Voters have their say in Parkside by-election and first vote since Brexit

Three men are vying to become the next member for Parkside on Barrow Borough Council in an election brought about following the death of Councillor Susan Opie.

RELATED ARTICLE: Labour hold Barrow council seat

Labour, the Conservatives and Ukip are fielding candidates in the election, a seat which went red in the most recent all-out election in 2015.

Here are the candidates as they appear on the ballot paper:

LABOUR: Lee Roberts

Lee Roberts. <strong>What is your connection to the area?</strong>

Having lived and worked in Barrow all my life I am very aware of all the areas. I have friends and relatives who live in the Parkside ward and regularly use the facilities and services in the ward. For example, I often use the park and leisure centre with my six-year-old son, and my niece will be starting Furness Academy in September. When the opportunity came up in the ward I immediately applied to be the Labour candidate.

What is your background/experience/employment?

I was born and raised in Barrow and have always lived in Barrow. I have worked for over 27 years with Rolls-Royce based at the shipyard. My wife is a primary school teacher in Barrow and my six-year-old son attends school in Barrow. As part of my commitment to the area, I am the chair of governors at a local nursery school.

What will your three top priorities be specifically for Parkside if you are elected?

The top three concerns seem to be parking (specifically blocking pavements and concerns about emergency vehicle access), the poor condition of some of the roads (especially some back streets) and of course, the subject of seagulls has come up regularly.

What will your three top priorities be for Barrow as a whole?

The council is committed to continuing to provide a greater choice of good quality housing and regenerate the oldest and poorest housing in the borough. I would try to ensure the schemes are appropriate for the actual needs and the areas affected are suitable. Another council priority is regeneration and public realm. We need to attract the new businesses the area actually needs - and support the ones we have.

UKIP: Colin Rudd

Colin Rudd. <strong>What is your connection to the area?</strong>

I was schooled in Barrow, lived most of my life in Barrow and I have a large family that lives all over Barrow. What happens here affects me, my family and my friends as much as anyone else. I live on the edge of Parkside and few people appreciate our big park more than my family.

What is your background/experience/employment?

I worked in the construction and project management throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand. My wife and I currently run a couple of modest businesses employing two others. Aged 30, I was a Labour party member, I actively and financially supported Tony Blair's 1997 election campaign, not realising he would later be branded a war criminal. I have been the South Cumbria chairman for Ukip and then Barrow and Furness chairman for Ukip for four years, consistently campaigning for independence from the European Union to undo what Blair and others did. I have been the campaign manager and election agent for two parliamentary constituencies in 2015 and the campaign manager and election agent in Furness for the EU referendum. I'm now aged 50 and I can guarantee that I will be a highly active councillor at a crucial time in Barrow's history.

What will your three top priorities be specifically for Parkside if you are elected?

To listen to the concerns of residents and to represent the ward ensuring that Parkside gets a fair share of funding and services. But also to bring a fresh, free thinking, common sense attitude to council meetings. To deliver swift and decisive action to local issues, such as car parking, slum lords and empty properties.

What will your three top priorities be for Barrow as a whole?

I'll always give my support to a bridge across the Duddon Estuary linking Barrow to Millom and one across Morecambe Bay thus opening up the west coast. The Heysham-M6 link brings us a step closer to this, but frankly it should have been done years ago. I'll encourage land reclamation which may prove helpful when investing in purpose-built social housing.

CONSERVATIVE: Roy Worthington

Roy Worthington, the Conservative candidate. <strong>What is your connection to the area?</strong>

Two of my connections to the ward are the Barrow Community Kitchen which, although is just outside of the ward, is used by residents of the ward and the food bank where I raised £2,750 in a week to help make sure that an estimated 800 children on our doorsteps were kept fed during the summer holiday period.

What is your background/experience/employment?

My background is a child who grew up in Hindpool and clearly remembers the many hardships during the 13-week strike in the shipyard where I queued at the Salvation Army with my mother for food which led me, at the age of 13, making the decision that I wanted to help people. Years later, and still wanting to help even more, I joined Rotary at the age of 39 and at 43 became the youngest president in the history of the Rotary Club of Furness. In July this year I received a presidential citation award from Rotary International for my efforts in helping people locally, nationally and internationally, the only President to receive the award out of 68 clubs from Manchester up to Carlisle. I am currently a private hire driver with A1 taxis.

What will your three top priorities be specifically for Parkside if you are elected?

The top three priorities for the ward I believe should come from the residents of Parkside.

What will your three top priorities be for Barrow as a whole?

My top three priorities for Barrow as a whole will be to revolutionise free parking in the town centre to stop the decline of our town centre, campaign for better road and rail links and I will also campaign to maintain and improve the services of the town. I would also like to see a reduction in the number of councillors, 12 in all would save £130k over a four-year period.