WHEN voters go to the polls on May 7, they will essentially be voting for which party they want to see form the next government.

But it is also important to analyse the promises and pledges being made by local candidates directly for local people, so we asked the candidates in Bolton North East what they felt were the key issues for Bolton people, aside from the NHS and the economy.

Liberal Democrat Steve Rock believes unemployment and housing are some of the major issue for people in the borough.

He said: “Many of the traditional industries have disappeared, leaving people without the skills that many new employers require.

“I would like to see free training and the local government working with employers to help get people back into work.

“I would like to see investment in affordable housing because many of the houses built under this title are too expensive for many working people.

“There are many empty properties, along with old buildings, that could be converted into houses or flats.

“People have also raised concerns about roads and footpaths which need improvement after being neglected by both previous governments and councils.”

Conservative James Daly thinks people are concerned about “the decline of Bolton town centre under Labour rule.”

He added: “People are particularly worried by the decision to spend approximately £1 million pounds of taxpayers' money installing a cafe and restaurant in the town hall.

“I will fight to ensure that Bolton Council does not continue to waste millions of pounds on such projects as this, but instead introduces sensible policies to regenerate the town centre, such as free car parking and a programme of business rate relief for local traders. The proposed university development in Cheadle Square could quite easily be built on a more appropriate site.

“Bolton North East needs an MP who will act on the concerns of local people who want to protect their civic heritage.”

As MP for the area since 1997, David Crausby feels that the priority for residents is having security in their life.

He said: “Labour will tackle long-term unemployment with our jobs guarantee — provide more secure employment by scrapping zero-hours contracts and ensure decent pay for everyone by increasing the minimum wage to £8 an hour.

“We’ll provide new long term tenancies to give security to families in the private rented sector and increase housebuilding to 200,000 homes a year so that the next generation can buy their own homes.

“We’ll give young people the best chance to succeed in life, guaranteeing an apprenticeship for everyone who gets the grades and cutting tuition fees for those who choose university.”

Green party candidate Laura Diggle is focusing on housing and supporting local businesses, as well as green issues.

She said: “Locally, if elected I would end evictions due to bedroom tax. I would press for the creation ‘green housing’ across Bolton borough — insulating houses to conserve energy and cut fuel bills, and building new homes where they are needed, utilising brownfield sites.

“We support the ‘right to rent’ so that people who could not afford to pay their mortgages could rent them from the council rather than being evicted.

“Bolton is being taken over by big corporations, squeezing out local independent business owners and eroding the character of our town — we would allow local firms reduced tax rates, ensuring they have access to finance through locally controlled, publicly owned community banks.”

UKIP candidate Harry Lamb agrees with James Daly that the town centre and the council’s plans for it are a major concern.

He said: “The improvement plan for the town hall is to take a pneumatic drill to it and build a restaurant.

“Professional restaurateurs have left the town centre in droves recently, why does the council think it can succeed in an area with no passing trade?

“Last autumn the Labour council introduced car parking charges for evening parking in Bolton — the predictable result is that no one comes into the town centre at night.

“You can stand in Victoria Square at 8pm and not see another human being for more than half an hour.”