Sian Astley, Reform UK’s candidate for Greater Manchester mayor, has pledged to tear down Labour’s “one-party state” and shine a light on decades of failure across the region.
In her first major interview since being announced as Reform UK’s mayoral candidate. Astley told the Telegraph that voters are crying out for a different kind of politics. “People are so sick of politicians”, she said. “What people say on the doorstep is: ‘We need more real people in politics.’”
Astley shares their frustration. She said that she finally decided to go into politics after becoming “more and more disillusioned” with politicians nationally and in Manchester. “I started getting really mad when I was watching the TV and seeing things happen”, she said. “I thought: ‘I either get involved here or just have to sell my telly.’”
Astley believes that her background as a property developer, TV presenter and “fixer”, coming from outside politics, makes her better suited than career politicians to take on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, after decades of Labour dominance across the region.
“For such a long time in Greater Manchester”, she told the Telegraph, “it’s been a one-party state”. This has made it hard for people to be honest about the region’s problems. “That hasn’t happened because people haven’t been brave enough to put their head above the parapet for fear that they maybe wouldn’t advance in their career, or they wouldn’t get that promotion.”
One of Astley’s “day-one priorities” would be to reveal the full story of the grooming gangs scandal in Greater Manchester, and bring to account those involved in the cover-up. “Let’s open up the books, let’s talk to people, let’s look at emails, let’s look at documents which may have been redacted”, she said.
“I feel as though people kept quiet at the time, and those people may well have now been elevated into more senior positions, and if that is so, then that is not right.”
Astley also pledged to reduce the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Manchester, particularly those being used to house asylum seekers. “It is not great to be taking unvetted, undocumented men out of hotels, putting them in HMOs in our communities with no idea who they are, where they’re from, what their intentions are”, she said.
She added: “I think we have to draw a line.”
In her first major interview since being announced as Reform UK’s mayoral candidate. Astley told the Telegraph that voters are crying out for a different kind of politics. “People are so sick of politicians”, she said. “What people say on the doorstep is: ‘We need more real people in politics.’”
Astley shares their frustration. She said that she finally decided to go into politics after becoming “more and more disillusioned” with politicians nationally and in Manchester. “I started getting really mad when I was watching the TV and seeing things happen”, she said. “I thought: ‘I either get involved here or just have to sell my telly.’”
Astley believes that her background as a property developer, TV presenter and “fixer”, coming from outside politics, makes her better suited than career politicians to take on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, after decades of Labour dominance across the region.
“For such a long time in Greater Manchester”, she told the Telegraph, “it’s been a one-party state”. This has made it hard for people to be honest about the region’s problems. “That hasn’t happened because people haven’t been brave enough to put their head above the parapet for fear that they maybe wouldn’t advance in their career, or they wouldn’t get that promotion.”
One of Astley’s “day-one priorities” would be to reveal the full story of the grooming gangs scandal in Greater Manchester, and bring to account those involved in the cover-up. “Let’s open up the books, let’s talk to people, let’s look at emails, let’s look at documents which may have been redacted”, she said.
“I feel as though people kept quiet at the time, and those people may well have now been elevated into more senior positions, and if that is so, then that is not right.”
Astley also pledged to reduce the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Manchester, particularly those being used to house asylum seekers. “It is not great to be taking unvetted, undocumented men out of hotels, putting them in HMOs in our communities with no idea who they are, where they’re from, what their intentions are”, she said.
She added: “I think we have to draw a line.”
