Author Topic: Greater Manchester mayoral election, how important is it to voters?  (Read 6095 times)

celeste

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39155929


Mancunians will proudly tell you that the National Health Service was born here and indeed it was when the first NHS hospital opened in Trafford in 1948.
Fast forward nearly 70 years, and it's clear from scanning the headlines that health and social care have never mattered more and will feature prominently in the minds of many voters on 4 May when they choose their first mayor for Greater Manchester.
Despite the rumours, he or she will not have control over the region's £6bn budget. But with their electoral mandate the mayor will be an influential figure whose ideas and priorities will hold sway.
Three of the candidates hoping to become mayor were invited to face health professionals at a hustings in Manchester on Thursday night. 'Experience'The Liberal Democrats' Jane Brophy has worked in and around the NHS for nearly 30 years, and it showed. She spoke with authority about the pressures of shrinking budgets and ever-changing rotas.

 What solutions did she offer? Her passion for green issues came across: maximise unused public spaces for physical activities; use tree planting for mental health therapy.
She also pushed her party line on protecting EU NHS workers, asking "where would we be without them?"
After much jargon-filled talk of "bottom-up policy" and "breaking down silos", I asked her about the real issue that could stump her plans - is £6bn enough?
She doesn't think it is and said that, if she is elected, she would battle for more.'Comprehensive vision'The Conservatives' Sean Anstee stayed true to his party's philosophy - a healthy economy is the way to a healthy population.
Did he see any issue with private companies increasingly bidding for NHS business? Not if patients felt the benefit.
As leader of Trafford Council he was the only one who could stand up and say: "I have helped bring us this far; trust me to take us further" in relation to devolving more powers to the 10 boroughs.
But when I asked for a solid policy to hang my hat on, he said I'd have to wait for the manifesto.
While his detailed local knowledge and ability to work with Labour colleagues came across, his comprehensive vision for the NHS did not.'Tangible promises'Labour's Andy Burnham was on comfy turf. The former health secretary knows the issues, and knows how to pull on Mancunian heart strings.
He quoted Bevan, he referenced Pankhurst, he all but got the red flag out while referencing the region's spirit of radicalism.
While his policies were not particularly radical, they were solid. Full devolution of the Department for Work and Pensions budget, tailor-designed dementia-friendly homes, an integrated cycle system across the conurbation. If he wins these are tangible promises he would certainly have a duty to keep. 
As things stand, Mr Burnham is the odds-on bookies' favourite to win.
But the pollsters do get it wrong, and the bookies do sometimes lose money.
There hasn't been a mayoral race in Greater Manchester before and politics is not the game of loyalty it once was.
And, as we learned last year, nobody's vote can be taken for granted any more.
There are four other candidates who have so far declared their intention to stand - as part of our campaign coverage we will be finding out about their policies on health and social care as well as other policy areas.
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

St Chads Lad

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Burnham will say anything to get elected and there is no doubt he will , but ultimately he is a Westminster type of politician , if he's elected he will employ other Westminster lackies and blow the budget

Parky

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We voted that we didn't want a mayor but the attitude came from above "that  we know better " but I would laugh (but I know its  not gonna happen) that a ukip candidate got in

celeste

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The only candidate I've met is Jane Brophy, at one time when an election was due she was the only one  (locally) who bothered to come round to the house, she was always very helpful.



All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

celeste

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39492237
Those hoping to become Greater Manchester's first metropolitan mayor have less than a month to go in which to earn your vote.

Greater Manchester, in case you were wondering, includes the 10 borough councils - Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside Trafford, and Wigan.

Who are the candidates desperate for your support on 4 May, though, and what are their priorities?

BBC Radio Manchester's political reporter Kevin Fitzpatrick has produced a potted biography for each of the eight would-be mayors.

We're also asking all of them for a "minute manifesto" video.

All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

St Chads Lad

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I predict a low turnout, nobody I know seems to care

celeste

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I'm starting to find ambitious people a bit of a turn-off :D
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

St Chads Lad

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The irony is that people say they want change but if we show apathy and don't vote things just carry as they are.

Parky

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But did we not vote to say  that we didn't want a mayor?

St Chads Lad

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I certainly don't, my worry is someone like Burnham will squeeze working families for extra revenue like the London mayor does, I fear the North West will become a sort of socialist republic and I don't want that scumbag Corbyn ruling us through the back door

Parky

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Totally agree scl, we are being forced into something which we don't want ,this isn't democracy it's a dictatorship,look at the disaster Livingstone was and now khans' at it .
« Last Edit: 12:50:34, 06/04/17 by Parky »

Parky

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I've just been going through the candidates manifestos, jeeze there's some crackpots in there , predictably Burnham although not specifically saying so could be thinking about bringing the congestion charge back to the table (allegedly).
« Last Edit: 14:02:55, 06/04/17 by Parky »

St Chads Lad

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I see Burnham wants a "council of the north" to influence Brexit negotiations , this guy is a remoaner so I know what his agenda is but unfortunately the voters of Greater Manchester will put this pathetic creep into power. Labour the workers party ? don't make me laugh , and Parky you're right again we will get that congestion charge, no danger

celeste

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39577684

What powers will he/she have?

Greater Manchester's Mayoral Election Candidates (listed in alphabetical order)

Sean Anstee - Conservative

Mohammad Aslam - Independent

Jane Brophy - Liberal Democrat

Andy Burnham - Labour

Marcus Farmer - Independent

Stephen Morris - English Democrats

Shneur Odze - UKIP

Will Patterson - Green Party

Find out more about the candidates - and their key manifesto commitments

Local authorities included in the mayoral region: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan


A line
Here's where we're up to.

The new mayor will become the head of policing as well as taking on ultimate responsibility for the fire and rescue service.

He or she will decide how to invest a £300m housing budget.

Along with the leaders of the 10 boroughs which make up the combined authority, the mayor will look after the training and skills budget, as well as the running of parts of the judicial system.

The mayor and combined authority will also design and control new housing and transport strategy for the entire conurbation.

Over the next 30 years they'll also have £900m to invest in commerce.

Not only that, but last year Greater Manchester became the first part of England to control its own integrated health and social care budget of £6bn.

But just because politicians like Mr Osborne say it's a big deal, does that filter down to the streets of Wigan or the hills of Oldham? From the housing estates of Salford to the parks of Trafford?

The simple answer is No - not really. Believe me, I've asked enough people.

'Things really are about to change'

There are 2.7 million votes up for grabs across Greater Manchester, but the expectations are that less than a third of the electorate will bother to vote in the election on 4 May.

Some MPs worry that's because outside of the shiny city centre, many feel left out, that devolution could suck the strength from the "satellite boroughs" into King Manchester.

"What happens if we replace one set of men sat in a room making decisions in Whitehall, for another set in Manchester Town Hall?" asks Wigan MP Lisa Nandy. "I don't think that's empowerment at all."

Talking to voters, there's also confusion about where the mayor in a fancy gold chain ends, and a Boris Johnson/ Sajid Javid London mayor type one begins.

"I don't see the point - I just can't be bothered with it all," one lady in Salford told me.

But bothered they should be.

It's very easy to fall back on the "it's just more politics" argument.

Unlike some other regions, this is an impressive deal that has been hard fought for, and forensically considered.

Things really are about to change - and people need to have their say.
« Last Edit: 10:06:29, 14/04/17 by celeste »
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Parky

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Swapping democracy for a local dictatorship,