Reform UK’s candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, Sian Astley, has launched her manifesto with a promise to spread “wealth, investment and growth to the outer boroughs and towns” of the city region.
Astley, who leads the Reform UK group on Manchester City Council, said communities outside Central Manchester had been left behind.
“Labour keeps telling us how incredible Manchester is, full of shiny new skyscrapers, but people in places like Bolton and Wigan see their tired high streets, their roads scattered with potholes and out-of-control antisocial behaviour”, she said.
“Since our devolution settlement in 2017”, when powers and funding were transferred from Westminster to the city region, “Central Manchester has grown at triple the rate of the rest of Greater Manchester. That just isn’t right.”
The manifesto pledges to reverse the increase in the Mayor’s council-tax precept, review spending on the abandoned Clean Air Zone and stop Greater Manchester from becoming a “dumping ground for illegal migrants”. Astley has also promised to create the “toughest police force in Britain”.
Astley said: “I want to see prosperity in every postcode, and investment in town centres and high streets across our city region. With me, residents will get a Mayor for all of Greater Manchester. Not just for Central Manchester.”
Reform UK’s manifesto for Manchester pledges to:
Astley, who leads the Reform UK group on Manchester City Council, said communities outside Central Manchester had been left behind.
“Labour keeps telling us how incredible Manchester is, full of shiny new skyscrapers, but people in places like Bolton and Wigan see their tired high streets, their roads scattered with potholes and out-of-control antisocial behaviour”, she said.
“Since our devolution settlement in 2017”, when powers and funding were transferred from Westminster to the city region, “Central Manchester has grown at triple the rate of the rest of Greater Manchester. That just isn’t right.”
The manifesto pledges to reverse the increase in the Mayor’s council-tax precept, review spending on the abandoned Clean Air Zone and stop Greater Manchester from becoming a “dumping ground for illegal migrants”. Astley has also promised to create the “toughest police force in Britain”.
Astley said: “I want to see prosperity in every postcode, and investment in town centres and high streets across our city region. With me, residents will get a Mayor for all of Greater Manchester. Not just for Central Manchester.”
Reform UK’s manifesto for Manchester pledges to:
- Reveal how many hotels and Serco-run houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are being used to house immigrants and work with local authorities to stop the Home Office housing asylum seekers in hotels in Greater Manchester.
- Triple the use of police stop-and-search powers to tackle knife crime, increase the police presence in Manchester city centre at night and impose a zero-tolerance approach to drug crimes. Tackle shoplifting and support for small businesses, as well as end “race action plans” in Greater Manchester Police.
- Establish a new police unit to go after every grooming-gang perpetrator and expose the officials who enabled them. Publish all files relating to grooming gangs going back at least 40 years.
- Publish every loan agreement, decision record and contract above £1 million held by Transport for Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, commission an independent audit of the Housing Investment Loan Fund and Renaker loans, and refer evidence of wrongdoing by developers, officials or contractors to relevant authorities.
- Cut waste, slash spending on little-used cycle lanes, reverse the increase in the Mayor's tax and end spending on diversity, equity and inclusion projects.
- Launch a review into the cost of the Clean Air Zone, including ongoing costs of pointless ANPR cameras. Incentivise councils to repair potholes and punish those who fail to act. Stop new taxes or charges on drivers and work with councils to abolish 20mph speed limits, except near schools.
- Split regeneration spending proportionately across Greater Manchester boroughs, use the housing fund to build affordable homes where needed and go to war with vape shops, dodgy barber shops and criminal networks.
- Use the Spatial Development Strategy and planning powers to prioritise building on brownfield sites, commit to an audit of all brownfield sites in Greater Manchester and assess every available site within the first six months of being elected.
- Commit to free travel for 16-to 18-year-olds on the Bee Network, support the extension of the Metrolink to Stockport and push for an underground through-station at Piccadilly.
