I was in Canning’s today and was asked to sign a petition, by David Hull, and Susan Canning they are trying to bring a return to Leigh Council making the important decisions that affect our town. David gave me a leaflet about some of their Aims and Goals, I’ve copied it below. Quote: " AIM AND GOALS To inspire and give back hope to the wonderful people of Leigh. Who seem to have LOST ALL HOPE. Who do not deserve what has been done to them for 35yrs, since 1974 and is still being done. To GET RID of Wigan Council’s downgrading and demeaning name for Leigh, LEIGH TOWNSHIP. Leigh is rightly a TOWN and no less. This appears to be a deliberate ploy to lower the status of Leigh below Wigan to make it seem subordinate. To prepare for the day when we suspect it will be absorbed into the CITY OF WIGAN. In Wigan Council, which rules over Leigh etc. there are 75 Councillors with a selected INNER CABINET OF 10. These 10 are NOW as stated recently in press selected by ONE person the Council Leader. One of the mentioned 75 is also Mayor. AIM To bring back LEIGH COUNCIL in May 2011 with 4 wards containing 3 Councillors in each ward therefore having a council of 12. Some services are likely to remain under Borough control (Wigan). However Leigh will get back its self respect and be able to promote itself and have a stronger control. LEIGH AND LEYTHERS HAVE BEEN SOLD SHORT FOR 35YRS & HAVE HAD ENOUGH. WITH A SUSTAINED WILL, people power can change it. The Leigh Coat of Arms is held in reserve but not dead and will rise again to its rightful place. PROMOTING LEIGH & LEYTHERS. Create a Leigh Council Logo for all letterheads etc. Return Leigh Town Hall to a Major working decision making institution. Limit councillors to 12 to keep cost low. This will encourage quicker and simpler decision making. Every Councillor to have 1 equal vote and always voting with Leigh interests first. To encourage Party Politics to be thrown out of Leigh’s local government. NO NEED FOR IT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IT DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD. NO WHIPS. This is someone instructing you which way to vote. Leigh because of its layout and flat land which is cheaper to build on plus its position closer to Manchester with good road links has the potential of overtaking Wigan. Wigan Council may well have noted this. Leigh is not promoted enough because it has to share the same pot as other downgraded townships. Its main draw back is no heavy train link which should be corrected A.S.A.P. With the guided bus lane plan in Wigan Metros bin.'" Further info can be obtained from David at leighrf@hotmail.co.uk or pm me for his number. David Hull intends to stand as an independent against Lord Smith in the next round of elections. The petition is available to sign in Canning’s, I advised him to get down to Leigh East this weekend as he may get a few signatures.

I was in Canning’s today and was asked to sign a petition, by David Hull, and Susan Canning they are trying to bring a return to Leigh Council making the important decisions that affect our town. David gave me a leaflet about some of their Aims and Goals, I’ve copied it below. Quote: " AIM AND GOALS To inspire and give back hope to the wonderful people of Leigh. Who seem to have LOST ALL HOPE. Who do not deserve what has been done to them for 35yrs, since 1974 and is still being done. To GET RID of Wigan Council’s downgrading and demeaning name for Leigh, LEIGH TOWNSHIP. Leigh is rightly a TOWN and no less. This appears to be a deliberate ploy to lower the status of Leigh below Wigan to make it seem subordinate. To prepare for the day when we suspect it will be absorbed into the CITY OF WIGAN. In Wigan Council, which rules over Leigh etc. there are 75 Councillors with a selected INNER CABINET OF 10. These 10 are NOW as stated recently in press selected by ONE person the Council Leader. One of the mentioned 75 is also Mayor. AIM To bring back LEIGH COUNCIL in May 2011 with 4 wards containing 3 Councillors in each ward therefore having a council of 12. Some services are likely to remain under Borough control (Wigan). However Leigh will get back its self respect and be able to promote itself and have a stronger control. LEIGH AND LEYTHERS HAVE BEEN SOLD SHORT FOR 35YRS & HAVE HAD ENOUGH. WITH A SUSTAINED WILL, people power can change it. The Leigh Coat of Arms is held in reserve but not dead and will rise again to its rightful place. PROMOTING LEIGH & LEYTHERS. Create a Leigh Council Logo for all letterheads etc. Return Leigh Town Hall to a Major working decision making institution. Limit councillors to 12 to keep cost low. This will encourage quicker and simpler decision making. Every Councillor to have 1 equal vote and always voting with Leigh interests first. To encourage Party Politics to be thrown out of Leigh’s local government. NO NEED FOR IT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IT DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD. NO WHIPS. This is someone instructing you which way to vote. Leigh because of its layout and flat land which is cheaper to build on plus its position closer to Manchester with good road links has the potential of overtaking Wigan. Wigan Council may well have noted this. Leigh is not promoted enough because it has to share the same pot as other downgraded townships. Its main draw back is no heavy train link which should be corrected A.S.A.P. With the guided bus lane plan in Wigan Metros bin.'" Further info can be obtained from David at leighrf@hotmail.co.uk or pm me for his number. David Hull intends to stand as an independent against Lord Smith in the next round of elections. The petition is available to sign in Canning’s, I advised him to get down to Leigh East this weekend as he may get a few signatures.

This sort of thing should have been organised years ago. I know the people of Leigh are gutted by the way thay are treated, it was one of the reasons that I moved away. That and the love of a woman. What I would say to every leyther is when you walk around your town centre look at the things that Wigan haven't done for you and not the fact that they have tried to tart the town up with planters everywhere. I would sooner have had the parks back to places where the kids can play without broken glass and rubbish everywhere. I walked round Stockport the other day and the amount of shops that are closed is horrible. It's probably the same in Leigh, but it will change and it will change for the better when Leigh is rid of the burden of Wigan. I've said it before and I'll say it forever more. They have pumped millions if not a billion into Wigan and it's still a dump. Also I wouldn't send a dog to Wigan Hospital. Me and my familly have either gone to Bolton or Warrington.

Some well thought out aims there.

I think 'letterheads with a Leigh logo' is the one which will sway most folk.

Or maybe the one about the land being flat. Thats a one way ticket to a local building boom is that. It will be great to rip up the bypass too and return it to rail. Can't wait.

No whips is a good one too. S&M has never really floated my boat.

Would totally support this a concept, but we need to know the full story. For example..would it be more expensive to run a Leigh Council separately and if so, how much would council tax have to go up to pay for it? Would we lose anything by not being part of Wigan..? Where would LSV fit in? How do you actually go about breaking away and forming your own council?

Don't get me wrong, I would love Leigh to be independent (even from 3000 miles away) but that is from an emotional angle - would love to see all the facts as well..

Well all the above came home to me when I was travelling through Warringotn the other day. The name Leigh has disappearred off some of the signs coming out of town. They just say W"£$n.

Its gone too far now to be able reverse things. Apathy won the day unfortunately.
If it means paying even more money via my most hated of taxes then forget it.

To be quite honest, a complete and even partial breakaway is [ivery[/i unlikely. I'd be quite happy to just see a degree of powersharing and a renaming of the borough to become "Leigh and Wigan MBC" or summat along those lines.

They are trying for it in Atherton as well.

Believe that's a separate effort from Leigh though - there'd be far more chance of it happening if it was a Leyth, Bent and Bongs council IMHO.

hopefully i'll live to see the day but if you dont get all the towns on this side of wigans borough thinking the same way and working towards the same goals you've got no chance one town on its own is not big enough to influence the thinking in london

If that happens I will start my own campaign to get Tyldesley out of Leigh!!!

I'll be signing up tomorrow without hesitation.

Leigh Centurions should also get behind this initiative in my opinion. It's time the club stood up for it's people in this kind of manner.

Our Town, Our Team, Our Dream.