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Your potential
councillor for Lees
 Robert Allsopp
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02nd May 2006
You might draw some similarities between todays Chronicle feature and the story below this one. The Chron again kindly gives a voice to Phil Woolas MP to tell voters not to vote BNP. In fact his wisdom further stretches to the advice that you should only vote for a mainstream party! Tell you what Phil, why don't you just hold my hand at the ballot box and guide me to tick the right box. In fact, why not cut out the middleman and fill in the postal votes forms on my behalf to ensure you get the result you require. It's a tried and tested method in this town........
Regardless of what the big parties might think, the electorate in Oldham have a right to vote for whoever they want. If the vote for the BNP then the current councillors might reflect on why Oldhamers felt they should vote BNP instead of bleating about it. Perhaps people are wise to the rather poor arguments to 'just ignore the BNP and they'll go away'. If you offer the voters a better choice than the BNP then people will not vote BNP. Simple as.
24th April 2003
The ANL have again received coverage (during a time of legally imposed media impartiality) in the Oldham Evening Chronicle advising people not to vote BNP only this time the message has extended to "only vote for the mainstream parties". So presumeably this unelected group who cannot even be bothered to stand for election, now wish me, any other independents and the Green party to remain unelected / unelectable. Who's next then? Maybe the Tories? Maybe Labour? Perhaps the Lib-Dems? Maybe then the ANL will bother to actually stand uncontested themselves instead of using their perceived wisdom to guide your voting preference?
Please consider the wisdom and effect of effectively banning ANY person or group that a vocal minority is opposed to before acting on the ANL's "advice". If you then still agree with the ANL's advice then please do vote for the party you have been told to vote for. It is still your choice. |
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I have lived my whole life in and around the Lees area so I am very familiar with what happens locally.
I'm 38 years old and have been interested in local and national politics for a number of years.
I become a father for the first time almost 4 years ago and I got married during the last election campaign. Getting married during an election campaign was not planned.
For a fuller biography............... CLICK HERE |
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I'm Robert Allsopp. I'm standing as an INDEPENDENT candidate for the Saddleworth West & Lees ward this year for the third time.
Q) What is different about Robert Allsopp?
A) I am INDEPENDENT. I do not have to follow the party line. I do not have any grudges or fears about any of the opposition and I am free to have a mind of my own. I don't need to pour my efforts into satisfying the party bosses or bombarding you with negative press about the other candidates. I will stand by my own record come election day. Free of the above requirements I can concentrate my efforts on actually getting the job done. Now there's a novel idea!
Q) What made me want to stand?
A) Annoyance more than anything. I'm sick and tired of the local parties whining about how evil the other guy is. Tell me what you are doing that's so great, don't bombard me with leaflets about the bad other guy is. If you are so good explain to me why? When is someone going to stand up and do their job instead of blaming everyone else? This year maybe........
Q) Why you should vote for me?
A) Because (among many other reasons) you normally have no option but to vote for the same tired infighting and misinformation or are forced to vote for one of the usual suspects. This time you don't have to place a protest vote if you disagree with the main parties. This time you can vote FOR something, not AGAINST something.
Because people do not see an improvement when they have voted for other parties in the past. They see their council tax bils rise year after year but do not see services improving year after year, do not see road, transport or libraries for instance improving year after year so where is the money going? The cynic might suggest on wage bills for outsiders to come to Oldham, look at the problems, tell us what they think is wrong and leave again. Well, if we need outsiders to tell us where we are going wrong then isn't there a problem with the people running the town?
Through this website you will get up to date feedback, results of votes, my voting record, meetings I have attended etc etc. In short I will make myself accountable to you.
Because this year you can again cast a vote for someone who has paid in the past from his own pocket to print thousands of leaflets, who has paid for his message to be displayed on his personal transport, who has delivered thousands of leaflets by hand without a campaign team to help out, who has spent dozens of hours building a website to deliver the message, who has paid for rosettes to be made up, who has used all his "leisure time" to supply the people of Saddleworth West & Lees with an alternative to the usual candidates, who has listened to verbal abuse on doorsteps.
If none of this suggests to you my commitment to act for the people of Saddleworth West & Lees then please use your vote to vote for someone else. I've made the effort, now its your turn. Make the trip to your polling station on May 1st and cast a vote for someone you believe in. It will be easier and less costly for you than it has been for me I can assure you!
Q) My policies and some general issues.
A) Race, Environment, Traffic, Security etc. CLICK FOR MORE
Q) Can one person make a difference?
A) Yes!. More so now than any time in recent memory. This time an INDEPENDENT candidate could make a real difference in Oldham. Imagine a situation where your local councillor can swing major policy decisions in Oldham based on YOUR feedback.
Q) What difference will my vote make?
A) All the difference in the world. If nothing else it will show the other parties that you don't want to use a protest vote but want to vote FOR something positive. For once there is a sensible other option. An INDEPENDENT could hold the balance of power in Oldham.
Q) Voting apathy.
A) Why are people not interested any more? Well for years there has been the same tired arguments and excuses from all the usual suspects. People feel that their vote is not going to make a difference but this time it really could. Try it and see. There is nothing to loose.
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RESULTS
2003
Turnout in Lees was 40% (3014 votes).
| Name |
Party |
Votes |
% of vote |
| Norman Bennett |
Labour |
1099 |
36.4 |
| Veronica Clayton * |
Lib Dem |
800 |
26.5 |
| Craig Lawton |
BNP |
746 |
24.8 |
| Betty Boon |
Con |
208 |
6.9 |
| Robert Allsopp |
Independent |
99 |
3.4 |
| Kristian Etchells* |
NF |
62 |
2.0 |
* Kristian Etchells
served a six month sentence in jail before committing suicide in 2004.
*The
standing councillor at the time was Veronica Clayton
(LibDem)
As
you can see, I didn't come last! I had some feedback
from other councillors who agreed that 99 votes
for an independent on their first showing was good.
I also had some less positive feedback from the
Lib Dem direction complaining that I "cost them the election"!
How they could possibly work that out is
beyond me?
Other theories people have extrapolated from
the figures are that I kept the Lib Dems
from falling into 3rd place behind the BNP
which looks very likely. Many of my voters
said they would rather vote for me than the
BNP (even if only as a protest),
To date I have had no thank you letter
from the Lib Dems for helping them save face.
Thanks to the 99 people who voted
for me. For those people, I will be standing
again in and will represent you with
the same commitment I gave to my campaign
in 2003. Several nights delivering leaflets
in the rain, costs from my own pocket, time,
effort etc. All worth it. We kept the BNP
from 2nd place and beat the National Front.
Who said standing was a waste of time?
No thanks to the people who
last year tore up leaflets, screwed them
up without looking at them or shouted abuse
while resoloutely refusing to listen to anything
but your own voice. To these people, have
the guts to stand up and be counted yourself
next time instead of sniping from the sidelines
or trying to change the world from your corner
of the pub. Your attitude will serve one
single purpose. Next year you will be represented
by the same people "representing" you
now. The one's you complain about. But
do nothing about.
No thanks either to the
peple who gleefully inform anyone who will listen
that there "is
no point voting, they are all the same".
Of course they are. YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR
ANYONE TO CHANGE IT!
Finally, thank you to the many people who didn't
necessarily vote for me but took a moment to listen
to an alternative point of view or consider another
option.
Robert Allsopp.
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