Last week, Councillor Tim Pickstone met with Greater Manchester’s ‘Metro Mayor’ Andy Burnham. Two of Greater Manchester’s Lib Dem Group Leaders (Bury and Stockport) met with the Mayor as part of a six-monthly series of meetings between Lib Dem councillors across Greater Manchester.

Obviously at this first meeting we were unable to raise everything we wanted to raise, but focussed on four issues:

Greater Manchester Strategic Framework
I asked how realistic the Mayor’s aim of ‘less green belt land to be built on’ was going to be – a hugely important issue for people in many parts of Greater Manchester. The Mayor was clear that the position was ‘less’ green belt, not ‘no’ green belt, but that there would still be difficult choices and decisions that had to be made. I also asked about his previous support for increased housing in some of our town centres, particularly smaller town centres, and he said that he was keen to do this as part of a bigger plan to bring ‘life’ back into town centres where these are struggling.

Metrolink and Transport
We asked about Metrolink, and noted the current capacity issues especially on the Bury line. I raised with the Mayor the issue of early morning and late night travel – particularly an issue for people who have jobs that start very early, or finish very late (often some of the less well paid positions) and whether we could look at extending the operating hours of Metrolink or of bus routes. (Metrolink already operates in the night on the airport line.)

Andy Burnham said that there were opportunities with the potential for bus re-regulation to achieve an improved bus network for the county and that there was potential for growth, particularly given that bus usage has fallen by nearly a third in ten years.

Crime – 101 Number Delays
We asked about the significant delays that had been experienced by many people who ring the non-emergency policy number 101. Information secured through Freedom of Information requests had shown that almost a quarter of calls are ‘given up’, with average waits at the time of asking over 12 minutes. It was confirmed that action was being taken to address this.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority
With the new Mayor a lot of new systems are being put in place, with new arrangements for ‘scrutiny’ the Mayor and other bodies being set up at a Greater Manchester level. We called on the Mayor to have transparent process on how representatives of different political parties were included in this process. We also said we were keen as Liberal Democrats to play our full role in the Combined Authority where we can, for example if all-party representation to Government was needed.

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Responding to Theresa May’s conference speech last week, Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable commented:

“This was the speech of a brave Prime Minister struggling on, while her disloyal Cabinet colleagues openly plot against her.

“Rows over Brexit have left Theresa May only able to tinker around the edges of the great challenges the country faces, from the housing crisis to the future of the NHS.

“The conference season has shown both the Conservatives and Labour are bitterly divided, with the more moderate factions overwhelmed by their ideological extremes.

“Only the Liberal Democrats are united, offering a practical programme for government that will tackle social inequality while remaining economically literate.”

Responding to the news Conservative backbenchers have called for a pause to the rollout of Universal Credit, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesman Stephen Lloyd MP said:

“There is a mounting sense that the government could be defeated if it does not immediately pause the roll-out of Universal Credit.

“The roll-out has been an utter failure so far, with many claimants waiting over two months for their first payment and some relying on loans to survive. Rent arrears among universal credit claimants are also through the roof.

“If the Conservatives are serious about helping ordinary people get ahead in life, they must immediately pause the roll-out of Universal Credit until these issues are resolved. Reversing the huge cuts to UC in this Autumn’s budget would be a good start.

“Universal credit was supported by the Liberal Democrats in coalition because it promised to make work pay.

“Sadly, under this Tory Government it has been cut to shreds, leaving families worse off and with weaker incentives to find work.”

Bury Council has pledged to support the Royal British Legion ‘Count Them In’ campaign to include ex-military personal questions in the 2021 census, thanks to a move by Liberal Democrat councillors.

Bury’s Liberal Democrat Council Group brought a motion to Bury’s Full Council to highlight the issue, which went on the receive support from both other parties and is now the Council’s policy.

Prestwich Lib Dem Councillor Steve Write, whose younger brother served as a Navy diver for over 25 years, said:

“After the 2011 census we knew more about the star wars Jedi population of the UK than about those who have served in our Armed Forces.

“Despite an estimated 1 in 10 of the UK population being members of the Armed Forces community, there’s very limited information about where they are or what their needs might be.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to change this. By adding new questions to the 2021 census we can improve our understanding of this unique community and ensure that politicians, charities and service providers fully meet the needs of our serving personnel, veterans and their families.”

