Lady in Red Rachel Massey with Two Votes Rana!

 Election Fraud Cllr. Rana Standing behind Cllr. Rachell Massey's left shoulder

Shoulder to Shoulder with electoral Fraud

Aspiring Labour Candidate & Vicar's Wife alongside Electoral Fraud

THE Labour candidate for Spotland and Falinge in today's local elections, Rachel Massey (right), stood proudly alongside self-confessed electoral fraud, Councillor Faisal Rana (centre), in a photo-shoot with Cllr. Wendy Cocks (far left).  

Councillor (Two-Votes) Rana said: “Twenty is plenty.
“We have been campaigning alongside residents for the speed reductions. Too many cars were travelling too fast putting residents’ lives – including children – in danger.”

But only last year the police told a local Forum meeting that Rooley Moor Road was almost impossible for them to police owing to lack of resources.  So if that is true then the 20-mile an hour zone signs are neither use nor ornament. 

Faced with this cosmetic response from the Labour Council Mick Coats, the candidate for the Green Party in the same ward, has pointed to the hypocrisy of the existing Labour councillors arguing:
'Another problem is cars speeding. It is a problem for us all. But what is Labour's solution to deal with cars speeding on Rooley Moor Road? It is to remove cars parked on the road (which act as a natural restraint on speeding cars), allowing cars to go even faster. It makes no sense.'

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ROCHDALE LABOUR's FRAUD WARD

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ROCHDALE's FRAUD WARD UK

IT is a sad reflection on the state of local politics in our town - especially in my ward.  Any reasonable person would agree that the postal vote fraud councillor isn’t fit to serve our town, and neither are any councillors who have supported him.  Such is the low standard of councillors in our town,  that some appear to think that he’s the greatest thing since the invention of  microwaveable chapatis.  It’s quite bizarre.

THE FRAUD WARD in Spotland & Falinge:  The Story So Far:

• 2012 - A permanent police presence is required at Spoland Road polling station after claims of voter intimidaton.
• 2016 - Crucial anti-fraud documentation 'disappears' from Spotland Road polling station.  Spotland Labour councillors remain silent.
• 2017 - A complaint is made to the police about a Labour activist spoted with multiple postal votes in his van just off Spotland Road.
• 2018 - A Spotland Labour councillor admits postal vote fraud after being caught using a bogus Spotland Road home addressto fraudulently obtain an extra postal vote.
• 2019 - A Postal Vote Fraud councillor is now the Election Agent for the Spotland Labour candidate at the 2019 local elections and as such is responsible for ensuring that the candidate complies with electoral law.   

Votes lost and gained by Rochdale Labour Party for the wards it won in 2016 & retained in 2018.

► GAINED

◄  LOST

Spotland & Falinge______________ ► Labour GAINED 272 votes

  

◄  Labour LOST -475 votes____________________  Balderstone 

◄  Labour LOST -705 votes ______________________Castleton

◄  Labour LOST -414 votes ___________________ Central

◄  Labour LOST -166 votes ________  East Middleton

◄  Labour LOST -41 votes __ Healy

◄  Labour LOST -138 votes _______ Hopwood Hall

◄  Labour LOST -187 votes ________ Kingsway

◄  Labour LOST -184 votes _______ Littleborough Lakeside

Milkstone & Deeplish __ ► Labour GAINED 45 votes 

◄ Labour LOST -346 VOTES ______________  North Heywood

◄  Labour LOST - 250 votes ____________ North Middleton

 Smallbridge ________► Labour GAINED 116 votes 
  
◄ Labour LOST - 179 votes __________________ South Middleton 

◄ Labour LOST - 378 votes ___________________ West Heywood

◄ Labour LOST - 256 votes ___________________ West Middleton

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Election statement by MICK COATS

'MAKE A DIFFERENCE' VOTE Mick Coats: Spotland and Falinge ward Green candidate:

THANK YOU for reading this.  I am standing as the local candidate for this ward.  This is an election about what we can do locally and why it is important to vote.  We do not need another party hack elected in Spotland, who will be more concerned with obeying orders sent down from their party leader than addressing the issues in the ward.

First, a word from Carl Faulkner who has stood as an independent in the ward over several elections.We have fought together on a number of issues, both believing that Rochdale has had a poor deal from the main political parties and their politicians. We have tried to make sense of local politics.

Carl says:  

'Locally I have been very concerned with issues that affect us – particularly the pitiful standard of our local councillors.  We cannot rely on them to represent us in the way that they should. They have done nothing to protect our open spaces, done nothing to deal with the old, highly toxic Turner Brothers site or even to tackle the problem of speeding.  I have worked with Mick on these and other issues.  Unlike the other candidates, he actually attends meetings and questions councillors.  He is the only candidate worth your vote.'

We have fought to resolve the problem of the old Turner Brothers Site.  It is a 72 acre wasteland of toxic material, mainly asbestos.   It is too dangerous for housing and the safest solution is to turn it into a country park.  What does the Labour Party candidate say about it?   Nothing!

Another problem is cars speeding.  It is a problem for us all.  But what is Labour's solution to deal with cars speeding on Rooley Moor Road?   It is to remove cars parked on the road (which act as a natural restraint on speeding cars), allowing cars to go even faster.  It makes no sense.

Until now we have had the opportunity to question councillors at the local Forum. This was held four times a year in a central location with good public transport where the public could question councillors.  Now the local Labour Party have unilaterally decided to hold these Forums in the middle of Falinge Park.  Why?  Few people live near the park, it is mainly populated by various animals and birds with only a few people living nearby.  Is the Labour Party going to 'talk to the animals' like some latterday Doctor Dolittle?  (An all too appropriate name perhaps).

