Money matters but people count.  That's Labour's clear and unequivocal message for the next three years.  Below, you can find David Robinson's forward to our manifesto for Cheshire West & Chester, a most powerful and apposite declaration of political principles:

"This is a new beginning for Cheshire West and Chester. Four former local authorities merge into one and in 2009 start delivering our essential services.  Conservative councils in three of these authorities have given us a good idea of what can happen when they carry out their policies. It results in pressure on vulnerable people, cuts in bus services, threatened closure of respite care centres and closure of urban schools. 

 "It really is time for a change and this manifesto provides the launch pad for a new future for Cheshire West. Local residents will now have to deal with only one council instead of having to cope with the confusion of who deals with car parking, who runs the household waste recycling centre, who provides home helps and who do I go to with a planning application. Unitary Cheshire West and Chester will provide one stop shops to deal with your enquiries.

"Gone will be the wasteful rivalries and duplication of services between district councils and county councils. Instead there is the real prospect of efficient service delivery across one council.

"The Labour government has made huge strides ranging from the minimum wage and concessionary bus pass to the massive investment in our schools and the historic improvements to our local hospitals. Cheshire West will be able to work more efficiently with the local health authority. It already enjoys good relationships with its neighbours in North East Wales and Merseyside and this will be developed to tackle the real issue of housing provision and sustaining our employment levels.

"Labour Councillors are committed to making Cheshire West a better place in which to live, work and visit. Their underpinning values are fairness, opportunities for all and a good environment in which to live. Our manifesto suggests practical solutions to the issues we face with the aim of providing the best service possible to our residents. This has always been our guiding principle and contrasts starkly with our Conservative opponents, who never put services to people first."

You can find the full document by clicking on the following .pdf icon:   

Below, you can find a complete list of our candidates:

Any comments or reactions to the content of Labour's Manifesto for Cheshire West & Chester?  Please use the box below to let us know what you think.