Stretford and Urmston’s Lib Dem candidate believes she can wrestle the seat away from Labour despite her party taking a battering in the opinion polls.
Louise Ankers has been chosen by the party to represent them in the Trafford constituency, which has been held by Labour since it was first established in 1997.
Current MP Kate Green won the seat with almost half the vote in 2010 but Ms Ankers believes that stronghold could be about to break.
She said: “I think that what’s happened in Trafford is that some people have almost been taken for granted a little bit and so what I would like to do is speak to people on the street, speak to people who need something else from representation in Parliament.”
Ms Ankers has been a Liberal Democrat member since the last general election and says she will give the people of Trafford what they want – whether that’s boosting childrens’ opportunities or pushing mental health further up the agenda.
Latest YouGov polls have the Lib Dems down with a distant 6% of the vote at the next election but Louise believes the party made the right decision joining forces with the Conservatives.
“Looking at the twin side, I believe in the Lib Dems and I think they’re a great party to vote for,” she said.
“There was a bit of a decision that Lib Dems had to take, should we stand away from being in government and making changes like raising the personal allowance and helping people get out of poverty or should we just stand on the side-lines and just throw rocks at people.
“I think as we turn towards the election, people will start to look at us again and look at what the Lib Dems can offer them, and best of all what we’ve been able to do while we’ve been in government.”
Ms Ankers believes crisis among the other parties mean she will have a chance to get the seat.
“I can do my best. I think in all politics at the moment there’s a bit of a crisis in the established parties and I think the Lib Dems stand between that,” she said.
“The Tories stand up for big business and Labour are kind of pushed around by their unions. I think there is a thirst for a new voice or a voice of individuals or people that have been underrepresented in the past – so that’s what I’d want to do.”
Image courtesy of Parrot of Doom via Wiki Commons, with thanks
