Manchester: A Tale of Two Leaflets

Eve of poll leaflets from Labour and Lib Dems. Still nothing from Tories - who are making a big deal of standing in more seats (standing in more seats?) - or the Greens who do better the less paper they get inky anyway.

The Labour one for Angela Gallagher is about:
A popular High School (nice pic with G Brown and council leader R Leese)
Refurbished local Library in the ward
Road and pavement resurfacing achieved
New street lighting - a great leap forward
Copious amounts of tree planting
And improved pedestrian facilities

A letter from Richard Leese yesterday rebutted the Lib Dems running rubbish story, bigged up recycling and mentioned in passing other Lib Dem lies - The Christie, Southern Cemetary, Post Offices, Police Numbers, you know the drill.

The Lib Dem one ... from the party that believes in LOCAL government, by and for LOCAL people ... was a set of low rent whinges about Tony Blair that wouldn't be out of place at a fair few Manchester Labour meetings. But have nothing whatsoever to do with running Manchester for the people's best interests.

This ward is fascinating. Our candidate Angela Gallagher has been serving the public all her life. As a Head Teacher at the very local school her rival went to. And subsequently as a community activist. She was a long time Labour supporter who was poached to be an accidental candidate and an even more accidental councillor for the Lib Dems.

But the people were right. She was the best of the three they put up. Angela went on to contribute her life savings to John Leech's successful parliamentary campaign. £23,000, with increasing misgivings about the fibs it was spreading. The pain continued with more and more dishonesty, more and more bad behaviour, and ultimately a plot to deselect her.

Wisely Angela switched to Labour and renounced the Lib Dems. Our main opponent is young and has not stinted with his Lib Dem tactics. Dishonesty piled upon dishonesty. But beyond that and the fact that he's back at the parental home and curses local people on his mobile 'phone I know nothing about him.

The ingrate John Leech has made it his priority to try to kick Angela off the Council. Take her savings, now take her living.

I saw his crumpled, wasp-chewing face up close when we took four seats off them last year (when they had expected to take five from us). I'd love to see that look again tomorrow night at Manchester Town Hall.