'My dad will be spinning in his grave': The people on the 'forgotten' estate turning away from Labour

"My dad will be spinning in his grave." These are the words of a lifelong Labour voter abandoning his political tribe.

In Manchester, Francis Granger is a rare breed. But he is not alone in feeling 'forgotten'.

With the largest number of Labour councillors in the country, the ruling party at Manchester Town Hall will remain firmly in control of the council come May. But the local elections could leave Labour with more chinks in their armour.

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Francis has witnessed Manchester change massively since he moved to his wife's family home in Beswick 23 years ago. But he wouldn't dream of leaving.

"I love it here. I know it's a council estate, but look at this," he says, pointing to Pin Mill Brow, a green space which is located directly in front of his property.

However, Francis feels the streets around Aden Close are 'neglected'. "All the money is going there," he adds, gesturing towards Ancoats and the city centre.

This feeling of being 'forgotten' has made some apathetic. Last year, fewer than one in four people in the city who were registered to vote actually did.

The lowest turnout in Greater Manchester last May was in Fallowfield where just 15.22 pc of the electorate cast their ballot. Some students living in the transient suburb have said they don't see the point in voting in local elections.

But blaming low turnout on students alone does not paint the full picture. In the Ancoats and Beswick ward last year, turnout was only 24.08 pc.

George Hutton, who also lives in Aden Close, stopped voting two years ago. The 89-year-old has lost faith in politicians and objects to new voter ID rules.

For the first time, voters will need to present photo