Lets Fix Chorlton's Potholes!

Enough is enough with the decline of Chorlton roads. Potholes are everywhere and the situation only gets worse under our Labour Council. Lets get this mess sorted out once and for all! Add a blue place mark next to any potholes you know about to the map below. Or Report your potholes to either contact@manchester.gov.uk or cllr.p.ankers@manchester.gov.uk or cllr.v.chamberlain@manchester.gov.uk

Help us get Chorlton fixed

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Floella Benjamin visits Chorlton

Today I was delighted to welcome Floella Benjamin OBE, amongst many other things the star of Children's television programme 'Playschool', to Chorlton. Floella joined John Leech and myself at 'Head over Heals' to meet local parents and children. Floella who is an advisor to Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems on on policies relating to children and early years provision, seemed to really enjoy her time in Chorlton and was very positive about this popular local business.

Floella said: "The Liberal Democrats are the only party who can provide long term ideas for real change. It is clear that this country is at a crucial time both politically and historically.

“The attitudes and behaviour of some have effected the many and the public have been let down for far too long. Change comes when people work together for a common goal and I am proud to support the Liberal Democrats, a party whose values reflect my own, especially when it comes to children.

“I have spent many years campaigning for a society that is based on integrity, trust and morality. And it is clear that this belief is at the very core of everything the Liberal Democrats do. We are tired of the stale ideas and empty words of the red/blue combination.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party who can provide long term ideas for real change. This country is in dire need of a fresh start and that fresh start can only come with the Liberal Democrats, who for me are the only viable alternative.”

Manchester Lib Dems call for St George's Bank Holiday

Happy St George's Day to everyone in Chorlton!

Manchester Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Simon Ashley has today called for St George's Day to be made into a Bank Holiday.

Cllr Ashley said today,

"Scotland and Northern Ireland have more Bank Holidays than England and Wales, and have a Bank Holiday for their patron saints. Why can't England do the same? Only by celebrating our diversity and collective achievements can we reclaim nationalism from those on the far-right who seek to subvert it."

Cllr Ashley added,

"St. George's Day is a brilliant opportunity for our country to come together and show the pride we have in our culture, society and history. Many Manchester businesses fly the English flag with pride and I think a new Bank Holiday for St. George's Day would be a great way to celebrate our wonderful country."

Fairness - The Liberal Democrat Manifesto Launch

Nick Clegg has launched the Liberal Democrat General Election manifesto. The manifesto sets out four clear priorities of fair taxes, a fair chance for every child, a fair economy, and a fair deal by cleaning up politics.

At the launch, Nick Clegg said:

Every manifesto needs to have an idea at its heart. The basic idea that animates this manifesto is something I have always believed. I believe every single person is extraordinary.

The tragedy is that we have a society where too many people never get to fulfil that extraordinary potential.

My view - the liberal view - is that government's job is to help them to do it. Not to tell people how to live their lives. But to make their choices possible, to release their potential, no matter who they are.

The way to do that is to take power away from those who hoard it. To challenge vested interests. To break down privilege. To clear out the bottlenecks in our society that block opportunity and block progress. And so give everyone a chance to live the life they want.

There's a simple word for those ideas, and it's a word this manifesto is built on: fairness.

The Liberal Democrat manifesto outlines 4 steps to a fairer Britain:

Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket: The first £10,000 you earn tax-free: a tax cut of £700 for most people, 3.6 million low earners and pensioners freed from income tax completely, Paid for in full by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the wealthy and polluters

A fair future creating jobs by making Britain greener: Break up the banks and get them lending again to protect real businesses, Honesty about the tough choices needed to cut the deficit, Green growth and jobs that last by investing in infrastructure

A fair chance for every child: Ensure children get the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes, Made possible by investing £2.5 billion in schools targeted to help struggling pupils, Give schools the freedom to make the right choices for their pupils

A fair deal by cleaning up politics: Put trust back into politics by giving you the right to sack corrupt MPs, Restore and protect hard-won British civil liberties with a Freedom Bill, Overhaul Westminster completely: fair votes, an elected House of Lords, all politicians to pay full British taxes

You can download the Liberal Democrat manifesto at http://www.libdems.org.uk/our_manifesto.aspx along with summary documents and videos for each of the key areas, order a paper copy and find audio and easy read text versions.

Chorlton History Discussion Group

I've had a really long but very positive day of campaigning around Chorlton. But the highlight of my day was going along to the Chorlton History Group this afternoon at the Horse and Jockey. I was invited by Ida Bradshaw who I often enjoy chatting with about local history.

I learnt lots of facts and stories about Chorlton that I had never heard before. I partiality enjoyed Bernard Leach's talk about a short lived community newspaper from the mid-1980s called "Chorlton Green". Although 1980s Chorlton is only very recent history it marked a significant shift locally with Chorlton transforming from a very conservative area (both with a big and small 'c') towards a more alternative scene - and the 'Chorlton Green' newspaper embodied this transformation.

The History Group also has lots of interesting events coming up:

On 29 May there will be a Peterloo Masacre Walk. Meet at 1pm outside the Central Reference Library in St Peter's Square.

On 30 May there will be a historical walk around Hawthorn Lane. Contact Dave Bishop (davegbishop@aol.com) for details.

The group's next meeting will be on Monday 7 June at 1.30pm at the Horse and Jockey. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in local history.

There will also be an historical walk along Beech Road to coincide with the festival on 4 July.

Beech Road Potholes

I was very pleased to see that these dangerous potholes I reported on the corner of Beech Road and Barlow Moor Road have finally been repaired. I initially reported them in December and have been chasing the Council for months to repair them. These potholes represent just one example of how the Labour run Council is failing to protect and invest in Chorlton's roads. I'm proud that Manchester Liberal Democrats are committed to spending an extra £420,000 on maintaining our crumbling roads and pavements; and I know that it would make a huge difference here in Chorlton.

I know that there are hundreds of potholes across Chorlton that need just the same attention as these ones on Beech Road and I will be continuing to push the Council to repair them. If you know of any potholes or poor roads near you, please let me know and I will get them repaired.