Parish Candidate Interview: Helen Bishop (Independent, Greenfield)

Helen Bishop, independent candidate for Greenfield, pictured in Uppermill on Saturday.

The independent candidate hoping to become a new parish councillor for the Greenfield ward has told Saddleworth News that “anger and disgust” over the handling of the planned improvements to Churchill Fields has prompted her to get involved in politics.

Helen Bishop said there was a lack of consultation during much of the process, and commented: “By the time we were given an idea of it, it was way too late to do anything about it. And the plans were passed through despite a clear majority of people at a public meeting giving the message to our parish councillors that they didn’t want it to go ahead.”

She continued: “I’m not happy that this is right for the people of Saddleworth. I’m not happy that the representatives we have at the moment are listening to the people of Saddleworth. And I was particularly appalled by the level of arrogance presented by our current parish councillors, particularly when on about three occasions members of the public in the hall were asked to ‘get real’ by one of our councillors, which I just found so offensive.”

Ms Bishop explained why she chose to stand as an independent: “I have a severe dislike of party politics. I don’t think it’s been very productive for Saddleworth, the constant infighting between the parties. What should be happening is that people are given the opportunity to vote for people who are actually going to do something for the parish, and not just for their political party.”

A youth worker who has worked in Saddleworth for the past 13 years, Ms Bishop concluded: “I know the area very, very well. I’m from Greenfield… and I know that I do speak for a lot of people in the area and what they think, and people have become very jaded with the party political situation. Nobody actually feels represented by any of the parties at the moment, and we feel it’s time to make a change.”

We did the interview in Uppermill on Saturday as she was out campaigning, and you can listen to it in full by clicking here.

Thirteen candidates are contesting five seats in the Greenfield ward, which also covers Grasscroft and Lydgate. The others are Conservatives Neil Alsopp, David Atherton, David Caddick, John Hudson and Edna Wolstenhulme, Liberal Democrats Mavis Bingley, Joan Darke, Robert McCann, Dannielle Murphy and Keith Taylor, as well as Ian Manners and Jill Read of Labour.

I intend to interview as many candidates as possible between now and polling day on 5 May.

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

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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