Valley needs dialogue for good of the area

“I WOULD say politics locally has become very nasty, very personal and very vindictive over the past 12 months or so.”

So said council leader Alyson Barnes in the hours after the local election results.

She’s right – but I don’t see much sign of that changing.

In the hours before the polls opened, an email was sent around by local Conservatives warning that Coun Barnes had refused to rule out parking charges in Rawtenstall town centre.

Their evidence was based on a social media conversation Coun Barnes had had.

To me, focusing on a senior politician refusing to rule something out in the future seemed like a weak line of attack when trying to encourage people to vote.

Forcing through parking charges in Rawtenstall would be a very dangerous move for any political group which wished to remain in charge, as surely both the Tories and Labour will know.

It’s easy to promise things in opposition, but much harder to deliver them when in power.

What Rossendale needs is constructive political dialogue for the good of the area. With the council leader and local MP lined up to oppose each other at the next general election (assuming Jake Berry MP chooses to stand), and the council relatively finely balanced, I suspect constructive political dialogue is still a long way off.

But we can live in hope.