'People desperately want something different, they just need someone to get behind'

A new player is shaking things up in Stockport as the Stockport Community Group (SCG), led by councillor Matt Wynne, plans to expand its influence. Targeting council seats in central Stockport, they’re eyeing areas like Davenport and Reddish for the May 2026 local elections. The SCG formed after Wynne’s fallout with Labour in 2022 and has already made headway by winning all three Edgeley seats in 2023. Now a team of five, including two ex-Labour councillors, they’ve called for candidates and volunteers to support a community-focused model. The SCG argues that local voices need more representation and criticises both Labour and the Lib Dems for their perceived failures. In response, both parties have pushed back, with Labour claiming Stockport doesn’t need another party and the Lib Dems branding the SCG as “Labour lite.” The upcoming local elections are set to be interesting, with the SCG aiming to challenge the current political landscape.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News