Rochdale Lib Dems – a manifesto for a fresh start

Rochdale Liberal Democrats have revealed five things they will change if they gain enough seats in May's local elections. The Liberal Democrats are fighting hard to gain as many seats as possible and are campaigning for a fresh start for Rochdale. Their call came as a respected think tank dubbed the town the "... most declining in Britain".

Now local Lib Dem Leader Councillor Andy Kelly has revealed a five point point plan he says can get the borough back on its feet. Working with his team of Liberal Democrat candidates and members, he has identified five priorities he thinks will make life better for locals. These are making our borough safer, localising decision making, giving our young people the best start in life, using arts and heritage to attract jobs and investment and re-building the Borough's battered reputation.

Councillor Kelly said: "Everyone is sick and tired of the bad headlines of the Labour Party. They go from one scandal to the next. We believe that fresh thinking is needed. This Council faces significant challenges - not least from excruciating funding cuts. What we need to do though is to fightback and by highlighting five key areas we will improve - we are giving residents a positive choice. We have spoken to thousands of local people and these are the five major areas we will be concentrating on."

They have also launched a social media campaign and are asking residents to have their say using the hashtag - #mysayinMay

To see the manifesto in full, visit "our manifesto".