Local Labour MP says NO to referendum on Devo Manc - Local Labour MP says YES to referendum on Devo Manc

The local Labour party is in disarray over ‘Devo Manc’ the proposal to have an elected Mayor for Greater Manchester. In effect making Wigan, Makerfield & Leigh suburbs of Greater Manchester, stripping Wigan council’s powers to that of a Parish Council.

Makerfield Labour MP Yvonne Fovargue has come
out against a referendum on an elected Mayor for Greater Manchester. Perhaps not wishing to upset her husband’s boss on Wigan Council, Lord Smith of Leigh, she is opposed to giving local people a vote on ‘Devo Manc’ That won't go down well with her colleagues in the Labour party or her constituents who are opposed to a 'Lord Mayor of Greater Manchester'


On the other hand Lisa Nandy Labour MP for Wigan

pours scorn on such a view, criticising the government at the time Ms Nandy said: “This Government has shown utter contempt for the people of Greater Manchester by imposing a Mayor without any consultation or public debate. “Ministers talk a good game about devolving power but they don’t trust the people to decide who they want to represent them”. “This Government has shown their double-standards by talking about their commitment to devolution and democracy whilst engaging in the worst kind of backroom politics.”

Whilst ex-Makerfield MP Sir Ian McCartney together with other Labour party members appears not to have a clue what was going on….

“The first most people at the CLP, members and councillors, knew about this was seeing Peter Smith sharing a platform with the Tory Chancellor on the television news that evening as they made the announcement. “there is something distinctly anti-democratic about the way this is being handled that really does ring the alarm bells.” Adding “the Government should do what it had done with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: bring proposals forward before putting them out for a “full, frank and honest consultation”

Of course there's only one reason for Wigan becoming a part of Greater Manchester....

We say NO to making us a suburb of Greater Manchester, NO to a Lord Mayor of Manchester and YES to giving us a say.