Calls for council leader to resign
There were calls for the resignation of Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith after Wigan overwhelmingly rejected the Greater Manchester congestion charge.
There was a resounding three quarters majority against the plan.
Voters turned out in their thousands to have their say on what had become a prickly issue across the county, with 45.3% of Wigan borough's 235,043 electorate using their vote.
Lord Peter Smith, who is also leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Councils was a strong supporter of the proposed congestion charge.
Lord Smith was accused of arrogance by opposition councillors after what they considered was an attempt to force the proposals through without due consideration for popular opinion in Wigan.
Independent councillor Jim Ellis said: "This is an example of Peter Smith trying to bulldoze this through.
"He had taken up an arrogant stance about the charge in an effort to push it through. I would call for Peter Smith's resignation following this defeat – it is a major blow."
A bitterly disappointed Lord Smith said: "While we will of course respect the outcome of the vote, I am personally saddened for all those who deserve the best quality public transport, lower bus fares and a safer and cleaner environment to travel across Greater Manchester which would have been delivered by the unprecedented level of investment."
Across the borough almost 80,000 people voted against the proposals that would have seen road pricing zones placed around central Manchester, with just 27,810 saying yes to the proposed charge.
More than a million people turned out across Greater Manchester, with 80% voting No.
Click next page for more ...The huge majority was reinforced as the regions'10 boroughs voted unanimously against the plans.
At least seven of the 10 authorities had needed to vote yes for the charge to be implemented.
Ecstatic No campaigners hailed the result as a great victory, one which demonstrated the overwhelming public feeling that the congestion charge had been forced upon them.
Mike Winstanley, leader of Wigan Conservatives, said: "I think it just shows what people thought about the proposals which have been forced upon them by the Government."
Voter turnout in Wigan was the lowest of all the 10 authorities, with Manchester and Bolton both registering turnout of the less than half the electorate.
But, 78,565 of those who voted in Wigan rejected the congestion charge.
The turnout, 45.3%, was significantly higher than the turnout of around 30% for this year's local election.
Across Greater Manchester the turnout of 53.2% was marginally lower than the 54.4% who voted in the last General Election.
Tameside and Trafford, whose voters were thought to be the most vehemently against the charge, registered the highest turnouts with 60.7% and 63.7% of their electorates voting respectively.
Anti-congestion charge campaigner Dave Culshaw, from Hindley, said: "The Tif has well and truly been biffed."
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Weather for Wigan
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South east
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