Please don’t forget to vote in the important local elections on Thursday 1 May 2008. These elections will decide who will represent you at the Council for the next four years.

Vic D’Albert, our hard working local councillor for the last 17 years is the Liberal Democrat Focus Team candidate on Thursday.

Important Information
- Polling Stations are open from 7.00am - 10.00pm
- You don’t need your polling card to vote
- If you have a postal ballot, but have not yet sent it in, you can complete it as normal and take the completed envelope to your local polling station on the day.

Polling Stations in Holyrood
Baguley Crescent and Bow Lea - Mobile Van at Baguley Crescent
Simister - Lady Wilton Hall
Polefield, Parenthorn and St Margarets areas - St Margarets CE Centre on St Margarets Road
Heaton Park Area - Heaton Park Social Club, Bury Old Road
Northern area - Nursery Road, Glebelands Road, Langley etc - Prestwich Arts College, Heys Road
“Kirkhams” area (M45 postcodes) - Heaton Park School on Cuckoo Lane

If you need any more information, or need a lift to the polling station call our helpline on 0161 798 0117

Thank you!

Prestwich, April 2008

Dear Neighbour

It’s been my honour to be one of your local councillors for the last 17 years.

Over the years I’ve had the chance to meet and work with many local people on issues that concern you, and working to make this area a better place to live.

Mary and I have chosen to bring up our family in this area and, like you, I care passionately about the future of our community.

Please join me in my campaign to make the Holyrood Ward a thriving and sustainable place for us all.

Cllr Vic D’Albert

PS - Please remember your vote won’t count until its in the ballot box! Polling stations are open on Thursday 1 st May 2008 7am-10pm. If you have a postal vote this must be sent in before 1 May, or handed in at a polling station on 1 st May.
Contact Vic: email: vic@burylibdems.net - phone 0161 773 9905

Five Great Reasons for Voting for Vic D’Albert
1 - Local Candidate
Vic has lived in Prestwich for 25 years and our local councillor for 17 years - he’s the local choice for Holyrood Ward.

2 - Hard Working 
Vic works hard all year round and keeps in touch all year round with “FOCUS” - not just at election time like the others.

3 - Prestwich First
21 years of neglect when Labour ran Bury - local Lib Dems are now delivering more facilities, safer roads and more money for street cleaning.

4 - Environment
Local Lib Dems delivered on Blue Bins for every house last year, and have now secured more money for parks and litter enforcement.

5 - Lib Dems Listen!
Your local Lib Dems listen to local people and take your views seriously. We’ve secured money for a top level public consultation on the future of Prestwich Village.

Election statement to readers of the Bury Times:

Liberal Democrats across Bury have had a brilliant response from local residents. People are telling us that they are fed up of Labour closing post offices, taxing poorer people and watching the economy slide. People are uncertain what the Conservatives stand for, and haven’t noticed any improvement since they took over last year.

Liberal Democrats in Bury have three clear priorities:

We want safe, thriving communities across Bury. People must feel safe in their own streets and communities. This isn’t just about tackling crime, it’s about stronger, united communities. That’s why we’re opposing Post Office closures and why we secured massively increased funding for children in the Council budget. It’s also why we have always opposed the unfair and divisive congestion charge.

We want Bury to be the greenest Metropolitan Borough in Britain. Last year Lib Dems secured blue recycling bins for every house, and this year more money for parks and cleaning. We cherish Bury’s beautiful environment. We will work hard to protect it.

We believe in giving power to local people, not keeping it at the Town Hall. This means that decisions should be made locally in the six towns that make up Bury. It means local people making decisions at the most local level about the services that effect communities.

On May 1st we have a choice - A return to the 21 years of neglect under Labour’s rule in Bury, uncertainty under the Tories, or a clear vision for a better Bury from your local Liberal Democrats.

Vic D’Albert - Liberal Democrat Focus Team
A record of ACTION
Vic stands up for our local area all year round at the Town Hall. Vic and the team succesfully campaigned to save our local High School, and are now campainging to save our post offices.

Putting our area FIRST

Local Lib Dems are working hard to turn back years of Labour neglect of Prestwich - new play facilities, new children’s centres, traffic calming measures and more.
Vic and local Lib Dems have secured money for a top-level review of Prestwich “Village Centre” giving local people the chance to have our say on its future.

