Battle to run Stockport council heats up as Lib Dem chief declares leadership bid

The battle for Stockport Town Hall has ramped up another notch with Lib Dem chief Mark Hunter confirming he will stand against Labour’s Coun Elise Wilson at a crunch meeting later this week. The Lib Dems, already the largest group on the council, emerged from the local elections with three more councillors than Labour, who have run the town hall since 2016.

Although not enough to give the Lib Dems a majority on the 63-seat council, it increases their number to 28 while Labour remain static on 26. Now Coun Hunter has written to councillors of all parties ‘accepting that mandate’ and declaring his group is ‘ready to step up’ and take on responsibility for the council.

It comes hot on the heels of Coun Wilson’s pitch last week, who argued for ‘continuity and the stable running of Stockport’ in a bid to retain the top job and keep Labour at the helm. But, with the ‘political’ element of the annual council meeting scheduled for Thursday night, Coun Hunter has made his case for the Lib Dems’ taking the reins for the first time since 2016.

READ MORE : Labour bids to run Stockport council for another year - despite having fewer councillors than Lib Dems

In a letter to all members, he writes: “In the May elections, residents across Stockport gave the Liberal Democrats a clear majority of their votes and the largest number of seats. Accepting that mandate, I have shared with other leaders a proposal for working together more closely as five different political groups in a council with no overall majority.

“I believe the current time calls for a leadership that listens, truly puts Stockport first, that offers every group a seat at the table and gives all parties a clear voice in the running of our borough. That is my promise