Heywood Councillor hits out at Labour over adult care controversy

12.00.00am GMT Tue 13th Nov 2007

Heywood Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee has called for the Labour Party to stop using the Heywood Township as a "political football". Councillor Brophy-Lee was responding after the Labour Party brought a motion to their Township on adult care. Doreen branded the motion "false and misleading".

Councillor Brophy-Lee said, "At our recent Township Meeting the Labour Party introduced a misleading motion on the 'vulnerability of older people' which I think is a terrible thing to do, to frighten people who feel very vulnerable is unforgivable. They put before the Township last night a resolution that the township would 'not stand for reduced care for older people.' I agree with them emphatically but also know that this is not going to be a possibility as there is not going to be a reduction in care for older people and so I could not vote for something that was not going to happen just to give them a political platform.

"The care for older people when it starts will be much better than it is now as it will be tailor made for each individual rather than one size fits all. It's the difference between buying a coat off the market or having a designer gown made for you to fit your every needs and I know what most people will want. Neither myself or Councillor Rush will ever see the older people of Heywood not looked after and that is a promise. A promise that we intend to keep and not just rhetoric for political gain like Labour.

"The Township should be a non-political forum aimed at getting the best for Heywood. At present, it feels like the Labour Party have got their priorities wrong and are putting themselves first. Yes, put motions that affect us but please do not try and mislead residents for political gain. That is the worst type of politics, especially when you consider that if they were in power they would be doing exactly the same as us and Labour-run authorities like Salford, Manchester and the rest."