Author: stockportlibdems

Stockport Liberal Democrats are demanding Stepping Hill hospital scrap proposals to triple the cost of staff parking permits. Under the scheme being considered by the hospital, a full time nurse would see the permit price increase from £300 to almost £900 a year.*

If you support our campaign, please sign our petition.

Staff facing this sort of increase would have the choice of either paying what is effectively a flat rate job tax to prop up the NHS or of parking on local streets, which are already heavily congested with staff and visitor parking. In discussing the issue the Hospital has admitted that they do not have enough parking for patients and staff on the site.

Councillor for Stepping Hill ward, Mark Weldon, who is campaigning on parking issues at the hospital, said “It is completely wrong that dedicated doctors and nurses, many on low salaries, are being asked to prop up hospital finances by paying hundreds of pounds more for parking. The Government should be funding Stepping Hill properly, not expecting medical staff to do it instead.”

Councillor Jon Twigge for neighbouring Hazel Grove ward, which also experiences considerable parking congestion from hospital staff and visitors, said: “We only found out about these proposals when a resident tipped me off. Residents are rightly concerned that this will see local streets swamped with cars, especially as the hospital staff work shifts covering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the time between the new shift arriving and the previous one finishing, double the parking capacity is needed.

“When I have talked to the hospital about parking problems their answer was that their staff will park wherever they want as long as it is legal, and they seem to want to absolve themselves of any responsibility for managing the problem they are causing on residential streets.”

Stockport Liberal Democrats are calling on the management of Stepping Hill Hospital to scrap the proposed increase in staff parking charges and to engage properly with local residents to find a workable solution to this problem.

* The permit figures have been given to us by a member of hospital staff. When we initially approached the hospital they declined to comment. We have since been contacted by the Stepping Hill Press Office who have told us that a typical nurse pays £200 to park now, and under the new proposals the fee would almost double, rather than tripling.

Mark Hunter, the former MP, was selected unanimously as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Cheadle Constituency on Friday. In next door Hazel Grove Constituency there was another unanimous selection – with members picking Bredbury Green & Romiley Councillor Lisa Smart to fight the next election for them.

The Liberal Democrats are now ready to fight a general election, having selected candidates in key seats across the country.

This follows reports that the new Prime Minister might go to the country early, before the economy goes into a possible recession and to take advantage of Labour in-fighting.

Lisa Smart has a strong record of representing local people having protected Tangshutt Fields, got money for a study into the M60 to A6 bypass and been key in the campaign to get specialist status for Stepping Hill Hospital.

“I am really proud to have been selected for this wonderful area that I love, and think both Mark and I have a lot of unfinished business here” said Lisa Smart.

“I am only too well aware that this area has its challenges. As such my three campaign priorities will be getting the Hazel Grove bypass finished to take traffic off our roads, making our schools fit for all children to fulfill their potential, and making sure that the fight for mental health is fully supported.”

“Barely 14 months have passed since the general election and following the EU Referendum the Conservatives have plunged the UK into political and economic chaos” added Mark Hunter.

“With Labour having descended into civil war at the same time, there has never been a better opportunity to make the case for the Liberal Democrats and we are determined to do so by campaigning hard on the issues that matter to local people. I’m honoured to have been selected again to fight Cheadle for the Lib Dems – there are huge challenges ahead and local residents deserve a visible MP who will fight for them and speak up for our area.

“The Liberal Democrats are well placed to fight a general election whenever it is held and I am raring to go. Since the referendum we have signed up 16,000 new members nationally and a large number across Stockport. In May this year the Liberal Democrats made more gains than any other party in the local elections. We have many new committed activists who will be joining us on the doorstep, making the case for strong local campaigners who will fight for Hazel Grove and Cheadle.”

Stockport Liberal Democrats have congratulated Stockport Homes on being named the UK’s Top Landlord in a competition organised by one of the profession’s leading magazines, Housing 24, after winning a public vote following their nomination by a panel of experts from a shortlist of ten similar housing organisations.

Councillor Mark Hunter, Shadow Executive Member for Communities and Housing, said: “It is with considerable pride that we congratulate our partners at Stockport Homes. Being named the country’s Top Landlord is an accolade they richly deserve.

“Over many years of Liberal Democrat council control Stockport Homes were given the autonomy to develop their own approach to service delivery and this award shows the faith we had in them has been recognised by yet another national award. With the development of their new headquarters literally on our doorstep, we look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the years ahead.”

Further details of the award can be found in Stockport Homes’ press release here.

Over 130 residents attended a busy public meeting about the problems caused by Stepping Hill Hospital staff parking on residential roads. The meeting was organised by Lib Dem Councillor Mark Weldon. Mr Russell James, the resilience director at Stepping Hill Hospital, also attended.
Residents, who are affected every day by hospital staff and visitors parking on their roads, gave their views robustly.

“Most people who live near the hospital do not have driveways,” said Cllr Mark Weldon. “Local people, including the elderly and those with mobility problems, often can’t park near their own homes because all the spaces are taken up by hospital parking.”

Mr James conceded that the hospital did inadvertently cause problems but there was little they could do to force either staff or patients to avoid parking in surrounding streets. He then went on to outline the actions the trust were making to encourage staff to avoid parking on residential streets around the hospital.

