Calls for London-style assembly which would hold Greater Manchester Mayor to account denied

Trafford council’s controlling Labour group has been accused of wanting key decisions to be made ‘in the dark’ after voting down a motion calling for a London-style assembly for Greater Manchester.

The motion, put forward by newly-elected Green councillor Owain Sutton, was supported by Lib Dems and Conservatives but defeated by the majority of Labour members.

It comes in the wake of a new devolution deal which will hand over more powers to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

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The deal agreed in March gives Mr Burnham more control over technical education, housing standards and local trains.

Greater Manchester will also get a single funding settlement which will give the mayor more of a say over how money is spent rather than having to bid for separate pots of cash for specific projects.

In return, Mr Burnham and the 10 council leaders will be subject to scrutiny by MPs as well as local councillors.

But at a Trafford council meeting, Coun Sutton said: “This is about fairness to Greater Manchester and its people. No democracy is perfect and it should be reviewed and revised periodically to ensure it remains the best fit for its ever-evolving purpose.”

He said it was time to move away from ‘opacity’ [lack of transparency] of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to a system ‘where all voters’ voices are represented fairly.

His Green colleague Coun Hannah Spencer seconded the motion, saying: “If something’s good enough for London, why are we denied it? We’re almost the same size in population as Wales.

“Why did we fight to have an elected mayor if we are denied