Who will you vote for in the Melton elections today?

Melton goes to the polls today (Thursday) to elect new county councillors.
Residents cast their votes in the general election at the polling station in the Botolph Arms pub on Oundle Road ENGSUS00120120430114532Residents cast their votes in the general election at the polling station in the Botolph Arms pub on Oundle Road ENGSUS00120120430114532
Residents cast their votes in the general election at the polling station in the Botolph Arms pub on Oundle Road ENGSUS00120120430114532

There are also by-elections in two town wards for the borough council, Egerton and Sysonby.

We have profiled each candidate over the last two issues and today we publish final short messages from the Melton branch of each political party to help you decide where to put your cross in the ballot box.

GREEN PARTY:

Only by voting Green today will you get a strong local voice that will stand up for Melton.

Green councillors have proven their ability to stand up for their constituents and deliver real change and we are excited to be standing up for Melton.

In a period when Leicestershire County Council is under enormous pressure to execute savage cuts handed down from Westminster, Green councillors will fight tooth and nail to protect essential public services and vulnerable people.

By challenging the destructive budget priorities of the council led by the old parties that have run out of ideas, and holding planners and developers to account, Green councillors can make a real difference to people’s lives.

The party has a five-point pledge for its local elections campaign. Green councillors will fight for - local green spaces; decent social care; air fit to breathe; affordable homes and action on climate change.

A Green vote on Thursday will ensure councillors who stand up for the environment, whether they are fighting fracking, improving air quality, investing in renewable power and natural flood defences or divesting council pensions from fossil fuels.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS:

Ian Lauder, Ian Ridley, Sam Asplin and Lily Kaufman have very clear priorities for Melton.

All four are very concerned about the impact of more free schools on existing schools, with the inevitable loss of funding leading to less teachers and bigger classes.

They give you their undertaking that they will fight hard against this.

Their combined expertise and experience ensures that they are well informed about health care and social care.

Both are under threat in Melton. It is vital that these services are adequate for the increasing needs of an ageing population.

If elected they would use the process of health scrutiny at County Hall to ensure that the services are adequate and robustly protected. The state of our roads across the whole county is poor, and Leicestershire County Council is putting lives at risk by failing to cut grass verges, and not repairing large potholes.

The Liberal Democrat candidates will all fight for this to be addressed without delay. These important matters must be tackled by a transparent government, keeping residents fully informed. If you vote for these honest, dedicated and experienced local candidates, your voice will be heard.

CONSERVATIVE:

A Conservative vote on May 4, for the county elections, or on June 8, for the General Election, is a vote for strong and stable governance to deliver the best outcomes for Melton residents.

This means a stronger local economy, with better job prospects for families, good schools, giving children the best start in life, well-funded health and social care for vulnerable people and most important locally, starting work on delivering the much-needed relief road for Melton.

It is only by supporting Conservative candidates that any of this can be delivered.

Every vote for a Conservative candidate will strengthen your voice at County Hall and for Theresa May, in getting the best Brexit deal for the UK.

Conservatives stand for strong and stable government. You will only get that by voting Conservative on May 4 and on June 8 .

UKIP:

Joy Sharman, Graham Hall and John Scutter, UKIP’s three candidates in the Melton borough divisions, believe the victory of the Brexit Referendum was only the start.

Improvements can and should be made in the organisation of local government of Leicestershire by the merger of the seven district councils and the county council into a unitary council.

It is calculated by EY (Ernst & Young), this would generate savings of nearly £90m in a five-year period.

This is money which could then be used to protect front line services.

In contrast, the current administration proposes cuts in services to the value of £66m over four years, including savings of £8.1m in children and family services and £11m in adults and communities.

That is services to those people who most need support from the county council.

If elected, UKIP’s candidates would regard serving their electorate as an honour and a privilege.

LABOUR:

The Conservatives are proposing more cuts to county services.

Labour’s local government reorganisation would allow £30m more for local services.

We would also change current priorities to focus on social care and the protection of local services such as our library and museum.

For years we’ve had the Conservative’s empty promise of a Melton bypass.

The one they’re proposing goes the wrong way round and doesn’t help Melton West. Labour says no more housing estates without a full bypass to include Melton West.

We believe more should be done to support young people in rural areas, either through the provision of local services or better transport links in the evening or weekends.

These better transport links would also help those travelling to work or wanting to access services such as doctor’s surgeries.

The county council also should be more proactive in supporting economic development of town centres such as Melton.

County council 
candidates:

l Melton East – Colin Ellis (Lab); Alastair McQuillan (Green); Pam Posnett (Con); Ian Ridley (Lib Dem); John Scutter (UKIP).

l Melton West – Sam Asplin (Lib Dem); Michael Blase (Lab); Alan Pearson (Con).

l Melton Wolds – Woody Kitson (Green); Ian Lauder (Lib Dem); Joe Orson (Con); Joy Sharman (UKIP), Marion Smith (Lab).

l Belvoir – Graham Hall (UKIP); Lily Kaufman (Lib Dem); Byron Rhodes (Con); Colette Stein (Green); Andre Wheeler (Lab & Co-op).

MELTON Borough 
council by-election 
candidates:

l Melton Egerton Ward – Mike Brown (Lab); Peter Faulkner (Con).

l Melton Sysonby Ward – Alison Freer-Jones (Con); Vanessa Jane Jackson (Lab).