Following the announcement by the council that it is withdrawing the proposal to scrap the Stockport Local Assistance Scheme, Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport’s Liberal Democrats, said: “We are sure residents will share our relief that this important safety net has been saved, but they will also share our concern that it is only saved for a year with a ‘thorough review’ of the scheme to be made over the coming year. One would have hoped that such a review would have happened before making a proposal to scrap a scheme which provides vital support to such vulnerable residents.
“Stockport’s Liberal Democrats have opposed this wrong-headed budget proposal since it was announced and we are frankly astounded that it has been handled in such a clumsy way. This was a thoroughly bad and mean-spirited suggestion in the first place and no doubt many members of the public will share our disgust that it should have come from a Labour administration at the Town Hall”.