General Election 2015 spotlight

Meet the candidates

WITH just over a week to go before the country goes to the polls, Oldhamers are deciding who will get their vote next Thursday.

In Oldham, there will be a General Election covering three constituencies, Oldham Council elections across 20 wards and parish council elections in Saddleworth and Shaw & Crompton.

Labour currently hold all of Oldham’s three Parliamentary seats in Oldham East and Saddleworth, Oldham West and Royton and Ashton, which includes Failsworth.

Debbie Abrahams will be fighting to retain her seat in Oldham East and Saddleworth, battling against Sajjad Hussain (Conservative), Peter Klonowski (UKIP), Richard Marbrow (Lib-Dem) and Miranda Meadowcroft (Green).

In Oldham West and Royton, long-standing MP Michael Meacher is hoping to keep his place amid competition from Francis Arbour (UKIP), Kamran Ghafoor (Conservative), Garth Harkness (Lib-Dem) and Simeon Hart (Green).

David Heyes decided not to try to retain his seat in Ashton so Angela Rayner will attempt to keep it for Labour. Other candidates in this ward are Carly Hicks (Lib-Dem), Charlotte Hughes (Green), Maurice Jackson (UKIP) and Tracy Sutton (Conservative).

For those still undecided for whom to vote, in the next few stories we give more information about each General Election candidate for each local constituency.