Cllr Adrian Owens, deputy West Lancs Conservative Group leader, writes about the importance of this year's local elections...
This council election is about local issues. It’s a stark choice between your local hardworking Conservative Team and a divided and weak Labour Party. Local Conservatives work hard all year round, not just at election time and have a record to be proud of:
• Cutting Council Tax in real terms over the past five years
• Protecting jobs and services by working with the private sector
• Increasing recycling six fold, and now introducing new blue wheelie bins
• Extending CCTV coverage right across West Lancashire, including to rural areas this coming year
• Record-breaking investment in council housing and regeneration including this year building new commercial units in Skelmersdale
• Achieving Green Flag status for our parks and building new play areas
• Creating Apprenticeships and supporting residents through welfare reform while overseeing a reduction in unemployment from Labour’s recession
• Supporting our town and village centres, this coming year by cutting business rates for small shops and investing over £700,000 in further improvements.
Voting for any other party in the local elections, risks Labour getting in. The last time Labour ran West Lancashire, they split into two rival groups and hiked up Council Tax by 15%, let recycling dwindle, left our parks to rot and doubled councillor allowances. Now they want to slash funding to local community groups; parishes and the successful Motorfest. They even oppose giving extra priority for council housing to local people who work or volunteer. Don’t let Labour take us back – Vote for your Local Conservative Team on May 22.
The full list of Conservative candidates is as follows:
Ashurst-Amanda Kay
Aughton & Downholland - David O'Toole*
Aughton Park- Sue Bailey
Burscough East - Ruth Melling*
Burscough West - Jason Grice
Derby Ward - Paul Greenall*
Knowsley Ward - Edward McCarthy
Moorside - Amanda Shaw
Newburgh- Eddie Pope*
Parbold - David Whittington
Scarisbrick- Jane Marshall
Scott Ward - David Meadows
Skelmersdale South - James Trafford
Tanhouse - Bill Weingart
Up Holland - David Gallagher
(* indicates sitting councillor)
Promoted by Graham Jones on behalf of all the West Lancs Conservative Candidates all of WLCA, 72C New Court Way, Ormskirk, Lancs L39 2YT.