At the moment, just two Liberal Democrat Councillors provide the only opposition to Labour’s 94 in Manchester City Council. Just three years ago, they had no opposition at all.
In that sort of environment you have to be a bit scrappy and hungry to get noticed.
Manchester Lib Dems’ manifesto for the forthcoming local elections is not taking any prisoners.
John Leech, former Lib Dem MP for Withington, who does his best to provide punchy opposition to Labour, had this to say:
I hate to say it, but there will never be a time when there are no problems in Manchester.
But the most important thing is to wake up every morning and decide what you’re going to do about today’s problems. And then tomorrow’s.
I am so sick and tired of working in a town hall that implements the most right-wing agenda in the country, so we’ve laid out exactly the kind of city we will build from Day One; a tolerant, compassionate and transparent city that works for everyone.
It is a vision created by people who woke up one day and thought, ‘You know what? I’m not putting up with this anymore.’
And if you too get to the end of our manifesto – or perhaps earlier – and also think ‘Yep, you know what? I’m not putting up with this anymore either,’ then it’s time to join us and fight for our city.
On the first day of a Lib Dem administration, they would:
-
Scrap the Homeless Tax and repeal any law currently criminalising homeless people.
-
Reverse Labour’s 22% Council Tax increase for the least well off in Manchester.
-
Fix our broken roads and begin building a transport network system that works for the UK’s greatest city.
-
Officially back a People’s Vote giving you the final say on Brexit with an option to Remain.
-
Invest in those who protect us by breathing new life into our NHS, fire and police services.
The manifesto talks about improving openness and transparency in the Council, improving morale amongst Council staff, tackling the gender pay gap, tackling air pollution, increasing SEN provision, restoring the mental health services closed by Labour, housing every single rough sleeper in Manchester, getting rid of Labour’s cruel and bizarre homelessness tax which could see rough sleepers having £1000 fines levied on them.
You can read the whole thing here.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Brechtian television: Leo McKern in Galileo (1964)
Good news on political donations?
Conference booked
Are Labour going to cross another red line?
Tristan Ward
Joey Vimsante
Nick Baird
Tara Foster
Sarah
4 Comments
There was a time when I first joined the Liberal Party back in 1961 that I believed that it and its successor party had standards of decency and some ability.
That time seems to have gone, if it ever existed. Frankly the title of this Manchester document plumbs new depths of awfulness and juvenile immaturity. One look at the front cover will be enough to consign it straight into the bin in most intelligent Manchester households. The coy headline on LDV to this piece is, I’m afraid, weak and inadequate.
I reflect that if ever there was a time when this country needed grown up responsible politics it is now. Yet, we get offered this kind of stuff. We should demand better.
David this is unfortunately in this era what some feel is best, to get noticed.
You would be able to admit or say with honesty, that the Young Liberals were criticised, rightly or otherwise, in your youth, of some shoddy gimmickry or outlandishness.
You were a responsible portfolio leader in councils. Those were presumably councils with a degree of equal representation. Manchester has a monopoly one party rule, no pr, as usual, electoral system appalling. The tactic is to get coverage. I like it less than you, as I am more in the centre and it jars with that consensual approach. I dislike even the language , pink tax, now homeless tax!! The fact is though, even the policies are too one sided, homeless people are no more or less likely to cause trouble, therefore should face the same if aggressive or dangerous, not a fine, as the council is suggesting, but the force of the law , otherwise there is no security on our streets. We used to have police who understood that, but who can say, now. Same on refugees, the condemning of the council is too much, it was a national decision too, the refugees were not mainly children, but young men, nothing against them or allowing more here, but these things require a measured approach.
The party is in need of something, those such as me , get not very far, calling out about. Conscience and Common sense.
Classic John. This is good. Gotta be seen to be heard.
Lots of good stuff within the manifesto, but the title and the excessive number of words will put most people off reading any of it. Short bullet points with a few words of explanation would have been much better. I hope they will be far better on their leaflets.
I would have put jobs, the economy and transport up top together with the bad way Labour has been running the council.
Nevertheless I wish them well