By-election looms – but some don’t seem to care
IT’S been big news in political circles. But some residents of Rochdale - who will soon be voting for a new MP couldn’t care less.
The tragic death of Sir Tony Lloyd means a byelection will be taking place in the constituency he has represented since 2017.
The veteran Labour stalwart, who held several political posts in Greater Manchester over the last 45 years, passed away ‘peacefully’ on Wednesday, January 17.
Speculation over who would succeed him and stand for the relatively safe Labour seat started soon after.
Lancashire Labour group leader Coun Azhar Ali was chosen from A shortlist of three candidates to stand.
Meanwhile, other parties will have to choose who they want to enter the contest as the by-election could be held as soon as next month.
However, in Rochdale town centre on Monday last week few people seemed to be aware - or even care - about the vote.
“I think it’s a farce,” Dean Crowther said.
The Rochdale resident has voted before, but no longer believes voting makes a difference. “I don’t believe you have a choice,” he said.
This political apathy was echoed by several people the Observer spoke to.
Mike Potts, 50, doesn’t ‘do politics’. “I never see the point of it,” he said. “I’ve voted in the past and it feels that much hasn’t been done.”
“To me, they’re all the bloody same,” Alan, 81, added. “They promise you everything, but I’ve just got past bothering now.”
Chelsea Bowker, 26, doesn’t follow politics either, but she does still vote. “Usually, I just ask my mum what she’s voting,” she explained.
Not everyone was completely disinterested though.
Saghir Ali, 24, does not usually vote - but he thinks he will do it this time. The barber, who was joined by his colleague Talha Naveed, says he wants the new MP to fight for better facilities for young people.
“A lot of kids here need
it,” he said. “Places to play football, to do activities.”
For him, having a local person representing Rochdale is ‘definitely important’. Otherwise, they “won’t understand what people want”.
Saghir was not the only person who cares about the candidate being local.
One woman who asked not to be named, said she
usually votes Labour, but will always look at who the candidate is, favouring ‘someone who thinks about Rochdale first’ and ‘knows the area’.
The 79-year-old sympathises with those who are apathetic. “I’ve felt that way before,” she said, “but I’ve got a postal vote, so it’s easy.”
Voter turnout in Rochdale
was around 60 per cent at the last general election in 2019 - lower than the overall turnout across the UK, but far from the lowest which was 10 percentage points less.
But, like the rest of the country, turnout has dropped over the years.
In 1997, which saw Labour win back the seat held by the Liberals for 25
years, the turnout was 70 per cent.
Since then, Labour have won in Rochdale at every general election except for one - in 2005 - when the Liberal Democrats won by a margin of 442 votes.
Labour’s majority has grown significantly since then standing at nearly 10,000 at the last general election.