Stockport Council leader Mark Roberts has defended his record amid accusations from Labour MP Navendu Mishra that he has been 'petty' and 'personal'. The row centres on whether different areas of the borough receive adequate funding.
Parliamentary debate highlights neglect claims
During a July 1 debate in Parliament, Mr Mishra criticised the Liberal Democrat-run council for allegedly neglecting Reddish, the area he represents. He cited 'ageing infrastructure, a lack of high-quality public facilities and the lack of investment', specifically highlighting Reddish library. Mr Mishra stated: 'The leadership at Stockport council should stop looking for someone else to blame and explain to the good people of Reddish why their neighbourhood has been left behind.'
Mr Mishra acknowledged that both Labour and Conservative governments had underfunded the borough, but argued the council was making political choices to overlook Reddish.
Council hits back
Council leaders called the allegations 'irresponsible and completely untrue'. Liberal Democrat Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart noted that the council spends £3 out of every £4 on social care, leaving 'far too limited' options for other investments. Council leader Mark Roberts accused Mr Mishra of wasting an opportunity to 'score political points' and claimed Labour had been 'letting Reddish down for a generation'. He added: 'I'd encourage the MP to work constructively with the council for the benefit of his residents to make the most of the time he has left in post to ensure the best service can be provided within the limited funding envelope his government gives the council to work with.'
MP refuses to apologise
Mr Mishra responded: 'I do not wish to get into petty personal comments. The residents in Reddish consistently tell me that they feel overlooked in terms of investment. I will not apologise for raising these issues in the House of Commons. I would welcome hearing from the leadership at Stockport Council what investment is forthcoming for Reddish.'
Labour group leader Coun Rachel Wise defended Mr Mishra, saying: 'It is completely legitimate to ask the government for more money, and Nav was clear in the debate that governments of both colours have not funded Stockport properly.' She accused Coun Roberts of 'personal attacks' and 'finger-pointing' while the borough faces 'widening inequality' driven by council policy. Coun Wise said: 'Until [the administration] engages in a meaningful dialogue about how it spends the money it has, and how it identifies and prioritises the areas that need attention most, the inequality gap in Stockport will not close any time soon. Reddish deserves better than a council leader who treats legitimate questions as an insult.'
Roberts defends council's record
In response, Coun Roberts said: 'Labour are at risk of believing the spin in their own leaflets. They wilfully ignore the political choices that their government have made that mean Stockport will need to find savings of tens of millions of pounds over the next three years. They cannot criticise Conservative funding cuts and then pivot to blaming councils when their Labour government fails to fund us properly too. The vast majority of our spending is used to protect the most vulnerable residents in Stockport and addressing inequalities across the whole of the borough, that is something we are proud of.'
