Former Deputy Leader of Stockport Labour, Cllr Joe Barratt, has today joined the Liberal Democrat group on Stockport Council.

Cllr Barratt left the Labour party last September, when he criticised Keir Starmer for “sleepwalking into a Reform government” and has now joined the Lib Dem team running Stockport Council.

In the latest elections, Cllr Barratt campaigned for the Liberal Democrat Candidate, Cllr Niki Meerman in his ward in the local election, which saw the Labour party crash to just 5% of the vote down from 47% in 2024.

He has formally joined the Liberal Democrats as the best antidote to “divisive and simplistic politics”, whilst also criticising the failure of the Labour party and the Conservative governments to protect residents from rising costs. The two parties received around just 10% of the vote in Stockport, and won 2 and 0 seats respectively in May. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats stormed to taking over all control of the council, making history as the first group to do that in 15 years.

Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Roberts, said

“Joe is a fantastic community politician, I’ve worked with him closely as a fellow Werneth councillor for some time and he sees the Lib Dems as the best antidote to the political extremes that are taking over so much of our culture.”

“There are stark challenges that residents and the council alike feel. There is a political landscape where people are bombarded with false narratives and simplistic solutions to complicated problems, with a polarised politics of protest and populism the easy option that many choose to peddle. With Labour and the Conservatives languishing at 10% of the vote in Stockport, it’s clear that the old 2 party system is being rejected by the voters and the Lib Dems are the solution to the problem that the people across Stockport back.”

“We’re incredibly proud of the progress Stockport has made so far, and it’s a testament to the work we’re doing of shunning populist politics and taking difficult decisions that are for the best for Stockport.”

Cllr Joe Barratt said

“I have increasingly come to feel that my values and beliefs are better reflected in the Liberal Democrats than anywhere else, and that the most effective way to serve the people of Bredbury and Woodley is as part of a team that shares them.”

“I personally champion the core values of fairness, equality and opportunity that define the party. What has struck me most, is the way that Liberal Democrats have consistently delivered for residents locally in Stockport. They have been protecting important frontline services in the face of an incredibly challenging local government funding landscape and ensuring that the council continues to be a beacon of inclusion, tolerance and respect for all.”

“It was clear on the doorsteps in the last election that people are tired of the Labour & Conservative parties taking them for granted, having failed to protect people from rising costs and failing public services. It’s the Liberal Democrats’ that provide the alternative to divisive politics that only make the problems worse.”

Cllrs Mark Roberts, Niki Meerman and Joe Barratt

Victory for Bramall Hall as Lib Dem Council Secures £1 Million Grant

Stockport Council has secured £1 million from the Museums Estate and Development Fund (MEND) to carry out works to Bramall Hall. The scheduled work includes electrical and fire safety measures, which will protect the future of the Grade 1 listed building which has national architectural significance.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, Cllr Dan Oliver, said

“We are delighted Lib Dem run Stockport council has secured this specific grant funding for Bramall Hall.”
“Bramall Hall is a historical asset admired by people across the North West and this £1 million will help to protect the future of such a significant historical landmark. I am so proud that we are lucky enough to be the custodians of this brilliant site. Work will start soon, led by our excellent estates team.”

“Whilst the bid was successful and the government have pledged to provide £1 million to the project, there are still concerns that the funding is not enough to compensate for a decade of deliberate underfunding from consecutive Conservative governments.”

“Whilst it is fantastic to get this funding to allow some of the preservation work to be done, we are continuing to push for a further £1.5 million needed to safeguard its future. It is disappointing that, despite the hard work of local Lib Dem councillors and council staff, the Labour government have short changed the area yet again after years of cuts under the Conservatives and refused to fully fund the work needed to protect this national treasure properly.”
“In the meantime, we will continue to lobby the Labour government to give Stockport it’s fair share of funding, something that all our residents deserve right across the borough.”

Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle, Tom Morrison, and Bramhall North Councillor, Cllr Mark Jones joined Cllr Oliver in welcoming the news.


Tom Morrison MP:
“Bramall Hall is a treasure for Bramhall and for the whole of the North West, and I am delighted that Lib Dem-run Stockport Council has secured this £1 million to protect it. But this should not be a partial victory. The Labour government has once again short changed Stockport, refusing to fully fund the £2.5 million needed to safeguard this nationally significant site. I will continue to push ministers to give Stockport its fair share, and to finish the job properly.”

