Oldswinford teen aims to topple Dudley's leader in election showdown (From Stourbridge News)

Oldswinford teen aims to topple Dudley's leader in election showdown

10:19am Wednesday 4th January 2012 in Local

AN Oldswinford teenager is going head-to-head with Dudley's leader in a political showdown for local election votes.

Politicians across the borough are getting set for council elections on Thursday May 3, with a third of Dudley's 72 seats up for grabs.

Labour's Joe Gaytten will be 19-years-old on election day when he will be up against Cllr Les Jones, the authority's Conservative leader, in the Stourbridge East and Pedmore ward.

He says standing against Dudley's leader gives him the chance to debate borough matters as well as ward issues as he battles to overturn Cllr Jones's majority in the safe Tory seat.

Joe Gaytten said: "The odds are stacked against me but I have already received messages of support from local people and intend to start the New Year with a new optimism.

“I have decided to stand and try my best to bring about the change that this council badly needs.

"We need fresh ideas to take the council forward, we need a new plan for jobs investment and growth."

The Essex University economics student is calling for the establishment of a University Technical College or UTC in the borough for students aged between 14 and 19 to take specialist courses in engineering and advanced manufacturing.

He said: "In Dudley, where unemployment exceeds the national average, we need a more optimistic message about how we are going to bring jobs and growth to the area rather than the usual cut, cut, cut mantra."

Cllr Jones is also keen on developing a UTC but says government rules mean independent organisations rather than local authorities have to be behind their development.

He added: "I am aware of some interest in developing one in the borough and have already indicated that I will give it my full backing, let's not forget the recently opened Stourbridge College Campus in Brierley Hill and the two new buildings currently being constructed by Dudley College."

Despite central government cuts of £34m to Dudley's budget, Cllr Jones says council extra support for business including a soon-to-be launched £1m Small Business Loan fund and a £250,000 fund to support the development of social enterprises, plus town centre action plans and redevelopment, adds up to a potential private sector inward investment package running into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Cllr Jones added: "This Conservative administration has managed to deliver top quality services, freeze Council Tax and develop an optimistic vision of the future.

"Over the coming weeks we will be turning that in to a written manifesto which will be available to the media and the public so that they can compare our fully costed and ambitious plans for the future with the Labour Party's hand wringing and doom and gloom messages."