Stockport Liberal Democrats

Following the election of Councillor Mark Hunter as Leader of Stockport Council last week, the Liberal Democrats have formed their first Cabinet for six years.

Alongside Cllr Hunter, who will focus on strategic partnerships, including at the City Region level, and the council’s policy, performance, communications and consultation, seven colleagues join his Cabinet.

Cllr Wendy Meikle, a councillor for 18 years, a Cabinet Member in the previous Liberal Democrat administration and Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Families for the past six years, is Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families.

Cllr Malcolm Allan, a councillor for six years, a maths graduate with over 25 years’ experience as a director in large manufacturing companies, including responsibility for HR and sustainability, is Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.

Cllr Mark Roberts, a passionate driver for change, pushed for action on Climate Change and the Environment as part of our Shadow Cabinet whilst serving as Chair of Scrutiny Coordination and Chair of Communities and Housing Scrutiny Committee, is Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, a portfolio reintroduced from the last Liberal Democrat administration.

Cllr Grace Baynham, our new Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services, is a member of a number of arts and heritage organisations, has served on a number of committees since becoming a councillor three years ago, and has many years’ experience working in the NHS.

Cllr Colin MacAlister, a past Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Stockport with over 34 years’ experience as a Councillor, becomes Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, a role he has shadowed for the past four years.

Cllr Helen Foster-Grime, now in her ninth year as a councillor including experience as a Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet member, has over 20 years’ experience leading organisations, playing an active role in community and volunteer groups and is the new Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing.

Last but by no means least, Cllr Keith Holloway has been a councillor for over ten years, a former Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Member and Health Scrutiny Chair following many years working in the NHS, becomes Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care.

Speaking after confirming his appointments, Cllr Mark Hunter, the new Leader of Stockport Council, said: “It is an honour to be elected to lead Stockport Council once again and to form the first Liberal Democrat administration in six years, a real fresh start. I am delighted to be working alongside such a talented Cabinet with wide ranging skills and experience.

“We have hit the ground running with a review already launched into the removal of library services from our Carnegie-endowment Central Library, and work has started on understanding the financial position we have inherited from the previous administration. We are ambitious for Stockport and we want to ensure we deliver for our residents and businesses, in close cooperation with all partners.”

Following the meeting of Stockport Council yesterday evening, a new Liberal Democrat administration is to lead the borough and Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the Town Hall, becomes Leader of the Council. Cllr Wendy Meikle is to be Deputy Leader.

The 28-member Liberal Democrat group were again the largest party after the recent local elections, securing two gains from the Conservatives. Labour made no progress, ending the evening on 25 seats and the Conservatives were reduced to just 5 seats – the lowest number for over 20 years.

The Independent Ratepayers were unchanged on 3 with the Greens on 2, following a gain from Labour.

Speaking after the vote, Cllr Hunter said “I am humbled by the opportunity to lead the Council; it is an honour and a privilege. I will be unstinting in my efforts to take this authority forward by reaching out to all groups on the Council and working together. The people of Stockport would expect no less.

“In this unprecedented financial climate, with a deepening cost of living crisis, it has never been more important to make sure every penny of Council spending counts. We need to do more to help hard-pressed local residents and I have already made clear to senior officers our ambition to target a Council tax freeze next year.

“Other priorities include protecting the green belt from developers. Yes to the right homes in the right places and no to ever more development on valuable green space.

“We also need to see more urgent action on the climate emergency, reviewing the current – unworkable – Clean Air Zone proposals and ensuring any new plans are fair for residents and businesses across Stockport.

“We will also press for improvements to local health services, campaign for a new hospital and demand urgent action on ambulance waiting times.

“Already, our new administration has launched an urgent review of Labour’s decision to close the Grade II listed Central Library on the A6.

“There is much to do and we are keen to get on with the job. Our mission is simply to make Stockport an even better place to live and work – we are ready, willing and able to rise to that challenge.”

Congratulations and Well Done! That’s the message to Stockport County and their supporters for a triumphant return to the English Football League from Stockport Council’s Liberal Democrat Group. The Hatters confirmed their promotion, as champions, following a 2-0 victory against FC Halifax Town on Sunday afternoon.

