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18/11/2004

TRANSPORT minister Tony McNulty was left in no doubt of the strength of feeling over moves to stall the Phase Three Metrolink bid when Stockport council leader Mark Hunter joined a top level delegation to London.

Coun Hunter threw down the gauntlet to the embattled Labour minister during a lobby of Parliament by more than 150 trade unionists, business leaders and representatives from the transport authority And of course journalists from the Stockport Express were there too.

Inside a packed lobby chamber at the House of Commons, the Lib Dem group leader accused the junior transport minister of prevarication on a revised financial package for phase-three of Metrolink.

The so-called 'Big Bang' extension would include an additional spur through Stockport. Coun Hunter said afterwards: "If the minister had any doubts about the depth of feeling about Metrolink, they would have been well and truly dispelled by this visit.

"I hope the views expressed by our delegation reflected the sense of outrage and betrayal felt by local people against the government's decision.

"When I asked the minister when we could expect an outcome from the current review into the costs of the scheme, he was unable to give me an answer. Nevertheless, I hope I succeeded in instilling a sense of urgency into the government's deliberations."

Mr Hunter's interjection during the question-and-answer session with Mr McNulty clearly angered the transport minister.

Mr McNulty said: "These are hugely complicated negotiations. Now we need to move forward and seek a solution."

Stockport MP Andrew Stunell told the lobbyists: "We are strongly in favour of phase-three getting the go-ahead. I hope very much this lobby will be a step towards doing that."

Cheadle MP Patsy Calton, a fervent supporter of the campaign, said: "We are not going to take this lying down."

Published 17 November 2004