“Stepping Hill are doing some work to help improve the parking situation,” said Mark, “but since the meeting we’ve heard that the hospital is considering greatly increasing staff parking costs on the site. That’s going to push even more cars onto the roads of long-suffering local people. It’s encouraging that the hospital has now committed to working with the Council on the problem though. Far better use could be made of the Hazel Grove Park & Ride owned by Stagecoach, but we need to do more to discourage local parking too.”

Mr James promised to redouble efforts to work with Stockport Council to try to alleviate the problems and Cllr Weldon gave a commitment to pursue an area residents parking scheme which recognised the needs of all residents and businesses in the area.

Today is a day for reflection, as we consider the consequences of the fateful decision to go to war in Iraq.

Our first thoughts need to be with the families across the world who have grieved loved ones, experienced life-changing injuries, and witnessed destruction and despair often beyond description.

There is no justice that can compensate their loss, and today we have learned from the Chilcot Report what we all knew already in our hearts – it did not have to be this way.

For many members in my local party, the Iraq war was a genuine turning point.

Many others chose to join the Liberal Democrats when they saw Charles Kennedy step up to the challenge, in difficult times, and provide the strong, principled leadership our country so desperately needed.

In 2003, every Liberal Democrat MP voted AGAINST going to war in Iraq.

It was the right thing to do, and that has been proven again today. Sir John Chilcot’’s report has shown that this was a war of choice, that options for a peaceful resolution still existed, and that our Prime Minister wilfully mislead parliament and the British people to march us into a war he had already decided to launch.

We were proud to see our leader Charles Kennedy refuse to compromise, despite enormous pressure and abuse pouring in from all sides, on the Liberal Democrats’ commitment to internationalism and respect for international law.

You can see Charles’’ speeches below, he was a real example of principled leadership in a time of crisis. It is not just Liberal Democrats who are missing Charles today. Our whole country is all the poorer without him.

Finally, while Chilcot gives us the chance to reflect on past mistakes, we still have a duty to oppose the mistakes that our leaders are making today!

Right now, Britain risks cutting herself off from our most valuable allies and trading partners, putting millions of jobs at risk and doing massive harm to our economy. We are proud of Tim Farron for showing equal determination and leadership to fight Brexit and put Britain back where we belong, at the heart of an open, tolerant, free, and prosperous Europe.

If you agreed with us in 2003, if you agree with us now in 2016 – it is time to join the party that is proudly and passionately fighting for the better future we all believe in.

P.S. You can see some great videos of Charles Kennedy’’s speeches on Iraq in Parliament and at the anti-way rally in Hyde Park here (via Lib Dem Voice)

Richard Britton, who stood as Conservative candidate in Offerton, Stockport in the May 2016 local elections, has resigned from the Conservative Party and joined the Liberal Democrats.

“I am now convinced that the Liberal Democrats offer the most constructive and positive platform to argue for progressive liberalism,” Richard said. “A much less progressive and more right-wing element has come to dominate the Conservative Party.”

Dr Richard Britton is a writer and academic, having gained his PhD in religions and theology from the University of Manchester in 2014.

Leader of Stockport Council Liberal Democrats, Cllr Iain Roberts, welcomed Richard into the party. “As the Conservative party moves to the right, and Labour remains trapped in internal warfare, we are seeing more and more people come to the Liberal Democrats.”

“Under Tim Farron’s leadership, the Liberal Democrats are the only party standing up for a liberal, outward-looking Britain,” Iain added. “Richard is one of more than 12,000 new members who have joined the party since the EU Referendum and I look forward to working with him.”

Stockport Liberal Democrats won more seats than any other party in the May local election and campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU.

 

Statement from Richard Britton

I never thought I would be writing this. After much careful thought, and for a variety of reasons, I have left the Conservative Party and joined the Liberal Democrats.

I realise some in my former party may feel deeply betrayed by this, but I am following my heart and trying to remain true to myself and my principles, and be honest with everyone. Unfortunately some feel I should have put the Conservative Party before my beliefs and what I think is best for the local area and the country. This assumption is a huge error of judgement by these people.

One reason for my defection is that in the lead up to the referendum and afterwards, a much less progressive and more right-wing element has come to dominate the Conservative Party. The Conservative contribution to the Leave campaign was also, in my opinion, second only to UKIP’s in terms of its inaccuracy and misleading nature. It now seems plain that this right-wing faction will either provide the new leader of the party, or indeed exert huge influence on whoever else does. In addition to this, I am dismayed at how some of the Leave misinformation has been propagated at a local level within the Conservative Party.

My main reason, however, is that I am now convinced that the Liberal Democrats offer the most constructive and positive platform to argue for progressive liberalism. As my old friends would no doubt testify, I was more conservative in my youth, but as I have grown older my views have become more diverse and mixed. I now realise that the Liberal Democrats best embody my values and principles, which are essentially liberal and social democratic.

I am incredibly excited for the future, and I really look forward to working with the Hazel Grove and Stockport Liberal Democrat team to help shape a more inclusive and progressive future for Stockport and for the country as a whole.