Transport Crucible

A new ‘Stop the Charge’ battalion of cross-party MPs, Councillors and businesses has joined the escalating fight in Manchester over plans to introduce an 80 sq ml Congestion Charge zone which, if it goes ahead, would be the biggest urban Road Pricing scheme in the world. The new coalition was announced today after last-minute changes were made to charging plans in an attempt to diffuse opposition to the proposed new road tolls. The price cap cuts for multiple journeys across the charging cordons in one day coincided with publication of MORI poll data. Results showed that more of the 81,000 respondents in consultations expressed ‘negative’ views than ‘positive’ones. Go here for a Manchester Evening News report on the ensuing ‘row’ over the poll or to David Ottwell’s blog for for comment on significance of results. For FT report on pricing changes go here – and see ‘more…’ below for the coalition news release. Assembly of the coalition also precedes confirmation of the controversial wording on voting slips for an imminent referendum on the TIF bid plans *which objectors nearly scuppered in a “fractious” meeting on Friday* – and as fresh concerns emerge to fuel the looming row over what will count as a the demonstration of public ‘acceptance’ of new road user tolls that is a TIF Bid condition for sanctioning a £2.75bn loans package to improve public transport. See ‘more’ below for news release on latest wording. TC can however also reveal disturbing and ironic twists in this tale. The ‘Big Bang’ Metrolink Tram extension plans at the heart of the ‘new’ TIF bid proposals is not new at all. It was actually a development that central government encouraged until 2005, when the Transport Minister at the time, Alistair Darling, ended talks on funding it. But that move then neatly set the stage for PM Blair to revisit the proposals later that year with “100 per cent support”, and a desire to “sit down with people in Manchester and work out proper plans that give you the three and a half lines you want”. Then, the real issue Blair said was “increasingly going to be less about the money than getting a viable plan”, but he shrewdly avoided using the ‘C’ word. Go here for Manchester Evening News report back then. Now, coalition member and Labour MP Graham Stringer is still opposed to the charging scheme plans despite recent changes and says the proposed Congestion Charge “will simply tax people off the roads without improving public transport in any meaningful way in many, many areas” adding that “the people of Greater Manchester should reject the current Transport Innovation Fund scheme by voting no.” But TC also learns today that the new opposing coalition includes the Conservative Leader of Trafford Council, Susan Williams, and that it was her declaration to stand for election as MP for Bolton West, against former Transport Minister Ruth Kelly, that clinched Kelly’s decision to stand down – not just from her transport job but as a Manchester MP. In confirmation of a previous TC report on this saga, Sean Corker of MAART tells us that in his view: Kelly saw the writing on the wall after the key C-Charge protagonist Roger Jones lost his council seat – but when the Trafford leader and vociferous charging opponent Williams said she would stand against Kelly, “that was the final straw that made the former cabinet member decide to stand down from politics altogether rather than suffer what seemed like an inevitable and an acutely embarrassing defeat, for her and Browns Labour government, and all because of her [Kelly’s] support for congestion charging which most people in Briatin don’t want – including most of of her constituents ” .

Photograph captioned from left to right as follows:

Dave Goddard, Leader of Stockport Council; Mark Hunter, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle; Andrew Stunnell, Liberal Democrat for Hazel Grove; Graham Brady Conservative MP, Graham Stringer Labour MP for Manchester
Blackley; Susan Williams Conservative Leader of Trafford Council; Bob Bibby Conservative Councillor for Bury, Faraz Bhatti Conservative Councillor for Whalley Range

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REL/012/GMMG October 2008

“STOP THE CHARGE” COALITION LAUNCHED

A cross-party group of Greater Manchester MPs, council leaders and 250 businesses is today joining forces to campaign for a No Vote in the December transport referendum.

The Stop the Charge coalition will campaign against the proposed Transport Innovation Fund and congestion charge that could cost their constituents and employees up to £1200 a year.

MPs Graham Stringer, Graham Brady, Andrew Gwynne, Andrew Stunnel, Mark Hunter, Barbara Keeley and Jim Dobbin, together with the leaders of Stockport and Trafford Councils, have joined with business alliance the Greater Manchester Momentum Group* to form the Stop the Charge coalition.

Graham Stringer MP said: “The congestion charge will simply tax people off the roads without improving public transport in any meaningful way in many, many areas. The people of Greater Manchester should reject the current Transport Innovation Fund scheme by voting no.

A coalition spokesman said: “The current TIF scheme is deeply flawed; there are more effective ways of funding transport improvements than through ill-conceived congestion charge proposals with knock on effects for the whole economy. We must explore every alternative before agreeing on a scheme which mortgages the future of Greater Manchester.”

The coalition will now campaign for a NO vote in the run-up to the Greater Manchester-wide postal referendum which closes on the 11th December. Postal ballot papers will be issued at the end of November.

ENDS

For further information:
Rachel Wood/Lisa King/Jessica Boudin
Tel: 0161 214 5252/ Rachel – 07976 206672

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SENT ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF THE RETURNING OFFICER FOR THE GREATER
MANCHESTER TRANSPORT REFERENDUM

NEWS RELEASE

20 October 2008

Proposed referendum question revealed

The proposed preamble and question for the Greater Manchester Transport
Referendum has been published this morning.

It has been drawn up by Sir Neil McIntosh, the independent Returning
Officer for the referendum, with advice from experienced lawyers and guided
by the Electoral Commission’s established guidelines on referenda
questions.

Sir Neil met with a sub group of the AGMA Executive Board earlier this week
to present his proposals and will now submit his recommended question to
the next meeting of the AGMA Executive Board on October 31 where the
leaders of the 10 Greater Manchester Authorities will be asked to approve
it.

Ballot papers will be sent out in late November with a short leaflet
explaining the Transport Innovation Fund Proposals – both the major public
transport improvements and the weekday, peak time only congestion charging
scheme.

The preamble says: “Please read the leaflet enclosed with this ballot paper
which provides details of the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund
proposals. These involve both major investment in public transport
improvements in Greater Manchester and a weekday, peak time only,
congestion charging scheme. Congestion charging would only be introduced
after 80% of the public transport improvements are in place and not before
the summer of 2013.”

The question reads:

Question
Do you agree with the Transport Innovation Fund proposals?
YES, I VOTE FOR THE PROPOSALS
NO, I VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSALS

Sir Neil McIntosh, Returning Officer for the Greater Manchester Transport
Referendum, said: “I believe this is a fair, clear and balanced question.
In drawing it up I had to ensure that it accurately reflected fundamental
aspects of the proposals and did not lead people in one direction or the
other. I concluded that a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question was the
easiest to understand. However, I consider that it is also necessary for
this to be accompanied by accurate neutral information explaining the
proposals.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Roger Williams, Press Officer for the Returning Officer,
Tel: 0161 234 3275, mobile 07855 366502 or via pager 07659 115129

Notes to Editors
SIR NEIL WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW IN ADVANCE OF THE AGMA
EXECUTIVE MEETING ON 31 OCTOBER

Sir Neil McIntosh CBE has been appointed by the Association of Greater
Manchester Authorities (AGMA) as returning officer for the referendum
across Greater Manchester. Sir Neil served as electoral commissioner for
Scotland from 2002 to January this year and played a lead role in
overseeing the 1997 Scottish devolution referendum. He will provide
independent scrutiny and supervision of the Transport Innovation Fund
referendum.