Author: stockportlibdems

The Liberal Democrats successfully held two council seats in a double by-election victory yesterday, maintaining their advantage as the largest party on Stockport Council. After successful local elections in May and a record-breaking general election, the largest party in Stockport has kept up the momentum with a double success. The two victories are even more significant with the council being a minority led Liberal Democrat administration. 

The wins come as the two previous Councillors, Lisa Smart and Tom Morrison, were elected to parliament as MPs for Hazel Grove and Cheadle in the recent general election. Subsequently, they stepped down from their roles at the Town Hall.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hunter said,

‘I am absolutely delighted to see two brilliant local champions elected today. We knew that our two MPs leaving the council chamber would leave big shoes to fill, but in Huma and Rachel you couldn’t find two people better suited to represent their wards.

The people of Cheadle West & Gatley have put their faith in the Liberal Democrats for over a decade now, and I know Huma will continue our track record of dedication and tireless advocacy for our residents. She’s joining a great team with her new ward colleagues Graham Greenhalgh and Ian hunter. 

The Liberal Democrats now have councillors in every single constituency in the borough, showing our hard work is being supported by people across the whole of Stockport.’

Rachel Bresnahan commanded over 60% of the vote in Bredbury Green and Romiley, finishing nearly 1000 votes ahead of the Conservatives. Meanwhile Huma Kahn has continued the strong Liberal Democrat record in Cheadle West & Gatley, becoming Stockport Councils first Muslim councillor in the process.

Deputy leader of the Council, Mark Roberts said

‘I’m very pleased to welcome Rachel as my new ward colleague too, she has been involved with various projects across the local community including the founding of the Cherry Tree Project in the heart of our ward. We know that Liberal Democrats get elected when they work hard and are embedded in their community, Cllr Bresnahan is the perfect example of this. I look forward to working alongside her and Cllr Angie Clarke for our local residents in Bredbury Green and Romiley.

The Leader of Stockport Council has today invited the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to visit Stepping Hill Hospital after an announcement this week said that the Government were unwilling to fund the long-awaited repairs to the hospital estate. This comes despite a cross-party motion passing in the Stockport council chamber calling on the Government to provide urgent funds in order to restore the site.

Stepping Hill hospital still features buildings first built in 1905 and has in recent months had various outpatients and wards evacuated due to safety concerns. NHS Foundation staff are currently operating on a 6-week rota that moves services across different buildings to be able to provide the necessary care required, despite the circumstances.

Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Hunter said

‘We are beyond disappointed at the latest U-turn by the Labour government. Our motion was supported by all parties in the chamber, where many members spoke of the poor state of disrepair the hospital is in. It is quite frankly astonishing that given the circumstances, that this isn’t a priority for the Government. I’m sure Stockport Labour are just as angry as we are at the complete disregard that is being given by the Government.’ 

The Liberal Democrat motion was passed with an amendment from Stockport Labour that acknowledged the Health Secretary’s previous commitment to provide the money needed, but urged him to prioritise Stepping Hill, given the extent of the repairs needed.

Cllr Hunter added

Our two Liberal Democrat MPs, Lisa Smart and Tom Morrison, have been tirelessly working on this in Parliament to try and achieve a resolution. After the latest setback, they, like us, show no sign of giving up.

In July, Wes Streeting said Stepping Hill will get the funding it needs and that he was determined to fix the NHS. It’s sad to see he is now using the language of “difficult decisions” to say he doesn’t see it as a priority.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey visited Stepping Hill hospital with Tom, Lisa and I to understand the issues we’re facing, I think it would be helpful for Wes Streeting to follow in his footsteps. Our motion invited the Health Secretary to visit Stepping Hill and see the crumbling buildings for himself. I’d like to reiterate this invitation now- come and visit the hospital and see for yourself the conditions our residents have to tolerate.

Ian Powney, the councillor who first won the Bramhall South and Woodford seat from the Conservatives has stepped down as a Councillor on health grounds. A by-election will be held to replace him in late October/early November.

Cllr Powney won an historic election in the ward in 2022, beating the Conservatives who had held the seat for over 14 years. The first Lib Dem to represent the ward, Ian went on to champion road safety issues and protection of the area’s green belt.

Ian said: “I have immensely enjoyed my time serving the communities of Bramhall and Woodford over the last two years. Working alongside residents and my fellow councillors has been a true honour. While I am saddened to be stepping down, it is the best decision for my health. I want to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Bramhall & Woodford for electing me, and for all their support over the last two years.”

Lib Dem Group Leader, Cllr Mark Hunter, said: “We will sorely miss Ian’s presence on the Council, he has been an astute and diligent councillor, who has excelled as a local champion for Bramhall & Woodford. His work on the Audit Committee has proved invaluable, particularly under the difficult financial constraints the Conservative government have left us in.”

Tom Morrison, MP for Cheadle, said: “I want to thank Ian for the years of hard work he has put in. It is his tireless work that made the ward winnable for the Liberal Democrats, and I would like to wish him all the best. Whenever I speak to the residents of his ward, many have a warm word to say about him, and he will no doubt be sorely missed.

“On a personal level, Ian is a true Liberal Democrat legend locally. Without him we would never had the breakthrough locally. I’ll miss working with him.”

Following their elections as MPs for Cheadle & Hazel Grove constituencies respectively, Tom Morrison & Lisa Smart have made the decision to step down as councillors from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council with immediate effect. This will result in by-elections in both Cheadle West & Gatley ward and Bredbury Green & Romiley ward in October.

