Preston City Council local elections 2023: who should I vote for?

But if the idea of sifting through political leaflets before deciding where to place your ‘X’ fills you with dread, the Post has compiled a handy one-stop guide to all of the parties competing to take control of - or at least increase their seats on - Preston City Council.

We gave each of them 300 words to make their pitch ahead of an election in which 17 seats are being contested across 16 wards.

Anyone who requested a postal vote will receive their ballot paper around a fortnight before polling day - and can return it straight away if they wish.

So whether you are planning to put your cross in the box in the coming days or vote in person next month, below are the parties’ pledges and priorities for you to peruse first.

And don't forget, if you would like more detail on what your prospective politicians are proposing for the city, the Post is once again staging a a debate with party leaders which will be available here on our website the weekend before polling day.

LABOUR

(Contesting all wards)

In this election, every Labour candidate is hungry to make Preston a better and fairer place. As a Labour-led council, we have not shirked from challenging interests that hold our city back. Whether that is moving on from corporate regeneration of our city centre, mandating developers to provide affordable housing and engage with local suppliers and labour, joining the campaign for a real living wage or taking back Preston Guild Hall.

Our new manifesto is called ‘Preston is doing it for ourselves’, showing how we are building resilience and equality and addressing major challenges like the cost of living. Our programme will deliver transformative levels of investment in Preston’s parks, provide major new sports facilities, tackle the climate emergency and deliver a renaissance of culture and expression. We will deepen the ‘Preston Model’ agenda to support a local economy that benefits working people.

Our five election pledges will:

***Build a strong local economy supported by public investment by prioritising local jobs and suppliers and expanding fairer forms of ownership.

***Help residents with the cost of living by delivering hundreds of new affordable homes, creating more real living wage jobs and offering affordable credit and food.

***Protect our natural environment by investing in Preston’s parks, replacing the Old Tram Bridge, developing a cycle hire scheme and expanding locally generated energy.

***Offer a wide range of art, culture and entertainment with a refreshed programme of events, including a major new concert, the opening of Animate and the reopening of the Harris Museum and Preston Guild Hall.

***Improve the leisure activities available to young and old like with a new £10 million football facility, support for Preston Youth Zone and a diverse programme for all our community.

Our full manifesto can be read at prestonlabour.co.uk/2023-campaign

CONSERVATIVE

(Contesting all wards)

We work hard in our local community to help our residents. We listen and we care. Although the Covid pandemic seems to be behind us now, we are still facing a cost-of-living crisis which is hitting people hard and even though it is out of our local control, we will do all we can to help residents to get the help and support they need.

This year, we have some fantastic new candidates and, with your support, they will get elected. Preston has always been a proud city and we will make sure that we get the best for Preston and for all its residents.

Our Safe and Compassionate City:

***Working with the police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, we will tackle anti-social behaviour that affects all areas of our city and make our city safe for all, in particular women and young girls.

***Make Preston an accessible city for all, supporting initiatives such as making our city dementia and autism friendly.

***Working with shoppers, businesses, landlords, community representatives and residents to tackle such issues such as consumption of alcohol on the street; consumption of intoxicating substances; soliciting for money in the street; peddling and aggressive begging.

Our Green and Healthy City:

***Support and enhance all our parks and green spaces for the benefit of all.

***Maximise opportunities for tree planting and greening our buildings.

***Ensure a robust Local Plan which puts climate change and biodiversity at its heart.

Our Connected City:

***Develop a transport strategy that connects the city to our rural areas to support the development of jobs and businesses in our rural economy.

Our Business-Friendly City:

***Support businesses to locate to the Preston area and help them secure funding and support.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

(Contesting all wards)

The Liberal Democrats offer pragmatic, thoughtful solutions - and we work hard to deliver them.

We are fighting for Preston to get new schools, in the right places:

***The North West Preston Masterplan clearly anticipated the need for new schools, in convenient locations near the new roads.

***Building work on these schools should be underway already. So far, there is no sign of them.

****There are now proposals to put the schools in entirely the wrong places.

***A lot of effort went into the Masterplan. If politicians ignore it, what was the point?

We are fighting for decent, properly maintained roads in Preston:

***Preston residents pay the second-largest amount of council tax into Lancashire County Council, yet our roads are falling apart.

***The Lib Dems diligently report as many potholes as we can, keeping up the pressure for timely repairs.

***In February 2023, the Lancashire Conservatives voted to cut the winter gritting budget, meaning our roads will get even worse. The Lib Dems voted against this.

We are fighting for a green city for all:

***The Lib Dems forced Labour to employ a climate change officer for Preston.

***We would carry out a programme of tree planting across the city.

We are fighting for competent and sensible administration of our city council:

***The local Labour Party was failing to save for the Guild 2032 celebrations. Last year, the Lib Dems prudently called for the city to start saving, which forced Labour to U-turn.

***Preston City Council owns the Pavilion Café in Avenham Park. Currently, the council runs it directly and it loses money. Private and charitable organisations run vibrant, profitable cafés everywhere, all the time. The Lib Dems would put the contract to run the Pavilion out to tender, taking this burden off council tax-payers.

