Star date: 7th December 2014

CAMPAIGN BEGINS FOR REFERUNDUM ON GM DEVOLUTION

Greater Manchester People's Meeting
Tuesday 9th December 7pm
Central Methodist Hall, Manchester

A `people's meeting' has been called for Tuesday night to campaign for a referendum around central government's imposition of a Greater Manchester Elected Mayor and the implications of devolution. Including `the wholesale privatisation of council run services across the ten local authority areas of Greater Manchester'.

The devolution deal was signed by Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart, and nine other leaders of Greater Manchester City Councils without any consultation with residents. There is already a petition stating `Ordinary people must surely have the basic democratic right to be consulted...'

Full details here...

On Tuesday night, Manchester People's Assembly is hosting a meeting at Central Methodist Hall, on Oldham Street in Manchester, to launch a campaign for a referendum on devolution to Greater Manchester and the imposition of a Greater Manchester Elected Mayor.

Last month, Salford Mayor Ian Stewart, together with the leaders of the nine other Greater Manchester City Councils, signed an agreement with Tory Chancellor George Osborne, leading the way for devolution of some powers to the region, plus a Greater Manchester Elected Mayor. They did this without any consultation with local people (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

The Green Party was first to call for a referendum on the proposal and now trade unions and campaigning organisations have joined the call. Last week, Greater Manchester TUC passed a motion stating that the devolution agreement "makes perfectly clear that this devolution will be contingent upon the wholesale privatisation of council run services across the ten local authority areas of Greater Manchester".

The motion adds that "the so-called 'devolution' agreement is to be imposed on Greater Manchester, without any reference to the views of Greater Manchester voters, public debate, scrutiny, or consultation whatsoever. This is especially important as it shows the way in which this agreement has been reached, and is to be implemented, is the very opposite of democratic..."

Tuesday night's meeting is backed by Greater Manchester Association of Trade Union Councils (GMATUC), Manchester Trades Council, the Green Party and others.

"The demand at this stage is a simple one" says Alex Davidson, Secretary of Manchester Trades Union Council "The people of Greater Manchester must be given a democratic choice over whether they accept this plan or not..."

Greater Manchester People's Meeting
Tuesday 9th December 7pm
Central Methodist Hall
Oldham Street
Manchester M1

See Facebook event site for more details - click here

There's also an online petition...

"We call for the `Greater Manchester Agreement: devolution to the GMCA and Transition to a directly elected Mayor' and any other such future plans for 'devolution' affecting the people of the area, following a sufficient period of public debate, and scrutiny of the Agreement, to be put to a Greater Manchester wide REFERENDUM, BEFORE it, or any other future devolution proposal, is implemented."

To read the full petition and sign it – click here