Cllr Mark Jones:
“This is brilliant news for Bramhall. Bramall Hall sits at the heart of our community and it is fantastic to see £1 million secured to protect its future. I am proud of what our Lib Dem council has achieved here, and I look forward to seeing the works begin. We will keep making the case for the remaining £1.5 million needed to give this historic building the security it deserves.”

“We need support, not spin” Stockport Council misses out on library upgrade funding

Stockport Council has been unsuccessful in its application to the Library Improvement Fund, missing out on a share of the £6.3 million pot designated to support the upgrade of facilities and technology in local libraries.

Stockport asked for £493k to transform the children’s offer at four libraries: Reddish, Bredbury, Cheadle Hulme and Great Moor. This would also have helped make more minor improvements at our other library sites.

Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Roberts, said

“We are disappointed to learn Stockport has been rejected again by this Labour Government for vital funding. In this case it would transform the children’s offer in 4 of our local libraries, something we Lib Dems feel is truly deserving of investment. This is made worse by them shutting out Stockport from the £600 million recovery grant support for deprived areas, leaving out the borough with the most deprived area in the whole of Greater Manchester. It’s difficult to think anything other than we’ve been unfairly treated yet again. We have bold ambitions for our local area and Labour nationally have shown again that they just don’t seem to care.”

“It is particularly difficult to swallow desperate election promises by Labour candidates when their government denies the funding we need for our libraries. We keep seeing Labour taking our community for granted, promising a lot but failing to invest. This funding could have made a huge difference to families in Cheadle Hulme, Bredbury, Great Moor and Offerton in particular and, yet again, the Labour Government have failed to back investment in Reddish. We need action, not words, we need consistent funding, not handouts and we need support, not spin.”

“We know how successful Stockport can be when given the funding we deserve. In its first few months of opening, Stockroom staff needed to order even more books for children and young people because of the high demand for its services. The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the Labour government to give Stockport its fair share of funds after years of Conservative chaos, rather than them just throwing money at the places where they desperately think it might rescue them in the local elections.”

The full list of successful bids are here- https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-open-funds/libraries-improvement-fund-lif-round-4

Stockport stands up to Starmer

Stockport Council is set to challenge the Planning Inspectorate, who have approved a 540 home, 84-acre expansion of Woodford Garden Village, by developer Harrow Estates. The initial bid was submitted in December 2024 and had failed to receive approval from the Council. The Labour government’s Planning Inspectorate waved through the plan last month, with SMBC receiving legal advice in the meantime to explore its options.

The Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment, Cllr Jake Austin, has now approved the council contacting the Labour Government, in a formal bid to get the decision reversed. He cited numerous issues with the developer’s plan, including lack of open-space provisions, infrastructure, and other amenities.

Cllr Austin said

“After working closely through the detail with our planning team, it’s right the council has moved ahead with this challenge. Our green belt is precious, and it should not be subject to the whims of developers.

If the Labour government is going to force its developers charter across our green belt, it is imperative that we are able to get the right infrastructure in place – including the educational and open-space provisions.

I am grateful to Councillors Dallas Jones, Jeremy Meal and Cheadle MP, Tom Morrison, who have worked with us continually to ensure residents voices are heard, pushing the council to protect our green spaces and fight against unfair developments across Bramhall and Woodford.

Leaving this decision unchallenged would’ve had a devastating impact on the precedent of future developments across Stockport. This decision is about more than just one development, it is about fighting back against this Government and delivering the infrastructure we need across all of the borough where they are forcing development to happen.”

Stockport Council best in the North West for recycling rate

New Government data released today shows that Liberal Democrat-led councils are the best in the country for recycling, with Stockport Council achieving a 59.5% recycling rate, the highest in the north west of England.

The annual figures for 2024-25 published this week by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), reveal that councils run by the Liberal Democrats are amongst the 14 of the top 20 councils. 

The Lib Dem-led Stockport Council has been ranked 9th in councils in England, and 1st in the North West, with the national average being 43%.

Commenting on the figures, Cllr Jake Austin, Cabinet Member for Housing & Environment said:

“These figures prove what we have known for a long time: when Liberal Democrats run your local services, we deliver a cleaner and greener environment.

“Lib Dem councils are paving the way by making it easier for residents to recycle and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. 

“Even with the national challenges of the last year, we have maintained a recycling rate of 59.5% and committed to a more sustainable future. We aren’t stopping here; we will continue to innovate to ensure Stockport stays at the forefront of recycling in the UK. 

The official Government statistics on recycling rates in England can be found here.