Residents were forced out because of the Tory Benefit rules on Housing Benefit going straight to the Landlord, I think pushed through by a certain Mr Heseltine who had thousands of residents.

Under the regeneration the people who were left were given new homes which had been modernised under the ground breaking homeswap scheme. My mate paid £25,000 for his house near Chimney Pot park, he was homeswapped further to the back of the school house now worth £90,000 still got the same mortgage as well. Over 900 homes given new doors, windows, roofs, now 29 residents associations in the Langworthy area. Since 2003 the area has won the best community effect in Britain In Bloom, plus many other prizes who would have thought from that day in 1998 when Jack Straw was dragged around Langworthy By Hazel Blears that rows of Terraced houses would win Britain in Bloom, the area gets visitors from all over the country to see good neighbourhoods in action and the award winning alleygating scheme cutting down crime and increasing the sense of community and providing safe places for children to play. Bl00dy hell I sound like a tourism salesman.

The Langworthy model is being copied Citywide with many other groups now trying their luck with Britain In Bloom, alleygating schemes and new residents associations.

Sales pitch over

=redHazel Blears Labour 16,655 40.1 -15.3

Norman Owen Liberal Democrat 10,930 26.3 +3.5

Matthew Sephton Conservative 8,497 20.5 +3.6

Tina Wingfield British National Party 2,632 6.3 +6.3

Duran O'Dwyer UK Independence Party 1,084 2.6 -2.3

David Henry Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 730 1.8 +1.8

Stephen Morris English Democrats 621 1.5 +1.5

Richard Carvath Independent 384 0.9 +0.9



Majority 5,725 13.8



Turnout 41,533 55.0 +9.5