At last night’s Budget Council Meeting at Stockport Town Hall, Conservative and Labour councillors voted together again to increase the council tax and block Liberal Democrat proposals to put more spending decisions in the hands of local residents and to make more money available to tackle the climate emergency declared by the council nearly two years ago.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: “We wanted to make more money available for each community to be able to tackle the climate emergency locally, and put more power in the hands of local residents through their area committees on things like local regeneration schemes and improvements to parks and open spaces.
“Several opposition members commented on these being good ideas, but it was not enough to make them vote for our amendment. The Labour administration remains propped up by a rump of Tory councillors and anything the Lib Dems suggest is simply voted down by this unholy alliance.”
Cllr Lisa Smart, Deputy Leader and lead on budget matters, added: “We were disappointed, but not at all surprised, that Tory and Labour councillors worked together to block this well thought out proposal. The next time any of them complain about flooding in their ward, a lack of influence over decisions being taken at the Town Hall, or a lack of money to support a local project, local residents should feel free to remind them that we tried to put the money and power in their hands and they threw the opportunity away.”
