When I stood up in Rochdale's Council Chamber in January and refused a 34% pay rise as a Councillor, people knew that I was on their side. Indeed, I received dozens of emails and phone calls from people across our Borough thanking me for taking a stand. Labour sneered and said I would vote against a pay rise but accept it in private. I didn't. I handed a letter to the Chief Executive, alongside Councillor Irene Davidson. I didn't want Labour's dirty money.

16,690 pensioners living in Rochdale will receive at least an extra £772 per year under Liberal Democrat manifesto plans to protect the 'triple lock' for state pensions.

Thanks to the triple lock guarantee, secured by the Liberal Democrats when they were in government, the basic state pension has risen in each year by whichever is the higher of earnings, prices or a rate of 2.5%. However, the Conservatives have refused to guarantee whether the triple lock will continue, raising fears it could be scrapped.

The Liberal Democrats have committed today to keeping the triple lock, meaning the state pension would be worth at least £137.15 a week by 2021, up from £122.30 in 2017, or an extra £772 a year.

This would be paid for in part by restricting perks such as the winter fuel allowance so they are no longer paid to the wealthiest pensioners.

Rochdale's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman, Councillor Andy Kelly said: "Protecting the triple lock will mean an extra £772 a year by 2021 for the 16,690 people receiving the state pension in this constituency.

"The Liberal Democrats are making a clear commitment to older people in Rochdale, unlike the Conservatives who have repeatedly refused to give this guarantee. Many pensioners in Rochdale still remember the last time Labour were in Government. Labour's insulting 75p a week pay rise shows that they can't be trusted to look after our older people either.

"The triple lock has succeeded in lifting thousands of pensioners in Rochdale out of poverty, but many are still struggling to get by.

"An important test of a civilised society is the way in which it cares for the elderly. This commitment will ensure older people are able to meet their basic needs and that their living standards will be protected, especially with prices set to rise in the coming years."

The Liberal Democrats have announced they would plug funding gaps for the NHS and social care by putting a penny on income tax, in their first major manifesto commitment of the election campaign.

The tax would raise an additional £23m for Rochdale, with £18m for the NHS and £7m for social care each year.

This is the party's flagship spending commitment and its first major policy announcement for the election. The Liberal Democrats manifesto will also set out a 'five-point recovery plan' for NHS and social care services in their manifesto.

At least 70% of Brits would happily pay an extra 1p in every pound if that money was guaranteed to go to the NHS, an ITV poll found last October.

Councillor Andy Kelly, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Rochdale said: "Right now in Rochdale we are seeing patients lying on trolleys in hospital corridors, urgent operations being cancelled and the elderly being denied the care they need. In our Town, only the Liberal Democrats campaigned against the downsizing of Rochdale Infirmary under the last Labour Government. Our Borough lost a number of services including A and E and maternity services under Labour's watch.

"In Rochdale, the Liberal Democrats are prepared to be honest with people and say that to secure the future of the NHS we will all need to chip in a little more. The future of our NHS is likely to be one of the key election issues and I want to make it clear that Labour in Rochdale are no friends of universal, free healthcare.

"A penny in the pound would allow us to invest in improving local NHS services and ensuring the elderly receive the care they deserve.

"This Conservative government has left our health and care services chronically underfunded - and while the crisis gets worse they just don't seem to care.

"We cannot continue asking the system to deliver more and more, without giving it the resources to do so."

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson and former health minister Norman Lamb said: "The NHS was once the envy of the world and this pledge is the first step in restoring it to where it should be.

"A penny in the pound to save the NHS is money well spent in our view.

"But simply providing more money on its own is not enough and that's why this is just the first step in our plan to protect health and care services in the long-term."