Richard’s transport job hopes derailed

Richard Knowles

Oldham’s growing influence on Greater Manchester’s public transport has been dealt a blow after former council leader Richard Knowles was denied the job he has coveted for years.

The Saddleworth South councillor, professor of transport geography at Salford University, has been toppled as the leader of the Lib-Dems on Greater Manchester integrated transport authority only a week before his party is due to take the chairmanship.

He was beaten to the job by Manchester veteran Lib-Dems councillor Keith Whitmore by six votes to three at a meeting of the party’s group of ITA councillors.

A week earlier, they had tied with four votes each.

The Lib-Dems formed an alliance with Conservatives to oust Labour after last year’s local elections. Labour remained the biggest party but the two smaller parties struck a power sharing deal which saw the Tories take the chairmanship last year with the Lib-Dems due to take over this year.

Councillor Whitmore, who has served the last 12 months as vice chairman of the authority and chairman of its policy committee, will now be proposed and almost certainly elected chairman at the ITA’s annual meeting on Friday.

The disappointment for Councillor Knowles follows success by council leader Howard Sykes in persuading fellow council leaders on the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities to rescue the Metrolink line through the town centre after the Government withdrew the offer of grants following the resounding referendum vote against congestion charging last December.

Councillor Knowles told the Chronicle: “I am disappointed but I am a democrat and if you lose the vote, you accept it.

“Keith has been vice chairman of the authority for the last year, so obviously he was the front runner.

“I felt I could do the job and almost got it last year when I was leader of the group but was kept out of it by the Tories when one abstained and one voted against me.

But this year I have been beaten to the leadership of the group and I fully accept that.”

Councillor Whitmore said: “I have been elected group leader but I don’t really want to talk about internal business.

“I have worked with Richard for many years and will continue to work with him as deputy leader.

“Leading the transport authority is an ambition I have always held and we have a very good team.”