Safe and GREEN 
Lib Dems secured Blue Bins for every household and have now secured more money for parks and clearing litter. We’ve succesfully stopped cuts in youth service provision.

Gordon Brown’s Labour Candidate
Going Going GONE

Labour tried to close our local School Prestwich Arts College. Labour are now pushing ahead with plans to close 2,500 post offices - that’s NINE in Bury - but they won’t tell us which ones till after the election!

Crunch and SQUEEZE
Labour have abolished the 10p income tax rate and from this month poorer local people will be WORSE off than before. Homeowners and families are worried about how Gordon Brown is running the economy and the ‘credit crunch’.

£5 a DAY 
Labour councillors across Greater Manchester seem intent to press ahead with the Congestion Charge scheme which will mean we have to pay to drive over the Motorway, It’s the only place outside London where Labour want to charge!

Your Vote Counts

 • Polling stations are open 7.00am to 10.00pm

• You don’t need your polling card to vote

• If you have a POSTAL VOTE, but haven’t sent it in yet, you can still take your envelope down to your local polling station on the day.

• If you need a lift to the polling station, if you want to help Vic win, or need any other information - call Vic on 0161 773 9905 - email vic@burylibdems.net

Two Horse Race!

Remember the Conservatives came a poor third in Holyrood ward last time. The Conservatives have NO COUNCILLORS anywhere in Prestwich. A vote for the Conservatives only risks letting Labour back in by the back door.

It is extremely saddening not to mention incredible that I find myself reporting the death of former Councillor, Warren Flood yesterday.
Ex-Councillor Warren Flood, served on Bury Council in two stints - firstly representing the residents of Pilkington Park and latterly Moorside.
He was staunch socialist and I respected that he had strong beliefs even though it meant we often differed on issues. With the rise of new Labour I remember joking to him that he was now in the wrong party. Irrespective of party I think we shared a mutual respect for each others position.
Warren Flood was only 41 years young, hard working and talented arguably most of his life before him. I can’t help but contrast the sudden death and life of Warren with that of Gordon Sharkey who also passed away recently. Gordon had lived a full life, a life to celebrate, whereas we can only mourn the loss of a life relatively unfulfilled.
These recent deaths, coming as they do in the local election campaigns certainly put things into perspective.
My deepest condolences go to his wife and family, comrades and colleagues.

I was saddened today to learn that after fighting a long illness former Unsworth Councillor, Gordon Sharkey passed away at the weekend.
Gordon was one of those councillors that has seemed to have been on the Council forever. He was there when I was first elected in 1991 and although politics and other differences made it difficult to become friends I nevertheless had the greatest respect for Gordon as a dedicated committed local politician with strong beliefs.
I know that when age and infirmity caught up with Gordon he was heartbroken to have to finally accept that he was unable to continue in his role as a councillor.

Many things are written about politics and politicians national and local and standards in politics. On that score Gordon Sharkey was top draw material and gave everything to his community, his council and his party. I am sure his family and friends are proud of his achievements and will mourn long and hard his passing.
My condolences to all his family and friends.

Liberal Democrats have announced a full team of candidates to contest the elections for Bury Council on Thursday 1 May 2008. One third of the seats on the Council are up for election, with one councillor to be elected in each of the 17 wards.

Two Councillors are seeking re-election - Vic D’Albert in Holyrood and Ann Garner in Sedgley.

Liberal Democrat candidates are:
Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor
Ramsbottom - Janet Turner
Tottington - David Foss
North Manor - Ewan Arthur
Bury West
Elton - Robert Sloss
Church - Tamsin Thomson
Bury East
Moorside - Nissa Finney
East - Emma Davison
Redvales - Paul Jenkins
Radcliffe
Radcliffe North - Lynne Molloy
Radcliffe West - Joanne O’Hanlon
Radcliffe East - Mike Halsall
Whitefield and Unsworth
Unsworth - Theo Tzymcyca
Besses - Julie Baum
Pilkington Park - Wayne Burrows
Prestwich
Holyrood - Vic D’Albert
St Mary’s - Mary D’Albert
Sedgley - Ann Garner