Locally we should be ensuring local work is done by local companies with local people.  In the past we even had consultants coming into the town (from Yorkshire!) to tell us what we need to do to improve the town.  Other towns (for example Preston) have kept services local and reaped the benefits.

Locally, and nationally we should not be building on Green Belt land.  Nor should we be building anything other than affordable houses to buy or rent.   There is enough land available for housing that has previously been used in other ways.  (Where there was once factories and shops for instance).

These derelict sites could also be given over to local groups to use prior to being used.  There is a lot of land all over Rochdale that has lain unused for years.  Let people use it for recreational purposes until it is needed.

I do not understand why there is a threat to demolish some of the 'seven sisters' against the wishes of residents, and I fully support there cause.  Another issue that does not make sense.

These are local elections, but national Green Party policies are relevant locally.  The council should clearly and openly oppose fracking.  Integrated publically owned railways and buses are common sense. These should also be electrically powered.  Building laws should insist that all new buildings incorporate environmentally sound measures such as solar panels.  Policies to improve the environment are of particular concern to me.   Having experienced pollution elsewhere I know how important it is to stop choking the planet.  These measures should be in the minds of the local council and opportunities should be taken to further them where possible.

Our policies are vital and we would encourage main stream parties to adopt them.  We can take credit for some policies already but the important thing is to get them introduced, not to look important.

This election is important as local democracy is being abused .  People are being ignored and worse. At the last election a candidate actually voted twice; a criminal offence that resulted in a police caution. His election as one of our councillors was allowed to stand.  But why did he think it was ok to vote more than once?  Why did his fellow councillors accept that he did not know that he was not allowed to vote twice?  What does it say about their view of what standards a councillor should aspire to?  Now he is the agent for the current Labour Party candidate. (The agent is responsible for the right procedures to be followed by the candidate!  No further comment needed)

We have also had recent examples of other councillors failing to reach the standards that we have a right to expect from them, including the council leader.  The main opposition are also failing to hold the current council leaders to account.   We need to reclaim local democracy.

Just a personal note; I live in Spotland and am married with three sons, two of which ran the Manchester marathon.  I am a season ticket holder at Rochdale football Club (Up the Dale!), play in Rochdale quiz league and am a supporter of several local drinking establishments.

Make a change, give me a chance to shake up the local political establishment and hold them to account.  We have been labelled a 'rotten borough' for far too long.  Just complaining is not enough, you have a vote, use it.

Mick Coats 

66, Rooley Moor Road,

Tel. 07590595473

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Venue of Local Forum in Rochdale at risk?

A CHANGE of venue for the Spotland and Falinge Forum in an area of Rochdale is raising concerns that it will create problems for residents to participate safely.  Formerly the original venue was in a Methodist Hall close to a main road and easily accessible.

The new move into a building in the middle of Falinge Park is a curious choice for a meeting place.  It will make it more difficult to attend the Forum with transport links less easy, and some suspect that the move is part of a plan to phase out the practice of local Forums in which the local councillors become exposed to criticism and scrutiny.

It also seems that the change was pushed through without a full debate in the Forum.   Also the more remote site of the venue may place those with problems of mobility at risk, as well as creating a greater peril to those having to travel through the park in the late evening.

Mick Coats, a local resident, has asked for a 'risk assessment for people attending at the new venue, both for council employees and members of the public. (Under the Health and Safety at work Act sections 2, 3, 7 and 8, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, etc.)'.

Mr. Coats is now awaiting a reply.

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Rochdale & 'Fair Do's' in selection process

NV Editor:   Below is a description coming from Labour sources of how the Spotland & Falinge ward Labour Party in Rochdale went about setting out to select their candidate for the forthcoming local elections next May.  Clearly some people in the Labour Party think it is slightly skewed, and see it unfair to allow Rachel Massey's husband to have insider knowledge, which should he may be tempted to divulge  to his 'nearest and dearest' would give her an unfair advantage in the selection interview.

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To show you how bad the Spotland & Falinge selection was. Here is the post they have put on Twitter after the vote. As you can see they had already had posters printed out with Rachel’s name on it as the candidate before a vote had been cast.

 'HONESTY', 'INTEGRITY', & 'VISION'

At the Spotland & Falinge short listing meeting the week before, Rachel Massey’s husband, Phillip Massey – who is also on the panel of Labour candidates - was allowed to remain in the meeting when the questions to the candidates were being formulated.

Despite objections from the meeting Cllr. Liam O’Rourke who was chairing the meeting on behalf of Rochdale LCF ruled that he could stay. Commenting: “I’m sure that Mr. Massey will not divulge the questions to his wife”.

The response came back that this would not happen.

A week later at the selection meeting, it was commented upon that Rachel Massey’s presentation was very smooth, and seamless. Reading and barely lifting her eyes from an iPad containing prepared statements for each of the eight questions asked. Could it be that she had knowledge beforehand of the questions put to her?

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PRINTING AT SPEED OF ZEUS!

FAST PRINTING IN FALINGE

Rochdale Labour Party must have moved with the speed 
of Zeus to get the posters printed for the selection of 
Rachel Massey on Monday 11th, February.  
The selection meeting with the candidates 
took place at 7.30pm, yet by 11.53pm 
the same evening Rachel the victorious one was 
posing with her supporters on Twitter.  At least her 
husband had the grace to wait until the next day: