'FLYNN 4 THE WIN' - BELOVED LOCAL HISTORIAN IN BID TO BECOME SALFORD CITY MAYOR

Salford's favourite historian, accomplished author and respected local journalist, Mr Anthony Errol Flynn, has announced that he is standing as an independent candidate for the position of City Mayor in the upcoming Salford elections which are to be held this May.

Tony cuts a popular figure within Salford, having amassed a considerable following over the years due to his immense encyclopaedic knowledge of the cities history as well as his wit, humour and philanthropy.

Speaking on the steps of Swinton Civic Centre, Tony told us: 

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"I am a Salford lad through and through, born in the heart of the old city on the wind swept shores of the Irwell to a Salfordian Mother and an Irish Father.

"I have never really had much of an interest in politics but over the years I have found it harder and harder to sit on the side lines and feel that now is the perfect time to come forward, make my mark and take a stand, for the future of this city I love.

"If I am lucky enough to be elected I will be donating all of the Mayoral salary to a local charity or good cause to ensure that it does not interfere with my weekly ESA payments.

"For me it is not about the money, it's about the amazing people and the beautiful city we all reside in."

 

Tony went on to speak about his election pledges:

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"If I am fortunate enough to win the office of Mayor, I will immediately seek to abolish it, I was never keen on it in the first place and feel that there are better and cheaper ways to run a city. Why do we need so many mini mayors? They can be cut for a start.

"As for Salford, I have said this for a long time, we need to 'Bring Back The Borough's' and I will be seeking for devolution in places like Eccles, Swinton and Irlam etc... so as to have a more localised governance within the old townhalls so as to allow them more control over their specific areas and how money is spent on things like pot holes, infrastructure and cycling schemes.

"In my opinion the money and wealth of the city needs to be more equally distributed across the whole of Salford and not just concentrated in the enclaves of the already rich and wealthy, like Salford Quays, The Crescent and Clifton.

"We need more fairness and a cross in my box is a vote for just that.

"I will tirelessly campaign for Salford University to drop the hilarious Manchester 'tag' and demand that The Lowry Shopping Centre shows a little pride by badging itself firmly in Salford where it is sited and not as part of Manchester.

"It is time to take a stand, so let us be proud of our city, its former docklands and it's industrial and spiritual heritage.

"With the cost of living increasing and the more vulnerable feeling the bite in wages and benefits, I will also seek to put pressure on Morrisons to reduce the cost of a plastic carrier bag to a more reasonable price as pensioners can ill afford 50p per bag, it is a big rip off in my opinion and it needs to be addressed.

"Failure to do so means that an average big shop could cost upwards of £2 just in plastic bags alone if you forget them, for the older folks, that's a lot out of their meagre state pensions.

"With regards to 'green' issues, I will be seeking to legalise cannabis in Salford and to grow it for medicinal use for people with bad backs and gout upon Barton Moss, creating a sustainable local income for both the farmers and the local council via taxes. At the same time, protecting the greenbelt from housing developments and fracking.

"I will seek for the AJ Bell Stadium to be renamed the Salford 'Willows' Stadium as a hark back to the glory days of Rugby in the city, once the current naming rights deal have expired, it is ours, it is in Salford and it deserves to have our proud cities name all over it.

"If Sale Sharks opt to leave then sod them, they will be replaced by allowing smaller local clubs like Winton Wanderers access to the ground to help them grow and flourish.

"And Peel can shut it too, I am pulling no punches here and mean business."

 

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"Salford is sat upon a black gold mine, there are still many many tons of coal still left under our city and it is an untapped resource we can no longer afford to ignore, I pledge to do all I can to reopen Agecroft if elected.

"Admittedly there are houses now on the old site but there is plenty of open space along the Croal Irwell valley to be able to site an open cast pit.

"People need jobs and mining is one way to quickly bring a little wealth and prosperity back to Salford.

"As you know, this past 12 months or so has been a nightmare for local businesses and I hear their cries and feel their pain, so in order to help them get on their feet again I will pledge to allow longer opening hours as well as cut business rates and in some key parts of the city, pubs will be allowed to open 24/7 (Not Monton).

"Buile Hill Mansion is an issue that many want solving and I am in advanced talks with a Chinese consortium based in Rhyl to purchase it and finally reopen it for public use. If successful, there will be a cat sanctuary and petting zoo for the young uns, a roller skate rink on the upper floors for 80's style roller disco for the teens, and I am proud to say that there will also be a weekly raffle to help the Winton Orphanage and other equally good causes, like the save the Winton Beaver fund and Pendleton based animal charity, 'walking aids for one legged pigeons'.

"Salford people love nothing more than to reminisce about the good old days and so if elected I pledge that I shall rebuild cross lane and put it back to how it used to be.

"The old pubs and houses will be rebuilt brick by brick and if it is a success I will move the project to stage 2 which will see the whole of Hanky Park rebuilt, slums n all.

"I will finance this by increasing taxation in more affluent areas.

"I have other great ideas which I think could benefit Salford, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn't want to have to take the stand but I felt obliged to.

"If Paul Dennett had agreed to my demands to solve this the old school Salford way, with a bare knuckle fist fight for charity on the civic centre lawns, then I would have had no reason make this political.

"It is what it is so please vote Flynny this May."

 

Tony hopes to have his full politically correct 'personifesto' out later this week once it has been finalised and printed for free on the photocopiers at Eccles Library..

For a full copy of the 740 page hard back booklet which comes with a free copy of his Eccles pub book, you can contact him on 0161 820 2411 and leave a message starting with the words 'In Like Flynn'.