Labour's New Underground Car Park for Councillors Ditched Following Public Ridicule

3.03.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jul 2008

Following Public Ridicule, Manchester's Labour Hypocrites Drop Their Plans for an Underground Car Park for Councillors

Manchester Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Simon Ashley has welcomed yet another Manchester Labour U-turn, this time to scrap their plans for a new free underground Councillors' car park. Following public ridicule, Manchester's out-of-touch Labour hypocrites have dropped their proposal.

Just a fortnight ago Labour's Finance Councillor Bernard Priest argued that a new free City Centre Councillors' Car Park under the Peace Garden in St Peter's Square was "good for democracy." Now Labour are frantically back-pedalling following widespread bad publicity.

Labour's secret plans for a free underground car park for Councillors were leaked at the same time as a public consultation on proposals for a congestion charge in Manchester.

The latest Council U-turn comes a month after Labour claimed the UEFA cup final chaos as "a great success" and weeks after Council Leader Richard Leese adopted the Manchester Lib Dem policy for a referendum on plans for a Congestion Charge.

Cllr Ashley said:

"This is the second time in a month that Labour have adopted a Lib Dem policy and I welcome their U-turn. However, this action has been forced on Labour by public opinion. Cllr Priest's claim that Labour didn't bow to public pressure is about as believable as Gordon Brown saying he didn't look at the polls last year before deciding not to have a general election."

Cllr Ashley added:

"Labour have been shown to be tired and out of touch locally. The people of Manchester deserve better than this shower who just lurch from one crisis to another."

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