PEOPLE in Tameside get the chance to decide who they want to represent them on the borough’s council as the area goes to the polls on Thursday, May 7.
Nationally, politics may seem more polarised with the rise of Reform UK on the right and the Green Party on the left
Many are also billing the ward results as an indication of the country’s feelings about the current Labour government.
But locally, many of the issues remain the same. Will potholes be filled? Will the bins be emptied on time? How will councillors work for my area?
Ahead of this year’s local elections, The Correspondent has asked every candidate standing to supply profiles detailing how they area and their vision for their ward.
Here is the rundown of those standing in Dukinfield/Stalybridge.
Matt Alloway (Green Party)
I AM standing for the Green Party to help give every single person the opportunity to vote for a council that genuinely cares for local residents and listens to our concerns.
As a resident of Tameside, I take great pride in the wonderful community projects and spirit that help to make this borough a beautiful, welcoming and joyful place to live.
But I also believe that the incredible volunteers who dedicate their time to our community are forced to do so to replace services our council is supposed to be responsible for.
When society functions on the back of unpaid, uncredited hard work, the system is broken.
I will look to work closely with the organisers of community projects to ensure that their services are both supported and properly reimbursed.
I want to show that there is an alternative version of politics in which we are not the football but the players.
The Green Party will always put people’s needs before corporate profits, the Green Party will always protect the interests of our communities and I will always listen, engage, and communicate with our residents.
Jake Frater (Reform UK)
I AM a lifelong Tameside resident, educated locally, and a husband and father of four.
My roots in Dukinfield and Stalybridge run deep and I care about the kind of area we are leaving to the next generation.
During COVID, I studied Tort Law with the Open University while homeschooling two of my children.
Throughout my career, I have been involved in negotiating contracts and helping businesses access support, which has given me a practical understanding of how public money should be spent carefully and responsibly.
I am standing as your local candidate for Reform UK because I believe the people of the area want an accessible and accountable public representative, who exercises common sense, honesty and ensures that the council tax we pay provides good value for money.
I want to help protect our green spaces, improve the condition of our streets, and support more opportunities for young people so they can build a good future close to home.
Linda Freeman (Liberal Democrats)
I HAVE enjoyed living in Stalybridge for 24 years. I am retired after working in NHS management.
I am standing to give residents an opportunity to vote Liberal Democrat, a party that has community at its core and a proven record of councillors who listen to local people and get things done.
Tameside has undoubtedly had a difficult time financially, but we can still prioritise what money we do have differently.
I would like to see much more emphasis on children’s services. It concerns me to see public health data showing that for 2024/5, Tameside was not far from worst in England for school readiness at the end of reception.
We can do better for our children and families in early years.
Malcolm Smith (Conservative Party)
I HAVE lived in Hyde for more than 35 years, been married for more than 30 and we have one daughter and two grandsons.
I am passionate about wildlife and conservation and volunteer at Tameside’s People 4 wildlife.
I am now retired having been an apprentice welder at Adamson and Hatchett in Dukinfield.
Labour wants to focus on national issues, because they have been in control of Tameside for almost 50 years, and they have failed each and every one of you.
Reform wants to focus on national issues, because locally, they simply do not have the answers.
Council tax has increased by 4.99 per cent once again, while failing to tackle the important issues in this borough, such as potholes, bins not being emptied, fly tipping and children’s services.
This is what the Labour-run council wants you to forget.
On Thursday, May 7 show Labour and Reform at the ballot box that this election is about local issues, not national issues that they cannot change, no matter how much they pretend they can.
Dave Sweeton (Labour)
HAVING lived in the ward for more than 50 years, with 25 as your councillor, I am delighted and proud to have once again been selected by the Labour Party to stand as a candidate in the 2026 local elections.
I know the issues that matter to you as residents and my hopes and aspirations for our ward have never faltered with time.
We must continue to support families and schools as they equip our young people to meet challenges and achieve their ambitions.
Communities must remain vibrant, attractive and safe places to live with continued commitment to our workplace infrastructure in order to deliver quality jobs, opportunities and wages.
Town centres, badly hit around the UK and still recovering from Covid-19, need continual public and private investment and the £20 million Levelling Up Fund success for Stalybridge will allow us to speed up the delivery of new homes and exciting retail and nighttime destinations into the centre.