Saddleworth North Candidates Hold Dobcross Debate

Ken Hulme (centre) and Phil Sewell (right) share a joke.

Dozens of people packed into the upstairs room at The Swan in Dobcross last night for a debate between the four candidates standing in the Saddleworth North ward at next month’s elections to Oldham Council.

Liberal Democrat Derek Heffernan is hoping to retain the seat. He’s up against Labour’s Sean Fielding, Independent candidate Ken Hulme, and Phil Sewell of the Conservatives.

All four took part in a lively discussion lasting more than an hour, which touched on topics including Oldham Council’s relationship with Saddleworth, the budget recently passed by the borough, provision for young people in Saddleworth, and the idea of cutting the number of borough councillors.

Sean Fielding (left) and Derek Heffernan during the debate.

Cllr Heffernan, who has been on the borough council for 16 years, stressed his personal experience and qualities to the audience: “My philosophy is to be open and honest. If you ask me something and I can’t answer it, I’m very happy to say I can’t answer it and I’ll find out… I will do my best, and quite often I am successful.”

Mr Fielding said: “If you were to elect me, it would put Saddleworth in a very fortunate position. There is a strong chance that Labour could take control of the council at this election. And if Saddleworth were to have a person who is keen to speak up on local issues, and a member of the controlling group on the council, then it would ensure that Saddleworth would no longer be an afterthought at the Civic Centre.”

Pointing to his second-place finish in the ward at last year’s council elections, Cllr Hulme told the audience that local people had urged him to stand as an Independent: “There was an absolute desire from so many people for change. They simply weren’t happy with the way things were. They didn’t think that the views they had and held on a wide range of issues were being reflected by the political establishment, including all the various parties.”

Mr Sewell outlined his pitch to voters like this: “I feel that we all pay a lot of tax over to Oldham Council. Saddleworth contributes a lot of its wealth, it’s a huge part of Oldham. And I just feel as though we’re not getting the essentials. We have to sometimes sacrifice ‘nice-to-haves.’ I’m sure that the people of Saddleworth want a decent road to drive on, and if it snows come and grit the damn roads.”

The Saddleworth North ward covers Dobcross, Diggle, Delph, Denshaw, Scouthead and Austerlands. Polling day is 5 May, not only for the borough council election, but also the Saddleworth Parish Council election and the referendum on the Alternative Vote system.

For full Saddleworth News coverage of the parish election go here, and articles about the Oldham Council election are here.

(Editor’s note: I chaired the debate. I’ll write in more detail about what each candidate had to say in articles next week, so look out for those)

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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