At budget Council, Stockport Lib Dems said they wanted to eventually scrap the Mayoral Precept and put forward and amendment to pay for this through Council savings.

In January, John Leech (Liberal Democrat Councillor in Manchester) demanded an increase to the Mayoral precept. What is their policy? We are honestly confused – wade through it with us, below.

 

Claim: Liberal Democrats want to ‘scrap’ the ‘Burnham Tax’.

 

Reality: Lib Dems in Stockport want the Mayoral General Precept (‘Burnham Tax’) paid with Savings in Stockport yet advocate charging More in Manchester

 

• Under the Amendment to the 2018/19 budget the Stockport Lib Dems put forward, the Mayoral General Precept would have still have appeared on Council Tax bills for 2018/19 and the Mayor would have received these funds from Stockport.
• Instead, the Lib Dem plan was to reduce the Adult Social Care precept by the same amount as the Mayoral precept (0.53% or £750,000), and have Council to fund the difference through its own reserve money. Lib Dem Councillors claimed they would lobby to scrap the Mayoral money altogether the year after but provided no detail of how.  They would therefore be attempting to scrap devolution arrangements they signed up to when in charge of Stockport Council.
• Meanwhile at January’s Full Council in Manchester, Liberal Democrat John Leech has argued that if the Council is unable to lobby government for more money, Andy Burnham should be pushed to increase Mayoral Precept charges to address urgent pressures.

 

Not only are Stockport Liberal Democrats putting forward highly irresponsible plans on the budget in Stockport – but their counterparts in Manchester have the opposite policy. Either they disagree – or they don’t talk to one another.  We can’t work it out.

 

Could it be because they want to appeal to Conservative voters with leaflets here, and Labour voters in Manchester?

 

You may say that, but we couldn’t possibly comment…..

 

Either way it is clear the Lib Dems are not Serious about Stockport.