Date for your diary:
All Liberal Democrat Party members in Bury are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Bury LIberal Democrats on Monday 26 November 2012, 6.30pm. Venue to be confirmed.
This is an important meeting which will set the strategy of the Association for the coming year, and elect the Officers and Executive Committee for 2013. All members are encouraged to make every effort to attend.
Papers, and a call for nominations will be circulated early in November.
On Sunday – 30th September, your local lib dems are running a coffee morning to raise funds for Macmillian’s important Cancer support work. 11.00 am – 2.00pm – all welcome!
Last year they raised a staggering £10million through this ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ event. We’re doing ours on Sunday due to work commitments. Address- 82 Glebelands Road, Prestwich, M25 1NJ. Tel 773 5450 (mail@anngarner.net).
Fiona has donated wine and a wicker basket towards the raffle – huge thanks.
I’m going to get different kinds of sweets for a guess how many and draw a donkey for a ‘pin the tail’ game – so if its not in your diary, please mark our event as worth coming to – and if you can also help, yes please!
Fiona and I have also put our diaries together for our next Lib Dem Women’s event – Jean has offered to talk us on a tour of John Rylands library followed by lunch in the historic Town Hall.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ann – Membership Development Officer
A Parliamentary by-election will take place shortly in Manchester Central constituency. We have an excellent candidate, former leader of Manchester Lib Dems – Marc Ramsbottom
Marc’s campaign has a new HQ: Unit 4, Chancel Place, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WB (behind Piccadilly Station)
From this Friday, 28th Sept, Marc needs help bundling up 30,000 surveys for Royal Mail delivery!
If you can help, please meet at new HQ from 10am. Turn up any time that suits you! There’s plenty of parking and we’ll have the kettle on!
Please click on the link below to let us know when you are coming:
http://doodle.com/fzmc87h55raawtvx?lt=2
Greater Manchester Liberal Democrats have selected retired former police Inspector Matt Gallagher to be their candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner.
Matt Gallagher said,
“I have 30 years police experience, and a detailed knowledge of the Greater Manchester Police. That is why I am best candidate to work with police officers and cut crime across Greater Manchester.”
He added,
“Survey after survey shows that the public would prefer to see a former copper as Police Commissioner than a failed former politician. The people of Greater Manchester now have that choice.”
Matt has a strong public service record. His grandfather was a police officer, his wife and daughter are mobile carers and his son is a Royal Marine Commando.
Mr Gallagher served for thirty years with GMP, six as a front line inspector in the force’s elite Tactical Aid Unit, where he confronted the city’s drugs gangs and organised football hooligan’s, and targeted anti-social behaviour and gun crime.
South Manchester MP John Leech added,
“I supported Matt because he was made for this job. 30 years a copper, six years in the Tactical Aid Unit. Better a copper with an understanding of the job that a failed former minister.”
He beat former Councillors Jackie Pearcey and Qassim Afzal polling over half of the first preference votes.
Just a reminder that there is a ‘Stuffing – with tea and cakes’ afternoon this Friday (31 August 2012) ) from 1-3pm at Ann and Andrew Garner’s House 82 Glebelands Road. All members or supporters welcome – email ann@burylibdems.net for more information or if you can help.
Can you help for an odd evening or two? Our Lib Dem friends over in Bolton, who also lost lots of Councillors in May – have a very (for us) winnable by-election in a few weeks – The Hoskers and Hart Common Ward to get David Wilkinson (who was a much liked, popular cllr and lost by a small margin in May) re-elected to Westhoughton Town Council. They can only achieve this by improving their canvassing data – which involves knocking on doors (which I will help you do) – can you help? I can give lifts over in my car, from Prestwich, please email me asap with when you are available.
Fancy Afternoon Tea – with good conversation and letter stuffing for a mailing to supporters on Friday 31st August at Ann Garner’s house from 1-3pm? We’d appreciate your help and offers of cake are also welcome!
A Lib Dem organised Macmillan Coffee Morning – part of their World’s Biggest Coffee Morning Event is being held by members at my house on Sunday 30th September – from 11-2pm to raise much needed funds. Its an opportunity for Lib Dems to openly invite members of our local Prestwich Community and supporters to join us and raise funds for this much needed cause as well as get some leafleting done too. I’ve already had offers of help from members of our Lib Dem Women’s Group – let us know what you can do to bake or help or attend the event (do you have a contribution for a hamper to raffle etc).
This is just a quick update on what’s happening with the Bury Lib Dems.
There are still a few un-claimed raffle prizes from our Lib Dem post-election party (it was a good wake actually) – numbers: 15, 160, 195. Please let me know asap and if un-claimed I’ll offer them to the NW Dinner, next week.
Thank you to our members Kamran and Ann for offering their services to the NW selection Panel for the list of Lib Dems for Euro Elections. Please let us know if you too are interested in getting involved in local party and wider opportunities.