GREEN PARTY

(Contesting City Centre ward only)

The Green Party told the Post that its ethos of working hard, all year round, on the issues that residents say they care most about means that it does not usually produce a manifesto for an entire council area - because every ward has different priorities and issues.

Clare Hales, North West Field Organiser for the Green Party, said: “We listen, we work hard - and residents are our priority. We aren’t whipped like other political parties are, which means we can vote in the best interests of the area.

“We do politics differently and believe in increasing democracy at every opportunity.”

ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM

(Contesting Ashton ward only)

Everyone has had enough of the usual politics, it’s time for a change - something has to be done. Democracy needs to be for the people at the local level, not having agendas pushed in by out-of-touch political elites in London, costing us money, taking away freedoms, damaging our health and impacting our kids' futures.

The ADF offers us a refreshing alternative to the Lib-Lab-Con roundabout.

Dr Teck Khong, Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Party leader, said: “ADF Candidates are not whipped; when elected, ADF party councillors will serve local residents and

small businesses. They will address residents' local issues first and foremost, but many of those issues stem from national policies - in these instances we are firmly on the side of the British people.

“The ADF party candidates are here to listen and to give the voting public a voice; their purpose is to serve the local community.

“ADF is firmly centre-sensible and was created to defend the British people from creeping globalism and the erosions of our freedoms and way of life. Our vision sees the end to the two-party domination of Parliament, reasserting our sovereignty following our exit from the European Union, serving local communities, building social harmony and strengthening our economy.

“We believe in the right to freedom of choice in all aspects of life and business, true democracy via electoral reform and the rejection of the dictatorial ‘nanny state’.”

CURRENT COUNCIL MAKE-UP

Labour – 29

Conservative – 10

Lib Dem – 7

Independent – 1

Vacant – 1

HOW CAN I VOTE?

The polls will be open on Thursday 4th May from 7am until 10pm - and for the first time this year, voters must take a suitable form of photo ID with them. Those without the necessary identification can instead apply for a new voter authority certificate - but must do so by 5pm on 25th April.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote has now passed. Anybody with a postal vote must ensure that it arrives at the electoral registration office by polling day. If it gets too late to post your vote back, you can take it to your local polling station on the day of the election, up until 10pm.

If you want to vote by proxy, your application form must arrive at your local electoral registration office by 5pm on 25th April. However, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote if you cannot vote in person, either for reasons of employment or disability, and you only become aware that you would be unable to vote in person after the proxy application deadline has passed.

Under those circumstances, you can apply for a proxy vote until 5pm on election day by filling in the relevant paper form, which must be signed by a medical professional and returned to your local electoral registration office.

WHO CAN I VOTE FOR?

Here is the full list of candidates standing for election to Preston City Council:

ASHTON

Elizabeth Atkins - LABOUR

David Brooks - ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM

Jeremy Dable - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Tes Slater - CONSERVATIVE

BROOKFIELD

Kevin Brockbank - CONSERVATIVE

Edward Craven - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Naoimh McMahon - LABOUR

CADLEY

Cirenia Navarro Martinez - LABOUR

Daniel Nuttall - CONSERVATIVE

John Potter - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

CITY CENTRE

Carol Henshaw - LABOUR & CO-OPERATIVE

Mike Peak - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Andy Pratt - CONSERVATIVE

Dan Thompson - GREEN PARTY

DEEPDALE

Rebecca Potter - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Samir Vohra - LABOUR

Nilli Williamson - CONSERVATIVE

FISHWICK AND FRENCHWOOD

Yakub Patel - LABOUR

Ishaq Vaez - CONSERVATIVE

Jurgen Voges - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

GARRISON

Freddie Bailey - LABOUR

Adam Bhailok - CONSERVATIVE

Claire Craven - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

GREYFRIARS

Chris Hamilton - CONSERVATIVE

Tony Raisbeck - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Mark Routledge - LABOUR

INGOL AND COTTAM

Taylor Donoughue-Smith - LABOUR

Carolyn Gibson - CONSERVATIVE

John Rutter - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

LEA AND LARCHES

Monwara Amin - CONSERVATIVE

Phil Crowe - LABOUR

Mark Jewell - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

PLUNGINGTON

Matthew Brown - LABOUR

Pamela Homer - CONSERVATIVE

Peter Johnstone - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

PRESTON RURAL EAST (two councillors to be elected)

Mark Bell - CONSERVATIVE

Victoria Blundell - LABOUR

Joanne Joyner - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Harry Landless - CONSERVATIVE

Andrew MacLaren - LABOUR

Benjamin Noble - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

PRESTON RURAL NORTH

Daniel Guise - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Adam Sarwar - LABOUR

Sue Whittam - CONSERVATIVE

RIBBLETON

Kathryn Bosman - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Frankie Kennedy - CONSERVATIVE

Pat Varty - LABOUR

SHAROE GREEN

Daniel Duckworth - CONSERVATIVE

Connor Dwyer - LABOUR

George Kulbacki - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

ST. MATTHEWS

Colin Homer - CONSERVATIVE

Javed Iqbal - LABOUR

Peter Lawrence - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS