Indignation has been expressed by many local residents at the purile material included in the Labour election campaign.

Howard Sykes, the target of this material, seemed resigned to the nature of this saying, “When you enter public life sometimes people say things about you that are both untruths and half truths and you have to be prepared for this, although it isn’t nice for family and friends to have to endure.”

A Shaw resident said,” Labour’s material attempting to ridicule Howard in charachature is an outrage and an example of the sort of negative campaigning which does the Labour Party no credit at all. All it does is slag Howard and his team off. It says nothing about what the Labour candidate will do for us residents of Shaw.”

If you happen to bump into the Labour campaign people or their candidate from Royton, perhaps you could take the opportunity to ask them exactly what they are going to do for you and for Shaw?