LAST week we heard Tory MP John Redwood arguing that libraries shouldn’t be saved as they serve only middle class communities.

He said opponents to library closures “conjure images of children from homes living on low incomes developing a passion for reading serious books borrowed from the local library...that in many cases is no longer true, if it ever was”. He also rejected the argument that libraries help people from disadvantaged backgrounds access learning.

This is a man who was educated privately, studied at Oxford, worked in corporate finance before being elected to Parliament and knows nothing about Bolton or the needs of the people who live here.

This attitude is typical of the Conservative-led government which is making cuts to our services without a second thought about the consequences for our communities.

We know libraries help to promote children’s reading and provide access to the internet and newspapers which help people who are looking for work.

We know that for a lot of elderly and disabled people on a fixed income local libraries are a real social benefit.

Our local branch libraries play an irreplaceable role in our communities and provide an excellent community facility for people of all generations to use.

We need to continue sending our message to this Coalition government about how important our branch libraries are.

Kate Challender Labour candidate for Bradshaw