WE take a closer look at the candidates standing in the Bury North ward at the forthcoming General Election.

Bury Times:

Richard Baum, Liberal Democrats

The 33-year-old is contesting the Bury North constituency for the third time, but has chosen not to campaign at this election.

He said that voters should think “very carefully” about who they vote for in the marginal seat.

A former councillor who works for the NHS, Mr Baum’s share of the vote dropped by 14.9 per cent to just 932 votes in 2015.

The father-of-two has backed Lib Dem proposals to significantly increase education funding in Bury by more than £27 million.

He said: “Under the Conservatives, funding per pupil is set to see the biggest cuts in a generation, while billions of pounds are being spent on divisive plans to expand grammars and free schools. This extra £27,055,827 of funding would ensure no school and no child loses out.”

Bury Times:

James Frith, Labour

A former councillor having a second crack at a General Election race, the 40-year-old says that he will be “a better voice for Bury, Tottington and Ramsbottom”.

Mr Frith says that he will fight to save Bury’s remaining walk-in centre and for new investment in the NHS. He has also pledged to support older people affected by proposed cuts to social care, adding: “The Tories’ disastrous ‘dementia tax’ is a new low in unfairness with families losing the value of their homes to pay for social care.

“Older people in Ramsbottom and Summerseat will have their pensions cut and lose the Winter Fuel allowance under the Tories.”

Mr Frith has also claimed that his Tory opponent “causes the casework, then he ignores the casework”.

Bury Times:

David Nuttall, Conservatives

Bury North’s MP since 2010, Mr Nuttall was an ardent supporter of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.

The 55-year-old, who was a solicitor prior to his career in politics, says that delivering on Brexit is the key issue for voters at this election.

He said: “People realise that the Prime Minister called this election because she needs to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations. We need to give her the mandate to deliver the best possible deal.”

Mr Nuttall said that the potential loss of huge swathes of green belt land across Bury will be the key local issue facing the area’s next MP, adding that he would happily work with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to redraw the controversial spatial framework housing plans.