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Alistair Darling has promised tougher action on bank lending to business and even promised a new watchdog, a "credit adjudicator", which he announced in the budget to give small businesses a right of appeal against their bank. But how are small businesses faring with the banks in the meantime?

Today we begin a series of reports we're calling the Campaigners' Campaign where we're taking a look at specific issues causing controversy locally and examining how much - or little - they influence national politics. We begin in the North West with one place that has been hitting the headlines over the past week, Rochdale, where locals are campaigning for urgent investment in the town centre. The candidates for Rochdale are Simon Danczuk (Labour), Mudasir Dean (Conservative), Colin Denby (UK Independence Party), Chris Jackson (National Front), Paul Rowen (Liberal Democrats and current MP), Mohammed Salim (Islam Zinda Baad) and John Whitehead (Independent).