Making a stand for better public services

CANDIDATE . . . Jonathan Smith will stand for the Lib Dems at the General Election

THE Lib Dems have chosen a former public servant as their candidate for the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency.

Jonathan Smith will stand for the party at the General Election on June 8.

He has worked as director of Social Services and strategic director in local government and as a chief executive in the NHS.

Mr Smith said: "I am delighted and honoured to be standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

"What Oldham East and Saddleworth so badly needs is an MP who keeps in touch with local people, who stands up for better services and who has the experience to tackle the problems in the NHS and social care. I am offering my own experience, at very senior levels in both health and councils, for the benefit of all the families and communities of Oldham East and Saddleworth.

"I am proud of being a Liberal Democrat. We are the only party holding the Government to account on hard Brexit.

"We are the only party even listening to the concerns of the 48 per cent. Because we are the party of pro-business and free trade, we believe we must stay in the single market and customs union.

"Because we are so worried about the inevitable impact of Theresa May's hard Brexit strategy. We are the only party who want the people to decide on the terms of Brexit in a second referendum, rather than giving this Conservative government a blank cheque to walk off a cliff, and for the next five years.

"Because we understand the need for co-operation across Europe on such vital issues as security, air quality and resistance to extreme ideologies - whether left or right - we will continue to challenge the Prime Minister on her petulant and dismissive attitude towards our European partners.

"Locally, we are the only party saying 'no' to Labour's Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. This Framework gets rid of 'space', not increases it. If you look around Saddleworth and the surrounding areas, it would obliterate huge swathes of open space and amenity; clutter up our local roads; and overstretch our already pressured public services.

"The Labour Council could create much of the necessary economic growth and housing through: utilising empty brown field sites; bringing derelict industrial units back into use as housing; and scaling back some existing proposals."

Mr Smith has lived in Greater Manchester for 23 years. He lives with his wife of 42 years, and has children and grandchildren.