WITH the general election just four months away, The Bolton News is running a series of features with candidates vying for your vote. Here, political reporter Elaine O'Flynn speaks to Tory candidate Chris Green, who is standing in Bolton West.

A RECOVERING economy, more jobs and apprenticeships being created and a fairer benefits system are the aims of Chris Green.

The Tory candidate for Bolton West says he believes the Conservative-led government has benefited the lives of residents in the area — and he is the best man to represent voters' interests in Parliament.

Mr Green will hope to take back the marginal seat for the Conservatives, who held the position for 14 years before Ruth Kelly was elected in 1997 and which is currently held by Julie Hilling.

The 41-year-old, who stood in Manchester Withington in 2010, said it was the example set by his parents that inspired him to join the Conservative party.

One of five children, his father worked as a sergeant in the army’s catering corp, while his mum worked as a school dinner lady.

Growing up in a deprived area of Liverpool, he said his parents chose not to rely on the state for support — and that he believes people should be better off if they work, rather than depending to live on benefits.

“My dad always worked and, as one of five children, he worked to support us all”, he said.

“It’s that kind of value that make me become a Conservative, because we will support the family.

“I am very aware that people have different attitudes and expectations of who is responsible and who provides what — I was in receipt of free school meals while in school.

“I know what it is like to be in that unpleasant position.

“One of the things that the welfare system was doing was creating a dependency — at some point it has to be changed.

“It would have been better if it had been changed during the economic good times, but it has to be changes at some point.”

As well as representing the residents of Horwich, Westhoughton, Lostock and Smithills in Parliament, Mr Green said if elected he intends to stand up for local interests too.

“I don’t think that if you have a Labour town council, a Labour borough council and a Labour MP there is enough of a challenge”, he said.

“I was interested to read in The Bolton News how the concerns raised by Julie Hilling in relation to the development at Horwich Loco Works about the lack of football fields and leisure facilities, when I am very concerned about the bigger picture — health, education and transport."

Mr Green now lives in Wingates, Westhoughton, and has worked as an engineer for the past 20 years.

As well as believing in lower taxes and faster deficit reduction than Labour, he says it is vital that voters back the Tories and maintain the level of cuts put forward by the Coalition government.

UKIP will have a “significant impact” on the votes in Bolton West, he concedes — but argues voters concerned about immigration and EU membership have only one party to consider.

The Tories have pledged to hold a referendum on EU membership in 2017 if they are in power.

And if there were a vote tomorrow, Eurosceptic Mr Green said he would choose to leave the EU.

“Fundamentally it is about democratic accountability. It is very difficult for the people to see where the decision making lies”, he said.

“People don’t see it as legitimate or democratic, and until it becomes relevant or until people’s attitudes have changed I don’t think we should stay.

“We want to have a really good relationship with the EU but the British people, I think, have always looked out to the world — to the Commonwealth, to the USA, and the EU looks in on itself too much.”

While he agrees more funding is needed within the NHS to support health services in Bolton West, he said the way care is delivered needs reform.

He said: “I don’t see any necessity for privatisation in the NHS, but I do see the necessity for competition, which is different.

“That way we can create those better health care solutions that we need — we have to create a system that encourages that.”

And on the controversial under-occupancy charge — dubbed the ‘bedroom tax’ by its opponents — Mr Green clashes with local Conservatives who would support the policy being scrapped entirely.

He said: “There is a problem with the way the system has been, in that some families had extra rooms while other growing families, because of a lack of building, are living in cramped conditions.

“The principle is reasonable.

“But I am not happy with the policy as it is now — there has to be reform, and more exemptions found for the council’s discretion if there are exceptional circumstances.”