METROLINK MOTION SIDETRACKED - LEECH

5.48.14am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Mar 2005

At a meeting of the Council on Wednesday 2nd March, Manchester Liberal Democrats tabled a notice of motion on Metrolink, aimed at continuing to put pressure on the Government to provide extra funding for Metrolink.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Leech, the Deputy Leader and seconded by Cllr

David Sandiford, a member of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority. The motion sought to reaffirm the Council's commitment to Metrolink, rule out the possibility of funding Metrolink through congestion charging and urging the Labour Government to commit the necessary funds before the General Election. Labour refused to support the motion, complaining that this broke the consensus, and it was defeated.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader John Leech said, "We were disappointed that Labour chose to reject our notice of motion on Metrolink.

Unfortunately Cllr Leese's idea of an all-party consensus is that everybody has to do exactly what he says and that only Labour can criticise the Labour Government's failure to fund Metrolink Phase 3. It is only right that we should challenge the Labour Government to put its money where its mouth is, before the General election. Tony Blair has confirmed his support for the principle of the Metrolink extensions, but principles don't build the extensions."

Cllr Leech and Cllr Sandiford reaffirmed the Liberal Democrat support to the work of the GMPTA and highlighted concerns being raised by the PTA over further delays. Cllr Leech said, "In their submission to the Transport Committee on the future of Light Rail, GMPTA have highlighted the possible dangers of delaying decision-making over funding - higher costs. Surely at a time when all the political parties are making spending commitments before the Election, this is the right time for the Government to confirm the necessary extra funding."