It is looking increasingly likely that the General election will be on the same day as the local elections.

Whilst all the media interest has been about Brown, Clegg, Cameron and Westminster, we shouldn’t forget that the local elections will have serious consequences as well.

In Bury we have a Conservative administration that is desperate to hang onto power despite a string of high profile mistakes and u-turns.

In Prestwich where the Lib Dems hold all 9 council seats and will be defending three seats, we are hoping residents will show their support for the hard work we have been doing over the past two years (since the last locals).

In fact the contrast is clear. Whilst in Prestwich the Lib Dems have been campaigning to protect local services, keep the Council Tax down and redirect resources to crucial and underfunded services like highway improvements etc, the Conservatives have taken the opposit view.

They have been hunting for cuts such as their recent threats to community centres and parking charges proposal for Fairfax Road car park. And they have been increasing Council tax by well over inflation rate at a time when people can least afford it.

So when you go to the polls on May 6th, if the General Election is on the same day, don’t think nationally and vote the same way locally. All I would ask is that you look at the local situation and look at what the parties have said and done locally and their candidates/councillors records and vote accordingly. And then make seperate judgements on the General Election.

You never know you may end up with what you want at Bury Town Hall AND Westminster, but in any case having considered all the information to hand for two elections, you will have voted and made your vote count. No one can ask fairer than that.