Reform candidate Sian Astley promises transparency, stronger policing and fairer investment across Greater Manchester

Reform UK's candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, Sian Astley, has pledged greater transparency, more visible policing and fairer investment across all 10 boroughs if elected.

Speaking to Roch Valley Radio, Astley said she believed voters were looking for a fresh approach to politics and set out her priorities on crime, transport, housing and devolution.

Astley, who previously voted Labour before joining Reform UK around 18 months ago, said she entered politics after becoming increasingly frustrated with the way the country was being governed.

She said, "I've always been a Labour voter in the past and I've just become increasingly disillusioned with two party politics, that football being kicked between Conservatives and Labour and back again and really not much changing. What I've seen for years is a decline and things going down."

Explaining why she believes she is different from many career politicians, Astley said, "Because I haven't been in politics before, some people would say that's a disadvantage. I would say it's an advantage because increasingly what people want in this country is they want people who haven't been in politics, who aren't tainted."

A key part of her campaign is ensuring investment is spread more evenly across Greater Manchester rather than being concentrated in the city centre.

She said, "There needs to be fairness and parity and equal investment across the whole of our boroughs and that's what I'm determined to ensure."

Astley acknowledged that, if elected, she would need to work with council leaders from different political parties across Greater Manchester.

She said, "Absolutely there has to be a collaborative approach. For me it's about amplifying the voices of Reform voters across Greater Manchester."

Policing was one of the main themes of the interview. Astley said residents wanted to see officers returning to neighbourhoods and responding more quickly to reports of crime.

She said, "People are sick to death of knife crime, drug taking and antisocial behaviour. We need more visible police on our streets. We need them in neighbourhoods. We need police officers who know their neighbourhood and stay there."

Discussing the historic child sexual exploitation scandal in Rochdale, Astley said she wanted greater transparency if she became Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner.

She said, "This needs to be dealt with once and for all and I will be a mayor who will go in and be determined to open up those books. No redacted documents, no hidden emails."

On housing, Astley criticised development on Green Belt land and said more should be done to unlock previously developed sites.

She said, "The answer is not solely to bulldoze and concrete across our Green Belt. I want a full assessment on all brownfield sites across Greater Manchester on day one."

Astley also backed expanding the Bee Network to communities that currently have fewer public transport options.

She said, "We need to make sure it gets out to those people that it's not reaching at the minute. We need to make sure that the investment is fair across Greater Manchester."

Asked about proposals from rival candidates to introduce additional free bus travel, Astley declined to make similar commitments.

She said, "I'm not going to promise a load of free stuff just to get votes. People should be voting for me because they think I'm a safe pair of hands and a sensible person who doesn't just want to promise the earth and not deliver it."

Astley also called for more investment in repairing roads across the region.

She said, "I would like to ring fence an amount of money to help councils fix those potholes."

Reflecting on why voters should support her, Astley pointed to her background outside politics.

She said, "I'm a builder, I'm a creator, I'm a fixer. I've been somebody that's been self employed for 30 years working my way up. I think I am a person that understands hard work and I think that's my people pitch."

The Greater Manchester mayoral election takes place this Thursday (30th July).