Allan Bird for Great Sankey North & Whittle Hall

Allan Bird is the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Great Sankey North & Whittle Hall by-election on 1^st May. The by-election has been caused by the resignation of one of the Labour Councillors.

Allan and his wife Sue have lived in the area for thirty-seven years and their children all attended Great Sankey High. He worked for a major bank for twenty-nine years which included a decade as a Financial Adviser. Allan then retrained as a mathematics teacher and taught in a secondary school. He is now semi-retired and works as a maths tutor. He served on the Parish Council for five years and was chair for one year.

Allan says: I am a keen cyclist and running coach so I spend a lot of time around the area which means I can see what needs to be done in our community. Liberal Democrats have a proud tradition of working hard for local people and listening to their views. From 2006 to 2011 we led Warrington Council and had a great record of achievements by working in harmony with officers and unions. We started new initiatives and sorted put many problems and inefficiencies left by years of the previous Labour rule. Our councillors always keep people informed about what is going on through regular FOCUS newsletters.

I am under no illusion that times are very difficult for all local councils after years of funding cuts. The Liberal Democrats are the opposition on Warrington Council and have called for more scrutiny over investment decisions and more consultation over proposed cuts to services. If elected, I would fight to keep Westbrook Library open because a library is more than just a place where you can borrow books. They are part of our communities. I live close to the Sankey Canal and am concerned that the Council is considering stopping pumping water into the Canal to save money. Sankey Valley is an area of natural beauty and is important for wildlife and as an area where people can walk or cycle.

Nationally, I understand the dire state of public finances, but I don’t believe that the sick and disabled should be the ones expected to pay the price. Money should be raised from the huge profits made by the big banks, social media giants and gambling firms.

This election will be close, and I ask for your support on 1^st May.