There are a few up and coming events we thought you might like to get involved with:
Saturday 7th July – Winning Teams – training on campaigning, best use of Connect and re-building our membership and helpers based (venue to be arranged for either Bury or Bolton). Its usually 10-3pm. Please get in touch for more details.
Saturday 14th July – Inspirational Brunch with Andrew Stunell MP. Draft programme available on request, but its 11-3, funded by the Gender Balance Task Force with inspirational speakers and activities to support people’s political journeys.
The next meeting of the local party is in August, with a date to be confirmed. Also in August is our annual summer BBQ, so look out for details about that, as well as our annual dinner which will be taking place in November and for which we’re now starting to plan. It will take something special to beat last year’s very enjoyable evening at Croma in Prestwich.
Sunday 27th May – Post Election – Members Get together – from 4pm – 7pm (all welcome inc children).
Ann (Membership Secretary) & Andrew Garner’s Home – 82 Glebelands Rd, Prestwich M25 1NJ (close to 135 bus route). Please bring a bottle, yourselves and something towards a fun raffle (to start building election funds for next time!). mail@anngarner.net
This is a social event for all local members and supporters, this Sunday afternoon from 15.00 at the home of Ann and Andrew Garner, 82 Glebelands Road in Prestwich. It would be lovely to see you there, and please feel free to bring along friends and family. The more the merrier! With any luck the weather will hold and it will become an early Summer garden party.
But if not, there is still time for that at the Bury Lib Dem Summer BBQ which will be coming up in August. Look out for an email about that nearer the time. So if you want to come on Sunday, bring a bottle and come on down. Raffle prizes gratefully received as well!
The next meeting of the bury Lib Dem Executive committee is also coming up soon. This will be at 6.30pm on Monday 18th June, also at 82 Glebelands Road in Prestwich. There’s lots to discuss in the wake of the elections, so mark the date in your diary. All members welcome.
Last night’s election results were bad for the Lib Dems in Bury. We lost another 3 Councillors. I am Chair of the local party, and here is a message I am sending to our members and supporters later today with my thoughts on the results:
Dear friends,
Election night in Bury was a bad night for the Liberal Democrats. We lost three seats in Prestwich as Labour increased their majority at the Town Hall.
Our unsuccessful Councillors – Vic D’Albert, Mary D’Albert and Ann Garner – have between them dedicated over 30 years to serving the local community and our party. I would like to personally thank them for their hard work over the years, and commiserate them on these results. My thanks also to our candidates in other wards, and for the many people who dedicated hours of their free time to the campaign over the last months. Thousands of people took the chance to vote Lib Dem in Bury as a result of your efforts. Thank you.
Vic D’Albert represented Holyrood ward for over 20 years. He was the first Lib Dem ever elected to Bury Council, and an inspiration to dozens of activists who worked with him over the years, including me. Many of us can say that we wouldn’t have become involved in local politics if it weren’t for Vic. He led every important political campaign in our community for over two decades, and his loss to the Council is one of the saddest aspects of an election where national issues trumped local ones.
Ann was a tireless local activist who fought for Sedgley, Prestwich and Bury for a decade and whose passion for local people and their concerns was unrivalled by any Councillor from any party I have worked with. Her service to the party locally, regionally and nationally is enormously valued, and will continue despite this defeat. Many people in Prestwich will be very sad that there is no longer a Garner on Bury Council.
Mary was my own ward colleague for four years, a hard-working and dedicated champion for the people of St Mary’s, and instrumental in many local improvements that I know the community are thankful for. Her service on the Council was only matched by her many years of behind-the-scenes dedication to the local party. I am very sad that she has lost the opportunity to continue on the Council.
These are tough times for our party, as they are for the country. I take heart from the fact that even though we’ve lost some support and some seats, we’re doing what we’re doing, locally and nationally, for the right reasons. When the country gets through the tough times, so will we. Some parties might be celebrating this morning, but theirs is a hollow victory. We are taking the tough choices and dealing with the tough consequences. There is honour in that, and I am proud to be a part of an honourable party.
The Lib Dems in Bury are here to stay. Even though we lost last night, our share of the vote in our target wards went up compared to last year, and it’s clear that people are slowly beginning to understand our role in making the country better again.
We have fewer Councillors now than before, but we still have activists and supporters young and old, across Bury, to spread the message of the Lib Dems and to build up our support again. It will come back.
Richard Baum
Chair
Liberal Democrat candidates across Bury for the Local Elections on 5 May 2011:
Besses: Julie Baum
Church: Andrew Garner
East: Maureen Davison
Elton: Zadok Day
Holyrood: Wilf Davison
Moorside: Tim Boaden
North Manor: Ewan Arthur
Pilkington Park: Wayne Burrows
Radcliffe East: Michael Bell
Radcliffe North: Fiona Davison
Radcliffe West: Kamran Islam
Ramsbottom: Helen Herd
Redvales: Emma Davison
Sedgley: Steve Wright
St Mary’s: Richard Baum
Tottington: David Foss
Unsworth: Joanne O’Hanlon