Levenshulme Community Association has asked all candidates in the 2021 local elections for statements. As always we have included both Levenshulme Ward and Burnage Ward because the ward boundaries run across our community. The statements are listed in the order candidates will appear on the ballot paper. The text of all statements is reproduced below as submitted by the candidates.
The official declaration of candidates can be found on the Manchester City Council website for Levenshulme HERE and for Burnage HERE.
Levenshulme Ward (5 candidates)
- JEREMY HOAD (Independent)
- ZAHID HUSSAIN (Labour Party)
- GREG SAMMONS (Liberal Democrats)
- ALEXANDRU STANCU (The Conservative Party Candidate)
- DICK VENES (The Green Party)
Burnage Ward (5 candidates)
- BRIAN CANDELAND (The Green Party)
- BEV CRAIG (Labour Party)
- JAMIE DWAN (Liberal Democrats)
- SHAHED HOSSAIN (The Conservative Party Candidate)
- ANDREA TIMONEY (Independent)
Levenshulme Ward
JEREMY HOAD (Independent)
Hello. I have lived in Levenshulme for almost 20 years. I love the people. I love the place.
Levenshulme is a special place with a strong diverse community that I am proud to be part of. However, many people tell me they do not feel they are being listened to, they are being taken for granted and problems persist year after year. I think we deserve better.
I will be an independent voice for Levenshulme, standing up for the priorities that we have as a community. Listening to everyone and fighting for you regardless of who you are.
I have never stood for election before or been a member of a political party and believe local politics should be about people, not parties. I am someone who knows the area, lives round the corner and who you can rely on to be open, honest and accessible.
I fought against the council’s proposals to close our baths and library and helped secure the new Arcadia facility. I am Secretary of Levenshulme Community Association and organise Levenshulme Pride, the largest free local Pride in Manchester. I have celebrated with you, been at vigils with you, campaigned with you and have challenged our councillors and council, holding them to account.
It would be an honour to represent Levenshulme as a councillor and to fight to make Levenshulme the best it can be. This is my community, your community, our community.
Think local. Be independent. Vote Jeremy Hoad on May 6.
ZAHID HUSSAIN (Labour Party)
I’m Zahid Hussain and I’m the Labour candidate representing the Labour Party in Levenshulme. I’m a working dad with three young children. I run school literacy projects to inspire underprivileged children to become young Shakespeares.
There’s a lot to love about Levenshulme. Here local residents have launched projects like Levenshulme Clean Air and Barlow Road Community Orchard, two shining examples of the Mancunian spirit.
But sadly, Levenshulme faces challenges:
– Litter louts and fly-tipping fools cause misery. I will work with residents, community groups and businesses to sweep out the rubbish.
– Reckless drivers put everyone’s life at risk. I will work with Greater Manchester Police, the Community Safety Team, and residents to make Levenshulme safer.
– Manchester City Council has declared a Climate Emergency. We must make strides in getting the neighbourhood active and I encourage parents and children where it’s safe to walk to school.
– The Pandemic has hurt families, driven up unemployment and increased poverty. Food Banks are a lifeline to many, and I will work with local groups to get the resources they deserve. No child should go hungry in our city.
The ruling Conservatives have crippled the NHS. Today we live in a world of zero-hour contracts, endemic homelessness, few affordable homes, and rising hate crime. What’s the answer to this mess? A Labour government which puts communities first.
If elected on 6 May I will diligently represent Levenshulme and help make it an even better place in which to live, work and play.
GREG SAMMONS (Liberal Democrats)
Levenshulme Station needs Access for All.
For the last year, I have been in contact with TfGM, Network Rail and Northern; arguing the case for Levenshulme, after it emerged that Heaton Chapel got funding for long overdue accessibility. Wheelchair users still can’t catch a train, I’ve seen cyclists clambering to carry their bike up to the platforms and people with mobility issues would really struggle. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but Andy Burnham has finally cottoned on. I will fight to make sure that Levenshulme station is top of any Greater Manchester list.
Levenshulme Active Neighbourhood is a fantastic idea, poorly delivered.
Despite delays in consultations and getting things set up, it still seemed to come as a surprise to so many when it was finally implemented, with no explanation of how potential later phases might alleviate issues on boundary roads. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but I would work with them to establish better consultation and communication as we near the end of this trial period.
I am invested in making Levenshulme a better place.