He want on to say:

“We all know the vital contribution members of our armed services make to our country, including risking their own lives to make sure that this country is safe, and that we live in a world which is safe. For this borough, with its special links to the Lancashire and Royal Fusiliers, this is a particularly important issue.

The Lib Dem proposal was supported by all other parties. Bury is now the 120th local council in Britain to back the Royal British Legion’s campaign.

Liberal Democrat Councillors Mary D’ALbert, Steve Wright and Tim Pickstone.

More information from the Royal British Legion.

Read the highlights from Vince Cable’s speech to the Resolution Foundation on inequality, delivered on the 6th September 2017.

Vince Cable will today make a major speech warning of the dangers of inequality arguing that if the problems we face today are not addressed then our country risks tearing itself apart.

Speaking to the Resolution Foundation he will warn that “growing inequality is linked to poor economic performance, greater economic instability, more social tension, insecurity and unhappiness.” He will also argue that generational inequality is increasingly proving as much of a challenge as class-based inequality. He will warn that “a serious review is needed of the set of taxes which are there to mitigate the sharp, jarring difference brought about by asset inflation and unearned income. We must tax wealth effectively.”

He will say:

On the new, unequal Britain:

“In modern Britain, there is something stirring around the idea of inequality: something new and worrying. This impression is based on the observation that inequalities of income, wealth and opportunity, between classes, regions and generations, are worsening, and that Britain is becoming a more unequal society compared to its neighbours and its past.

“Sometimes an event crystallises this feeling. The Grenfell Tower disaster wasn’t just a horrific accident with severe loss of life, but illustrated in a graphic way how the less well-off are not listened to by those with authority.”

On what inequality means personally:

“What motivates me personally and politically is the way this new Britain contrasts with the more egalitarian society I grew up in. In 20 years, my parents progressed from being factory workers in a house with an outside loo, to being part of the professional class and living in a detached house. Though they both left school at 15, they were able to see me grow up to attend an ‘elite’ university.

“My sense today however is that big differences in living standards and opportunities have since opened up. Social mobility is not what is was.”

On the collapse of social mobility:

“My parents’ experience of economic and social mobility would be very difficult to achieve today. The housing market no longer acts as an escalator when growing numbers cannot get on it, and there is a strong correlation between educational attainment and the educational attainment of the next generation.”

On the importance of inequality of wealth, not just income:

“Perhaps most significantly, wealth inequality is greater than for incomes and is growing, a trend apparent in almost all western economies. In the absence of compensating wealth taxation, high earners can turn their income into assets, and the value of assets can be compounded through investment. This is then passed on as inheritance, entrenching inequality across time between generations and classes.”

On why inequality is harmful:

“Too much inequality is bad for all of us. Put simply, growing inequality is linked to poor economic performance, greater instability, more social tension, insecurity and unhappiness. There should be a broad basis of support for measures which are seen to reduce inequality and contribute to a reduction in economic and social ills.”

Why higher income taxes on the rich aren’t the answer:

“Progressive income tax is often seen as the most politically appealing route to greater equality. The Left – as Labour’s manifesto demonstrated – remains very attracted to high marginal tax rates on the rich.

“Yet history shows that high marginal tax rates are counterproductive, and lead to rapidly diminishing returns. There is greater merit in trying to eliminate the large opportunities which exist for legal tax avoidance and arbitrage, and encouraging greater public disclosure of tax returns.”

On wealth taxation as the solution:

“If Britain is to become a more equal society, a serious review is needed of the set of taxes which are there to mitigate the sharp, jarring difference brought about by asset inflation and unearned income. We must tax wealth effectively.

“A first step would be to reform council tax – which is somewhat regressive and based on outdated property values – by creating more bands and making the bands proportional to the value of a property. Low bands would pay less, high bands more.

“This would need to be combined with effective taxation of inherited wealth. Inheritance is a major factor perpetuating inequality and inhibiting social mobility. That is why genuine meritocrats – like Bill Gates – argue for aggressive taxation of inheritance. Yet policy in the UK has moved in the opposite direction.”

Liberal Democrats leading the fight for greater equality:

“My party and I want to lead on the issue of reducing inequality. Our 2017 manifesto was judged the most redistributive of all by the IFS. There is a concrete Coalition legacy of measures like the Pupil Premium, improving minimum wage enforcement, regulating executive pay, and seeking to lift low earners out of tax. This will be a theme of my leadership.”

You can read Vince’s speech in full here: libdems.org.uk/cable-inequality-full-speech-060915