General Election - Meet the Candidates - Ashton-Under Lyne (includes Failsworth)

Angela Rayner (Lab)

4 More Image(s) In Gallery

In Ashton and Failsworth, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner will be defending the seat for Labour.

Other candidates in the constituency are Carly Hicks (Lib Dem), Andy Hunter-Rossall (Green Party), Maurice Jackson (UKIP) and Jack Rankin (Conservative).

For those who are still unsure about who to vote for, here is more information about each General Election candidate.

ANGELA RAYNER (LAB)

"I grew up on a council estate, which was not without its challenges. Throughout my life my mum struggled with mental-health problems and life for me, my brother and sister wasn't the easiest. For the most part, I was raised by my grandma who worked at three jobs to put food on the table and didn't stop until the day she died - three days before her 65th birthday.

Growing up in those circumstances has shaped who I am and what I believe. A parent in my teens, I got a job as soon as I was old enough. Staying on in education wasn't something for people like me and I wanted to make sure my son had a better start in life than I did.

My first job was as a carer, looking after elderly people in their homes. I stayed in that profession for almost a decade and experienced the conditions that often make headlines today - that's why I joined a trade union. I saw how care workers were continually paid below the minimum wage and asked to do more for less. Never one to sit back and stay quiet, I got more involved and trained as a union rep. That was my first experience of representing working people.

After years representing people in employment tribunals, negotiating better terms and conditions and delivering improved training for care staff, I was proud to be elected by the people I worked alongside to represent 200,000 public sector workers in the North West as a Unison lay official.

I joined the Labour Party almost a decade ago because it was clear bigger change was needed than I could bring as a union rep.

In 2015, I became the first woman MP in the 180-year history of her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency. I was soon promoted to the shadow whip's office by the new Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and then went on to hold the position of Shadow Pensions Minister, before becoming a member of the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Education.

Away from Parliament and politics, I am married to Mark, who is also a UNISON official and have three sons.With your support, I will bring a much needed dose of common sense and real life experience to the House of Commons.


CARLY HICKS (LIB DEM)

Carly was born and raised in Cornwall.

At the time one of England's poorest counties - it had high unemployment and low investment from Westminster. This encouraged Carly to get involved in local politics after she left school. She was inspired by a hard-working MP who put her area before their political ambitions and Carly believes Ashton-under-Lyne deserves the same.

She was the first in her family to go to university where she had the opportunity to study abroad through the EU's Erasmus programme. Unashamedly pro-European, Carly went on to work in the European Parliament where she used her negotiation skills to secure a better deal for North West constituents, with a particular focus on environmental legislation. Her proudest achievements were securing laws to make cars more fuel efficient and cheaper to run, as well as an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy to guarantee fish stocks for years to come.

She is training to be a solicitor at a firm in Manchester where she continues her work on environmental issues. Carly will fight to provide a strong opposition to the Tories' reckless plans for a 'hard Brexit' and to ensure voters in Ashton and Failsworth don't get left behind.

JACK RANKIN (CON)

"I was born in the Hartshead Wing of Tameside Hospital. My parents grew up in Ashton and Droylsden. They met at school, left with few qualifications, married young, and had my brother and I shortly afterwards. Seeing that they couldn't provide the future they had imagined for us, on alternate evenings they went to Tameside College to gain the qualifications needed to set up their own business.

"Under successive Labour governments, instead of being hailed as examples of what hard work and determination could bring, they faced hurdle after hurdle of red tapey and taxes. I know how difficult it was for them and how hard they worked to give our family the opportunities they didn't have growing up. I learnt from an early age that anybody who works hard can improve their life. My politics and motivation flow from this simple truth.

"I want to be the MP in order to stand up for hard-working people. It is important we have a government that recognises and celebrates them as the cornerstone of our society. Labour has ignored the local community for far too long.

"This election is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break down the political barriers built up over generations and bring the simple Conservative message of ambition and hard work to those who have lost faith in Labour.

"As Theresa May builds a country for everyone, I know that by working together we can also do our part for Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth."

MAURICE JACKSON (UKIP)

"I have been a resident in Tameside all my life and am a retired electrician and semi-retired car and motorcycle mechanic with a keen interest in all forms of motorcycle racing. I also installed machinery for HGV testing stations.

"After a period of being a member of the Labour Party and then becoming disillusioned with local politics, I joined UKIP in June 2014 after reading their manifesto and finding myself in total agreement with virtually all of it.

"My primary reason for seeking to represent you in Parliament is a desire to ensure a secure and financially safe life outside the confines of the EU for present and future generations.

"My view of the British economy is that it needs to be set free from over taxation from all governments. We want to see a greater reduction in unemployment, and we must encourage investment from entrepreneurs releasing them from excessive legislation that is a great financial burden on British businesses.

"We should train local people for local jobs instead of allowing free movement of foreign workers to do the available work. Use of foreign labour is essentially appropriate as a short term solution while in the long term we should train sufficiently at home. Let's not forget that if we take for example a doctor from overseas, the donor country is short of a doctor, and we have simply avoided the cost of training.

"Finally, we in UKIP will support the NHS, social services, better education facilities, triple lock on pension checks, and all public services by reducing foreign aid cash while providing foreign aid support and resources, and agreements to freely trade with third world countries outside the financial penalties imposed by the EU. To do this we need your vote.

"If elected, I will listen to your views and represent you in Parliament often more so than the UKIP party. Unlike other parties, UKIP allows me that freedom so I hope to serve you well."

ANDY HUNTER-ROSSALL (GREEN)

Andy is a maths teacher who lives in Failsworth. He said: "I'm proud to represent a party that stands up for public services, that will give our NHS and our schools the funding they need, and that will make sure they are run by the public, for the public. The Green Party would introduce an NHS Reinstatement Bill to Parliament, reversing privatisation. We would also close the NHS funding gap, partly by scrapping Britain's nuclear weapons.

"I'm proud to represent a party that stands up for the environment - that thinks about the next 50 years, not just the next five; that will protect our green spaces, and take real action on air pollution and climate change. We will create jobs by investing in renewable energy and warm, affordable homes for all, reducing our carbon footprint whilst boosting our economy.

"I'm proud to represent a party that will stand up for people - that will scrap the current work capability assessments for disabled people; that will push for a minimum wage of £10 an hour by 2020, and that will immediately guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.

"Finally, I'm proud to represent a party that will give power to the people - that will give the British public the final say on the terms of Brexit; that will campaign for a proportional representation system so that everyone's vote matters equally; and that will introduce a right to recall your MP if you're not happy with them."