I am the chair of Levenshulme Inspire Foundation, a charity serving our unique and diverse community. I’m a school governor at St Andrews, which my daughter attends. I was part of a group of local residents who organised a campaign to install a pop-up bike lane along Stockport Road using government money last summer. I have campaigned alongside Clean Air Levenshulme for School Streets. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but I don’t.
ALEXANDRU STANCU (The Conservative Party Candidate)
I am running as candidate because I want accountability from our Local governence. Labour also seem to only pass the blame for their obvious failings are down to “cuts”, but ask yourself this: “How have Conservative councils with the same “cuts” elsewhere managed their finances to produce infinitely better local services than Manchester?”
The answer is that it is actually down to 25 years of uninterrupted local mismanagement. They treat residents with lofty contempt, believing they can take our votes for granted. We, on the other hand, are committed to fighting for the interests of everyone left behind by Labour. So if elected, my priorities are:
– Tackling crime. Manchester has one of the worst crime rates in Britain, with just 3% of crimes prosecuted. Police should be on beat and not the tweet.
– Stopping our local green spaces being sold off, like Nutsford Vale – being earmarked for development. Disregarding resident’s wishes to create a wildlife haven and wasting millions of pounds spent re-purposing the area into a wonderful conservation area.
– Restore/preserve our heritage site. Manchester City Council has the worst record when it comes to looking after our civic heritage, just look at Levenshulme Library back in 2016. I vow to restore our neglected heritage areas for tourists and residents alike to enjoy.
– Encourage educational opportunities for children of every background via partnership & outreach programmes.
On May 6, YOUR vote can have a critical difference to the political future for Levenshulme and for Manchester.
Your Sincerely,
Dr Alexandru Stancu
Conservative Candidate for Levenshulme
DICK VENES (The Green Party)
Once again, I’m the Green Party candidate for Levenshulme ward because I think it’s important for citizens to have the opportunity to vote for a party which places care of the Earth’s environment and people at the heart of its policies.
A healthy Green vote will act as a signal to Manchester’s Labour Council that the citizens of Levenshulme wish the protection of the local and global environments, including big issues such as climate change, to feature much more strongly in the Council’s actions.
Manchester’s political leaders often claim a link to Manchester’s radical past. In my view, this has been lost in the mists of time as the Council has embraced conventional economic theories of continuous ‘economic growth’ at the expense of an increasing inequality of citizens, and increasing adverse environmental impacts, particularly climate change.
At a local level, Levenshulme deserves better action on:
- congestion, walking and cycling;
- air pollution and related health issues;
- support for community groups;
- planning for affordable housing;
If elected, these will be my main areas of interest.
I have lived in the area for over 40 years. Now retired, my main career was as a brewer, latterly at Joseph Holt’s. I have always been involved in community organisations, including spells on the committees of sports clubs, as a cycling campaigner, and an active member of the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop.
Thanks to the LCA for organising one of the few ward hustings held in advance of the local elections!
—Levenshulme Ward Statements End—
Burnage Ward
BRIAN CANDELAND (The Green Party)
Brian has been a member of the Green Party for almost forty years and has lived in South Manchester for the past thirty-six years. Over the years he has represented the Party in elections at local, Parliamentary and European level. He is currently Chair of the Greater Manchester Green Parties Federation.
Now retired, his other interests include amateur dramatics and walking. He is a member of Friends of the Fallowfield Loop.
Brian’s priorities if elected include affordable housing and improving the local environment including protecting green spaces. He wants to see better, more-integrated public transport, cleaner air, and improved walking and cycling. He strongly supports the principle of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods but feels they need better consultation than has been the case in the Levenshulme Burnage area. Brian said “We must treat the climate emergency with the seriousness which it deserves, and all our policies must be built on that. “Burnage is an interesting, diverse and underrated part of the City with historic and beautiful areas; it would be an honour to serve the people of Burnage as a city councillor.”
BEV CRAIG (Labour Party)
I am so proud to have been a Burnage Councillor for the last 10 years and I hope with your support I can continue delivering for our local area.
Moving to Manchester from Belfast, I love our city and having lived in Burnage and Levenshulme for over a decade, I’m passionate about making it an even better place to live.
The last decade of Tory and Lib Dem cuts has been hard for our city and the council had £400million axed from its budget. Despite this I’ve stood up for our area, representing you and getting stuff done. I have championed reducing poverty, affordable housing, health, and equality causes.
