The public and press are excluded from hundreds of meetings each year; no record is kept of how individual councillors vote at committee meetings; there is an appalling lack of scrutiny on important issues; weak and feeble 'party -line' councillors, vote how they are expected to vote - they even vote how they are told to vote.

In short, it's a perfect environment for incompetent councillors to thrive.

Policies and Accountability

1) Challenge any councillor or council employee, that I believe is not acting in the best interests of the residents of my ward.

2) Ensure my ward obtains and retains its fair share of major funding when it is available

3) I will only vote in the best interests of my ward or town - regardless of how others may or may not vote

4) All council committee meetings should be recorded and made available online

5) The way every individual councillor votes at all committee meetings should be recorded and made available online

6) Councillors should give-up the recent 34% and 51% allowance rises as well as reducing their allowances by an additional 10%

7) The former site of TBA should not be built but should be made into a country park

8) A local spending policy be introduced by Rochdale Council which specifically benefits the local economy (The Preston Model)

9) Agency workers only as an urgent stop gap measure. People carrying out council work should be directly employed by the council.

10) All council owned open spaces and parks to be registered with the Fields in Trust Charity to protect them for future generations

11) Support efficient renovation of existing properties instead of large scale demolition and rebuilding

12) The actual costs of individual road repairs to be made public - in the same way as amounts to be spent are made public

13) Oppose the outsourcing of council jobs, responsibilities and accountability

14) End the disgraceful abuse of excluding the press and public from committee meetings