Meet your Fallowfield and Withington election candidates

With the election just round the corner and David, Ed and Nick all desperate for your vote here’s some info about your local MP’s in Manchester and what they say they’re going to do for you and your country.

Labour

Withington: Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith was born and raised in Withington, and attended The University of Manchester. Pre politics Jeff worked as a DJ and club promoter, at festivals and various UK nightclubs, but in 1997 he said goodbye to his decks to become a councillor for Old Moat ward.

Jeff’s key Policies:

• He wants to work to tackle sexism and gender inequality
• He is backing a jobs guarantee for young people
• He supports ‘Generation Rent’ and Labour’s pledge to build 200,00 new homes a year

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus : 90%

Fallowfield: Sir Gerald Kaufman

Sir Geral Kaufman has been the MP for Manchester, Gorton since 1983, he attended Oxford university. He also worked for the Daily mirror and helped write popular TV comedy ‘The Week That Was’.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 100%

Conservative

Withington: Robert Manning

He studied at the University of Manchester, and previously worked as a professional services consultant. Though Robert has not made any specific pledges on his website he insists that ensuring the current conservative leader David Cameron stays put at the top is best for Britain.

Robert’s key policies:

• He supports the backing from George Osbourne to invest in Manchester, this includes transport, science and industry.
• He wants to create more job across Manchester as well as providing more security for retirement.
• He supports the 8 billion pound investment in the NHS promised by the tories to make it a stronger institution.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus : 1%

Fallowfield: Mo Afzal

Mo Azfal has worked in Manchester for 25 years, and believes he has built strong connections with local businesses in Manchester.

Mo’s key policies:

• He will be ‘banging the drum’ for businesses to invest in Manchester and create jobs in the area
• He wants to ensure that we have a sufficient transport network for our community.
• He will fight for more funding for local schools.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus : 0%

Liberal Democrats

Withington: John Leech

His previous employers include McDonald’s and The RAC, but he has been MP for Withington since 2005. He is a Manchester City season ticket holder and enjoys a spot of amateur dramatics in his spare time.

John’s key policies:

• John is a keen supporter of improving road safety for residents
• He has continuously campaigned to increase the number of apprenticeships that local businesses provide for young people.

 

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 9%

Fallowfield: Dave Page

Page has lived in Manchester since 1997, he has previously worked in IT, and his interest in politics was sparked when he became part of the NO2ID campaign which rallied against Labour’s proposal in 2003 for a compulsory national ID database. He was also involved in the campaign for same sex marriage, which succeeded in 2013.

Dave’s Key Policies:

• He wants to fight against the plans to turn ‘The Orange Grove’ sight into flats, and have it remain as either a pub or café, maintaining the outdoor area.
• He wants to ensure safer and warmer homes for Manchester’s renters who have previously been victim to ‘ revenge evictions’
• He is a strong supporter of the Liberal Democrat campaign to invest more money in mental health, and to raise awareness of issues surrounding mental health.

The Green Party

Withington: Lucy Bannister

Lucy is a recent chemistry graduate from the University of Manchester, she has been involved with the green party for just over a year and previously chaired the Manchester Student Stop AIDS Campaign whilst at university.

Lucy’s key policies:

• She has pledged to oppose any attempts to carry out fracking in the Manchester Withington area.
• She supports the Green Party’s aims to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.
• She is a passionate supporter of the ‘Stop TTIP MCR’ group (TTIP is an attempt to reverse social and environmental regulatory protections and redirect legal rights from citizens to corporations.)
• She is protesting cuts made to Manchester Rape Crisis centre and other services for women in Manchester.

Chance of winning according to electoral calculus: 0%

Fallowfield: Laura Bannister

Also a Manchester University Graduate, Laura has lived in Manchester for 10 years, she currently works supporting local people with mental health issues and learning disabilities, through community gardening projects.

Key policies:

• She wants to end the high levels of poverty and deprivation in the Manchester area.
• She wants to ensure cheap and reliable public transport.
• She wants to fight for better housing and affordable energy bills.

 

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 0%

UKIP

Withington: Mark Davies

Davies has lived in Withington for 20 years, he led corporate sales teams for global IT companies. He does not refer to himself as a ‘professional politician’ having only involved himself in politics in the last two years.

Mark’s key policies:

• He supports UKIP’s plan to cap immigration at 50,000 people per year and place a five year ban on ‘unskilled’ workers entering the country.
• He agrees with the UKIP policy that maternity leave should be unpaid or at least women who are on maternity leave should be paid a lot less,

Fallowfield: Phil Eckersley

He works as the managing director for a retirement home in Manchester, and attended both the University of Manchester and Manchester Met.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 0%

Phil’s key policies:

• He wants to improve the local economy
• He wants to improve the NHS and social care services in Manchester

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 0%

Trade Unionist and Socialist coalition

Fallowfield: Simon Hickman

Simon is a firefighter, he joined TUSC after being frustrated that there was no party that really represented the working class.

Simon’s key policies:

• He wants to prevent the privatisation of public services
• He wants to stop cuts to public services such as transport
• He supports diversity in Manchester and the rest of the UK, this includes defending the right to asylum and full equality for LGBT people.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus: 0%

Pirate Party UK

Fallowfield: Cristian Chesha

Chesha has lived in Manchester since 2001, and works for The University of Manchester’s IT service. He is a ‘passionate cyclist, and an active campaigner for road safety and provision for #space4cycling’.

Chris’s key policies:

• He wants to enable councils to build affordable council housing
• He wants to remove the benefits cap, ‘either someone is eligible for benefit, or they are not’
• He wants to scrap tuition fees.

Chance of winning according to the electoral calculus : 0%

The general election will be held on the Thursday the 7th of May; find out where to vote on your polling card which you will have received through the post.