This last year has been tough for us all. As the Cabinet Member For Health and Wellbeing, I’ve overseen the city’s response to the COVID crisis and am so proud of how our city and local communities like ours came together, so I want to say thank you.
Pledges: A local Labour voice, standing up for you
- Fairer: keep building more affordable housing, reduce poverty and support the vulnerable
- Cleaner: Take action on litter and fly-tipping
- Safer: Call for more police to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour and safer roads for all
- Greener: Tackling the Climate Crisis, planting more trees and investment in parks and green spaces
- Supporting you: Continue supporting local community groups, and the hundreds of individual residents I help each year
I always want to hear your views, please get in touch: cllr.bev.craig@manchester.gov.uk
JAMIE DWAN (Liberal Democrats)
Manchester is a fantastic city. We are a real home for culture, innovation, and a melting pot of ideas and cultures. I’m proud to have been born here and to live in the south of the city to this day, and I love living in a community with such variety.
However, our city has real issues. Growth is a good thing, but too often, too few people have seen the benefits of Manchester’s expansion. In my eyes, a large contributing factor to this is the lack of transparency and accountability at City Hall. Manchester has been a one-party state for too long, and we need change.
The Liberal Democrats have always been the main voice of opposition to Labour in Manchester, and to this day fight the corner for transparency, decency, and to create a Council that listens. That fierce localist spirit is what attracted me to the Lib Dems, and is what I want to bring to the table at City Hall.
If elected as your next City Councillor, I will be a tireless voice of opposition in holding Labour to account. I will bolster the opposition group and bring a fresh, younger perspective to the table. I’ll also be sure to deliver a regular FOCUS newsletter and update on my activities to Burnage residents and keep in touch all year round, not just at election time.
I hope that you consider voting for me as a much-needed voice of opposition at City Hall!
SHAHED HOSSAIN (The Conservative Party Candidate)
I moved to Manchester in 2005, after I completed my BSc on Business Management at Roehampton University. Since then I have been an engaged member of the community: doing charity work; being a member of the Darussalm Mosque in Longsight; and have volunteering over 422 hours to the NHS to help them response to the ongoing pandemic.
If elected, my priorities will be:
More transparency within council management: Labour has abandoned any attempt to create balanced communities in Manchester and treated with contempt people whose votes they believe can be taken for granted.
To hold the Labour council accountable. They tell everyone their obvious failings are down to “Tory cuts”, yet countless other councils are able to do more for their residents with less money.
Relieve the city’s badly congested road network – we need a transport service that can get us across and around Manchester not just a funnelled service which leads to/from the city centre going down a few main roads.
Combat fly-tipping – we need to return to more regular bin collection from monthly to fortnightly. We also need to ease access to tips and reduce the permit charge, a policy which has directly led to increased fly-tipping. The emphasis should be shifted to community service/fines to those found guilty of fly-tipping.
Do not accept yet another year of abuse and neglect of our city. Vote Conservative on 6th may and let’s foster a new age of pride and opportunity in Manchester.
Your Faithfully,
Md Shahed Hossian Your Humble, Conservative Candidate for Burnage
ANDREA TIMONEY (Independent)
Hi, my name is Andrea Timoney, and I am standing as an independent candidate for the Burnage ward in 2021. I am passionate about the area and it would be a privilege to represent Burnage if elected on 6th May.
Burnage is a great place to live, but there are always things we’d like to improve. I have lived here for six years and I can see the great projects which happen all over Burnage and the positive changes that can come about when residents and community groups work together locally.
If I am elected as your councillor I would like to focus on key areas such as:
– Roads and transport – promoting speed reduction measures in the ward to improve pedestrian safety and addressing the bus service reduction locally
– Crime and safety – working with GMP to get more PCs and PCSOs patrolling in Burnage
– Investment in youth services – working with schools and community groups to identify gaps in youth provision and promote the development of facilities for younger people as a long term investment in the area.
Being independent means I don’t answer to a political party. Instead, I promise to listen to residents and always fight for what is best for us.
Working with fellow independent candidate Jeremy Hoad in the Levenshulme ward, we will be working across the whole of M19 to benefit all of our community because I really feel we deserve better.
Please get in touch with me on Andrea.BurnageM19@gmail.com
Join our Facebook Group ‘M19 Independents’
—Burnage Ward Statements End—
Like this:
Like Loading...
