To answer your second question first, it is desirable that a town the size of Northampton should have a professional football team, to provide interest and entertainment, to encourage local pride, to bring revenue to the locality and so on. Adequate facilities should of course be provided for their use. Indeed, excellence in sports in general, professional and amateur, should be encouraged as far as possible. One of the Six Principles of the CPA is Empowerment, which aims to enable each individual and group to fulfil their potential and have a good quality of life.

In practice, I probably do not stand a great chance of being elected. Furthermore, much of the power that was in the hands of Northampton Borough Council has now been transferred to the WNDC. However, if elected to the Council I shall approach the subject with fresh eyes, listen to my constituents and see what is needed and what can be done.

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me. I wish you well with your endeavours.

I cannot understand why it is taking so long to get the planning sorted for Sixfields as it should have been done a long time ago. The council at the moment seems to have a very fuddy-duddy attitude to things like this. The Cobblers should have good facilities especially if they do well and have the big clubs coming where they make money. The planning should have been separated so it could be brought forward and not take years. The borough always get housing planning through quick but not things like this. Leadership of the council does not seem to want to hurry this along. They have said that it has got to be done legally but have sat on it for the last couple of years.

It elected I would support people like Tony Clarke and Les Marriot to get this through. A Labour Council will get this through.