Sir Richard Leese has been accused of playing a ‘political game’ by allegedly delaying the announcement of Manchester City Council’s £11million windfall to boost moral after announcing cuts.
In a Twitter Q&A session yesterday afternoon, the Manchester City Council (MCC) leader came under fire for ‘worrying the community’ unnecessarily to win political points ahead of the election.
After announcing £59million of council cuts in November, Tory party activists and election candidates suggested the cuts were initially exaggerated to scare people.
Stephen McHugh, 43, deputy chairman of Sale East Conservatives, claims the councillor deliberately delayed the announcement that frontline services could be saved through a £11million windfall from Manchester Airport Group (MAG).
“The issue was commercial knowledge but Sir Richard always plays political game when it means Labour policies may be impacted,” Stephen told MM.
“As with all business, they are aware of accounts prior to Audit.
“Leaving it for so long over Christmas hurt people and their festivities, only to then get a new year present.”
The initial proposals for the cuts warned that school crossings, free swimming and community projects could take a huge hit, but these were softened with news of the windfall in early January.
Sir Richard explained that the council couldn’t publish the draft budget until they received the Government’s draft grant settlement, which only came a ‘couple of days’ before Christmas.
Mr McHugh, Tory candidate for Woodhouse Park, then questioned whether Sir Richard was the chair of Manchester Airport group shareholders committee, which he responded ‘there isn’t one’.
However a MCC webpage still lists Sir Richard under the role.
@SirRichardLeese are you the chair of manchester airport group shareholders committee. If not who is? #budgetQ&A pic.twitter.com/fEt8CK0ewA
— Stephen Mchugh (@stephenjmchugh) January 28, 2015
Mr McHugh then questioned what date as a ‘none executive director’ of MAG did he become aware of the windfall.
@SirRichardLeese ok then. What date as a none exec director of M.A.G were u aware of large dividend to Mcr #budgetQ&A pic.twitter.com/A7UYX5w8px
— Stephen Mchugh (@stephenjmchugh) January 28, 2015
Stephen Woods, chairman of the Wythenshawe and Sale East Conservative association, also joined in and questioned if he had concealed information about the windfall.
Sir Richard said: “We didn’t. [We] said we would use it to mitigate Tory/Lib Dem cuts the day it was announced.”
Mr McHugh said: “So why did you upset voluntary groups, young and old then wait until after Xmas to say services were safe?”
Earlier this month, Withington Lib Dem MP John Leech claimed that the £11million windfall was all part of the council’s ‘scare tactics’.
Mr Leech said: “There is a pattern of behaviour here. I predicted in November that Labour would exaggerate the cuts to scare people then ‘save frontline services’, just as they have done today.
“They knew they had an airport dividend coming, and have cynically talked about stopping school crossing patrols and free swimming for political effect.”
