Who's standing in Denton West by-election?

Voters in Tameside's Denton West ward will also go to the polls on 12 December to elect a new councillor. We meet the candidates standing...

Jean Smee - The Green Party 

My name is Jean Smee and I am the Green Party candidate in the Denton West By-Election. I have lived in the Tameside area for most of my life and brought up my family here. My first teaching job was at Denton Two Trees School and I know here is a strong community spirit here.

Denton Green Spaces were saved from being sold off by the Council to developers by a strong local campaign. Now the fight must continue to ensure that the community can continue to enjoy the various recreational facilities and that the promised 25 year leases are delivered in the immediate future.

The Green Party believes in localism and in giving the community a real say in what is going to happen in their area. District Assemblies with the powers to hold the council to account and work to involve residents in the decisions affecting them and their families must be the way forward.

At the moment most decisions are made by a small number of councillors belonging to the so-called cabinet and non-cabinet councillors do not necessarily have a proper input in discussions involving their own wards.

It is a difficult time for Councils – funding has been savagely cut- but if the council was able to work together in a more collaborative way then the results could be improved outcomes all round. Vote Green for your community and to help Denton and Tameside move together to a happier future.

Tom Dunne - The Conservative Party 

Earlier this year as I stood to be your local councillor, I heard your concerns about our town – from crime and anti-social behaviour, the state of our roads and worries about getting your children in decent schools. These issues were at the top of our plans for Tameside.

Nationally, the Conservatives have said they will invest £2 billion on repairing crumbling roads across the country; they will employ 20,000 more police officers, with 347 extra coming to Greater Manchester this year alone; and they will spend more money on every child in every school and help parents with childcare during school holidays.

Locally, we said we would push for £40 million to be spent over the next four years on road maintenance and for all potholes to be fixed within two working days; we would cut the number of politicians at the town hall and use the savings to put more police on our streets to keep us safe; and we support the creation of a Free School in Tameside, and oppose Labour’s disastrous plans to scrap Ofsted and its inspections of educational quality.

We need someone in our community who cares for our town and who will put the interests of Denton and its people first; not someone who will just continue to put their party first. There is a difference between national and local politics - so if you want to see change in Denton then vote for me, your local Conservative candidate, on 12th December - I will put your interests first.

That is what I believe you want from your local councillors – someone who listens to you and reacts to your needs. The local Labour councillors have done nothing to fix the potholes and clean up our streets. Instead, they are spending millions of pounds of your money on moving Ashton bus station just a few yards closer to the Metrolink stop!

As your Conservative councillor, I would listen to you and stand up for you. A vote for me on 2nd May is to tell Labour to fix the potholes and to clean our streets.

George Jones - The Labour Party 

My name is George Alex Jones and I am delighted to be standing as the Labour Party candidate in this important by-election that will shape the future of our community. My ultimate aim is to be a strong local voice for all residents and to bring about the change we all want to see.  As a resident living in the ward myself, who experiences all the same issues that you do, I believe I am best placed to be our community champion. 

Currently, I’m studying Politics at the University of Salford which has taught me about what is at the heart of our political system and that is people. Everything we do should aim to transform our lives for the better. Over the last few years I have been working with our Member of Parliament and Ward Councillors to learn more about the issues we face and how we can resolve them going forward. 

I have a clear vision for the future, working for a cleaner, greener and safer community for all Denton West residents. We can only bring about this vision by working together and utilising that community spirit that is so alive and well in our community.  

Denton West is my home and I will do everything I can to ensure it’s the best place to grow up, get on and grow old. 

I love our community and it would be an honour to serve it!

Alice Mason-Power - Liberal Democrats 

I’m Alice, I live in Tameside and I work across Greater Manchester in homelessness prevention. I’m proud to call Tameside my adopted home and I’m glad to be bringing my two young sons up here.

As a Liberal Democrat, it’ll surprise no one that I’m a passionate pro-European and as here in Tameside we’ve had projects like our tram links funded by the EU, I believe we need a firm pro-EU voice on Tameside council.

If elected, I’d also have a strong interest in improving our homelessness prevention services across our borough. I want to be involved in improving our community and offering a new, liberal, voice on our council.

I’d also like to work with the other parties on our council to look at how we can reduce our emissions here in Tameside and address climate change on a local level. I believe healthy democracy has many voices and that a Liberal voice on Tameside Council would be a great asset