Tom Morrison, MP for Cheadle, said: “Following my election as MP for Cheadle, I have been hard at work, getting my office set up, hiring my staff, and representing my constituents in Westminster. From fighting cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance to championing the issues that matter to residents, I am working hard to be the best MP that I can be for my constituents.”

“As well as the honour of becoming Cheadle’s MP, this year has brought me other great news; my partner Louise and I are expecting our first baby in the New Year. I feel so lucky that I will be able to raise our family in the wonderful place that is Cheadle.”

“While my passion for public service knows no bounds, unfortunately I cannot say the same about my time. To make sure I am best serving Cheadle as its MP, I have made the decision to step down as local councillor for Cheadle West & Gatley. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the residents for their support over the last six years.”

Lisa Smart, MP for Hazel Grove, said: “It has been an absolute privilege to be a councillor for Bredbury Green and Romiley for over eight years, and I look forward to being able to carry on my work for the people here as their MP.

“I am proud of the work that I have been able to do with my fantastic ward colleagues Mark and Angie, and the campaigns we’ve run with this wonderful community. Our community is at its strongest when it comes together such as when we called for and then secured repairs to the Forum Theatre and I will champion the need for further funding as the MP. I look forward to continuing to work closely with local councillors for the benefit of people here whether it’s protecting our green spaces and rivers, fighting to get our hospital the repairs it needs or to ensure fair funding for our schools.”

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Lib Dems at Stockport Town Hall, added: “Whilst we were all delighted when Tom and Lisa were elected to parliament in July, we knew that this inevitably meant their time as councillors and as members of this Group would be coming to an end. I want to thank them both for the energy and wisdom they have brought to the Group and which I know they will continue to bring as our local MPs. I look forward to rolling up our sleeves for the resultant by-elections and getting two new Liberal Democrats elected as new colleagues.”

Stockport’s Liberal Democrat Group have submitted a motion ahead of the next meeting of the full council on 1st October, calling on government to think again about it’s planned change to eligibility criteria for pensioners to receive Winter Fuel Payments, a move that is going to remove this vital support from over 50,000 pensioners across our borough, almost 90% of those currently eligible.

Speaking after submitting the motion, Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Council and of the Lib Dems at Stockport Town Hall, said: “Removing Winter Fuel Payments from all pensioners who are not in receipt of pension credit will leave many residents currently on the margins of fuel poverty struggling to heat their homes and stay alive this winter.

“We fully understand the mess left to the public finances by the outgoing Tory government which the new Labour government are trying to tackle, we believe the criteria being applied are too narrow and consideration needs to be given to those pensioners who either do not qualify for Pension Credit or have not yet applied. Other criteria have been suggested by various bodies and we call on Labour to do the decent thing and reconsider this, trying to find a way of giving support to those who rely on it at present.

“As a council we have done much over the past two years to encourage the take-up of Pension Credit and to provide warm spaces over winter to help people avoid crippling bills heating their homes. The government need to meet us part way and relax the criteria to protect our vulnerable older residents.”

Following the announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister of a new approach to planning and Local Plan-making, accompanied by the imposition of compulsory, nationally set housebuilding targets, Stockport Council have been forced to pause the consultation on their draft Local Plan which had been scheduled for this September and October.

Cllr Mark Roberts, Cabinet Member with responsibility for delivering the Local Plan, said: “We are of course frustrated that we have had to pause the consultation on our draft Local Plan. We knew that a new Labour government was likely to mean changes to planning and housebuilding would be coming down the track, but we faced a deadline of June 2025 to have submitted a Local Plan for inspection by the Planning Inspectorate and therefore had to press on immediately after the General Election.

“The plan we had ready was a Local Plan for Stockport that would have delivered the right homes in the right places and the right planning policies to protect our environment and the local character of our borough whilst delivering sustainable growth. It took account of local residents’ concerns about developing on our precious Green Belt, damaging our local environment and the very things that makes Stockport such a lovely place to live. Seven of the nine other authorities in Greater Manchester who continued with the GM Spatial Framework/Places for Everyone face a similar increase in housing targets despite claims made by Labour locally.

“It is now clear that, both locally and nationally, Labour doesn’t care about these concerns or the impact the colossal increase in mandatory housing targets will have.

“Nationally, Labour are saying “we know what’s best for you”, whilst locally they are saying “don’t build in our back yard”, creating nonsensical scare stories about filling the town centre with skyscrapers. It is really disappointing to see their local leadership turning their backs on the collaborative, cross party approach to the much-needed regeneration and investment in our town and district centres and which brought a Mayoral Development Corporation to Stockport.”

Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of the Council and of the Lib Dems at Stockport Town Hall added: “We absolutely accept the urgent need for the right mix of homes, including affordable and social housing, but there is no easy solution to this. Labour seem to be making the same mistake as their Conservative predecessors in giving the power and profits to developers ahead of allowing local people to shape the place we live in. Their plans to ignore residents’ wishes and concrete over the green spaces that they hold dear was not mentioned in any of the leaflets they delivered across the borough in the recent local or national elections.

“We will continue to work towards delivering a Local Plan which protects the character of the borough and which delivers the right homes in the right places, taking a ‘brownfield first’ approach, using previously developed land, but it seems clear the Government will force us to build on the Green Belt to meet their centrally-imposed housing target. I firmly believe that central government targets, however well intended, should never trump local decision making.”