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Lib Dems at the Town Hall, said: “We are delighted for Dave Challinor and the boys. They have stormed the National League this season to finish as champions, fully deserving their success after several difficult seasons. Well done to everyone at the Club for helping to put Stockport back on the map. On behalf of all my colleagues, I congratulate County on their achievement and wish them every success for the future”.

Liberal Democrats are celebrating success in Stockport after victory at the local elections. After all the votes had been counted, the Lib Dems emerged with 28 council seats, Labour 25, Conservatives 5, Independent Ratepayers 3 and Greens 2. The council therefore remains under no overall control with no single party able to form a majority administration.

Whilst there was no change to the number of Labour councillors – one gain and one loss – the Lib Dems made two gains from the Conservatives by capturing both Bramhall North and Bramhall South & Woodford as well as holding all the seats they were defending. It was an especially disappointing night for the Tories who now have their smallest group on the council for over 20 years.

The Liberal Democrats won the most votes in both parliamentary seats of Cheadle and Hazel Grove as well as across Stockport borough as a whole, signifying clear support for our approach and policies.

Speaking after the results, Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: “Of course I am pleased that we continue to make progress and delighted to welcome four new faces to our group at the Town Hall. I’m confident that Vince Shaw (Bredbury & Woodley), Ian Hunter (Cheadle & Gatley), Ian Powney (Bramhall South & Woodford) and Frankie Singleton (Bramhall North) will all be first rate councillors for their communities and strengthen our team at the Town Hall.

“Given the results, all parties on the council will have to work more closely together if progress is to be made. Consensus and co-operation should be the way forward wherever possible. We are ambitious for Stockport and believe we can achieve so much more with an open, transparent, and accountable leadership”.

Last Thursday, councillors of all parties voted for the proposal put forward by Cllr Lisa Smart, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson for Hazel Grove Constituency, to reduce dangerous speeding across Stockport borough by calling on the Greater Manchester Safer Roads Partnership to review their outdated criteria for speed cameras and to offer Stockport as a trial location for a new approach.

Speaking after the meeting, Lisa said: “Under current guidance, there have to be at least 3 deaths or serious injuries on a stretch of road before a fixed camera is considered. Councillors agreed that this isn’t good enough and the Council will now work with local councillors in each area to understand where speeding hotspots are so they can apply for a Community Concern location listing for a camera where possible.

“The Council vote follows on from the agreement I got from the Deputy Chief Constable at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s ‘Police Accountability Meeting’ recently that action IS needed on speed camera criteria as part of efforts to tackle speeding as a whole.

“Following my asking for a review of the current criteria, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Deputy Mayor for Policing has agreed that a ‘danger reduction approach focusing on prevention’ should be looked at and the Department for Transport is being ‘frustratingly slow’ to review the guidelines.

“With the Lib Dem team here, I will keep fighting as hard as I can to save lives on our roads.”

Following the recent announcement that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have abandoned the ‘PoliceWorks’ part of their failed iOps computer system, Stockport Liberal Democrats have called on Andy Burnham to commission and publish a full report into the true cost and impact of this long drawn out experience.

Cllr Tom Morrison, Lib Dem representative on the GM Police, Fire and Crime Panel, said: “We knew for several years that the new computer system was failing. At last the new Chief Constable has done what should have happened under his predecessor and abandoned this mission-critical system that was not fit for purpose. As well as wasting around £70m of public money, Greater Manchester has had several years where residents have been unable to rely on their local police to correctly record and investigate crime, leading to a hidden explosion of criminality.

“I am calling on Andy Burnham and Bev Hughes, as the politicians responsible to our residents for holding the police to account, to commission and publish a report into the true cost and impact of this sorry episode. How much has actually been spent in buying and trying to make this system work? How much has been recovered from the supplier? How much is the replacement system costing? And what has been the additional cost of crime and the personal impact on residents in Stockport and elsewhere across Greater Manchester because our police force was unable to operate effectively during this time?”

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Lib Dems at Stockport Town Hall, added: “This has been a complete waste of public money on Andy Burnham’s watch. He says it was procured before he became mayor but, by his own account, he failed to ensure the former Chief Constable and his team were effective in its implementation. The problems with iOps were being reported in our local press, and being vehemently denied by the former Chief Constable, almost from day one back in 2019.

“This is an utter shambles and our residents deserve to know exactly what this has cost both in terms of public money and in terms of unreported and additional crimes committed across the region.”