Power to the people!
As Lib Dems in Rochdale deliver on manifesto commitments....
hey spent decades trying to get power; once they had it they gave most of it away! That is exactly what the Liberal Democrats in Rochdale have done to the delight of residents. This is the result of a complete turnaround in Council Policy following the Liberal Democrats successful election results in May last year. Rochdale is split up into 4 areas - called 'Townships' - giving more power to them became the central plank of the local party's manifesto for the elections last May. This has been a successful time locally for the party - having regained the Parliamentary seat in May 2005 and the successful election results gave them the mandate to deliver on their promises. They have now taken overall control of the Council after the resignation of a Labour Councillor, having run the Town under Minority Administration - strengthening their grip.
The vital part of running a new administration is to hit the ground running, the whole of the Lib Dem Manifesto had been checked with Council Officers to see whether it was achievable before the election. This made sure that everything we promised we are delivering. This included devolution, improving recycling, improving educational attainment, delivering a customer focussed Council and much more. The first thing they did was to change the Council's Cabinet - getting rid of the insignificant positions and replacing them with a Portfolio Holder responsible for devolution and one for Older People. A key advantage was the joint working between the Council Group and the Member of Parliament. Paul Rowen MP met regularly with the Council Group to make sure that they were singing from the same hymn sheet! The other was the inexplicable decision of the Labour and Conservatives last year to go into Coalition and run the administration… badly!
Back to devolution - Power being devolved includes more control over roads, street lights, pavements, parks - Greater powers over Community Centres, Leisure projects, libraries and others. These powers will be administered by the Townships meaning that more decisions will be made locally. These Townships now have more power than the old Town Councils that were abolished in 1974. This policy has delighted the communities of Heywood, Middleton, Pennines and Rochdale.
Council Leader Alan Taylor said, "We are delighted to be keeping yet another clear Manifesto commitment, in our successful election campaign we made promises and this is clear evidence of us keeping them. It is high time we put trust in the local people. These are really exciting proposals for Rochdale which will really change the way Council Services are delivered. We want Townships themselves to devolve even further, this means giving power to local communities. We would expect these communities to be given a budget to use on their priorities. Gone are the centralist days of power being delivered from their Town Hall, Councils have a reputation as delivery agents for the Government, in Rochdale this has been thrown out of the window. I would like to thank Party President Simon Hughes MP, who launched our manifesto and gave us the encouragement to follow it through. Even if that meant giving power straight back to Labour in areas of our borough - we have shown we are party of conviction. The flawed Government White Paper promised to give more power to communities - we have shown we mean what we say and follow through our Liberal agenda. If I was going to give Lib Dem Groups across the country any tips I would say form a clear manifesto, make sure you can do it and then deliver the message home time and time again through leaflets, targets letters and through the local press."
Milnrow and Newhey Councillor Keith Swift who is the Cabinet Member responsible for devolution said, "We have put trust in local decision making at the top of our agenda. As many decisions that affect local communities as possible will be delegated to Township Level, making them stronger and more vibrant"
Since May, the Liberal Democrats in Rochdale have been busy keeping their other promises too. This includes establishing a new Portfolio Holder for Older People - Councillor Angela Coric is doing an excellent job, and Rochdale Council is already benefiting, having been successful in a bid for ONE MILLION POUNDS in extra funding as a direct result of the Liberal Democrats showing their commitment to Older People.
For more information on campaigning in the Rochdale Borough please log onto: www.rochdalelibdems.org.uk
David Hennigan
(Advisor to the Liberal Democrat Group on Rochdale Council and Agent for Paul Rowen MP)