DemocracyClub

I'm going to have to plough through the last few editions of the Tameside Advertiser, but I know one of, if not THE major local issue that's going to be debated will be Tameside Hospital.

The hospital (located in Ashton) is currently rated one of the worst in the country, and has been slammed by David Heyes himself, along with central government and the residents.

http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1184647_mp_slams_hospital_managers

That combined with continual coverage of mistakes such as these:

• http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1189994_family_cremate_wrong_body_in_hospital_blunder
• http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1190190_2m_for_diy_health_case_crusader
• http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1185869_hospital_pays_out_50000_over_mum_who_died

makes it a top-priority for all of the local politicians.

I also found this a few weeks ago, it's an interesting (and rare) audio interview with David Heyes MP from the St Peter's Community News website:
http://stpetes.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/audio-interview-with-david-heyes-mp-for-ashton-under-lyne/

Tameside also has an active blogging community, controversial blogs such as Tameside Citizen and Tameside Eye provide inside analysis (some might say gossip) of politics in the area.

Jonathan