Election: Spotlight on Bolton South East

THE south of the borough contains many of Bolton’s most deprived areas — where many voters are yearning for regeneration and support for overstretched public services.

Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi has represented the constituency for seven years and takes great pride in her record — particularly casework on issues including the bedroom tax and housing benefits cap.

She said: “I have been involved with thousands and thousands of cases and in most cases I am able to help people.

“Constituents talk to me about things like benefits or getting their children into good schools, and as an MP I have been their voice.”

However, her opponents believe that there is an opportunity to overturn Labour’s overwhelming dominance of the constituency.

Sarah Pochin, a newcomer to the area standing for the Tories, says that she was immediately struck by the “neglect” evident in areas like Farnworth.

She said: “Everywhere you look there are places that are uncared for and that have not received investment.

“My message is vote for change and ask what Labour has really done for Bolton South East.”

Frank Harasiwka, the Lib Dem hopeful, has also noted the dissatisfaction of groups like Farnworth and Kearsley First at the decaying state of their towns.

He said: “I am not suggesting that there is some magic pot of money but it is clear that what is available is not fairly shared throughout the borough. We have to find what the particular strengths of our communities are and exploit them as best we can to attract more investment in.”

UKIP’s Jeff Armstrong added that Bolton should take inspiration from Manchester’s success in regenerating old industrial areas but still retaining their heritage.

He said: “We have got to protect our heritage – I think that refurbishing some of our fantastic old buildings is the way forward, not knocking them down.”

However, Ms Qureshi says the blame for any lack of investment lies with the Tory government.

She said: “It can be very easy to blame Bolton Council, but it is the government that has cut its funding.

“When Labour was in power there was real government investment coming into Bolton, but that has not been the case for seven years.”

Brexit has dominated the General Election campaign nationally and is also a key issue in Bolton South East — one on which Ms Qureshi and her constituents were divided last year.

She campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU but has since voted to move ahead with the Brexit process, saying she respects the decision of Bolton voters to choose to leave.

Ms Pochin says that traditional Labour voters want a “a strong Brexit, not a half-in half-out situation”.

The Green Party’s Alan Johnson, meanwhile, has serious concerns over the implications of leaving Europe.

He said: “We are concerned that leaving the EU means losing protections for our country that have been there for decades. There are a number of environmental regulations that we fear will be scrapped or watered down. We are not confident that there will be a commitment from the government to tackle climate change.”

Post-Brexit, Mr Armstrong says he wants to see the number of refugees and asylum seekers coming to Bolton decrease.

He is adamant that other areas of the UK should “take their fair share”.

The future of social care has also become a key talking point of the election, following the controversy surrounding the Tories’ plans for what opponents have labelled a ‘dementia tax’.

Ms Pochin says that while her party’s plans may be “a work in progress”, she believes the Tories are “the only party brave enough to come up with some kind of solution” to the social care crisis.

Mr Harasiwka is backing plans from the Lib Dems to put an extra penny on income tax to pay for a raft of spending increases for the NHS and social care.

The veteran campaigner said: “The Lib Dems have said that we would put an extra penny on income tax and that is needed to help put some funds back into vital services.”

n Tomorrow: Focus on Bolton North East