ campaign to combat littering and fly-tipping, investing £1.27 million into street cleaning.
A vote for Labour in the May elections will be a vote against the Tories, and their woeful inaction when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. While the Tories are overseeing the highest tax burden in 70 years, Labour are on your side setting out how we would reduce the cost of your energy bills through a windfall tax on the massive profits of the big energy companies.
If elected your councillor I pledge to:
- Support local schools, health services and businesses here in Saddleworth
- Support our ambitious climate action and ensure the council is carbon neutral by 2025
- Protect our greenbelt by supporting our Brownfield First policy and oppose any proposals to develop on greenbelt.
A second Labour councillor working alongside Cllr George Hulme, our local MP Debbie Abrahams and Mayor Andy Burnham would mean a strong voice for Saddleworth North.
Mick Scholes, Liberal Democrat
I am a Saddleworth Parish Councillor and Radical in the Pennine tradition, and I believe no child shall go to school hungry. Best placed to beat the Tories, I pledge to fight to ensure all children are protected from the worst of what is to come.
I am furious that Conservatives has wasted billions of our hard-earned money on faulty PPE and stolen Covid loans but are failing to support hard working local families in very difficult times.
My priority is to ensure council funds are available to provide ‘breakfast clubs’ for those that need them, at all schools in our area.
Endorsed by the Green Liberal Democrats, I am a life-long environmentalist who fights to preserve our green belt and open spaces. I am committed to ensuring our rivers cease to be used as open sewers by water companies and I strive for the expansion of community-owned renewable energy.
Running my successful nationwide business from Greenfield, I know how hard people work to make ends meet, yet find the rich get all the tax breaks.
We all know the Conservative’s claim to represent small business and working families is a busted flush. Conservatives have wasted billions of pounds during the pandemic, given dodgy PPE contracts to their cronies but left many short-contract workers to fend for themselves during Covid
Working with the families of those with special needs, I know the Conservatives have failed to support those on disability benefits. One of my priorities is to improve the support and respite provision provided to all carers.
Pam Byrne, The Conservative Party
I have served the Saddleworth North Ward for the last four years during which the new Saddleworth School has been built and is now open.
Managing traffic diversions and all the problems which affected Diggle and the surrounding villages during this building was due to the resilience of everyone.
I have always supported our green belt and green spaces and fought against the building of yet another 78 houses in Diggle.
I have supported residents in their fight to reduce the speed limits in the villages.
The 20mph which came into being in some villages during the Covid-19 pandemic helped a little. The limiting of the speed limit in Dobcross came about by resident petition which I supported and I am also supporting a petition to reduce speeds in Delph and Denshaw. The scheme around Denshaw School to reduce speed was the first I was involved in 2017 and is now being realised.
The pandemic created a lot of problems for residents and businesses and helping with appropriated grants was challenging.
In Springhead a Wild Flower Meadow with seats is supported by my Conservative colleague and myself for this summer.
I have met many residents in my casework and hope this has been of benefit to them.
I have spoken on a number of issues at Oldham Council and serve on a number of committees.
I hope that I will be returned to this seat on May 5.
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