Former Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, who now leads the opposition on Manchester Council, said: “Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester Council, described Christmas as ‘peak begging season’, the council claimed soup kitchens organised by communities and outreach teams are a ‘bad idea’ whilst fining and trying to sue the homeless, spending £10,000 on one-way tickets to get rid of rough sleepers, refusing to build affordable and social housing and claiming the only way to tackle ‘offenders’ is to fine them”.
Premier contacted the Labour council in Manchester about these claims, who responded by saying: “There is absolutely no proposal to prohibit rough sleeping, or indeed begging, and it is wholly misleading to suggest there is.
“Our absolute priority remains to support anyone who is in need and connect them with the services which can help them move forwards in their lives, while making clear that certain very specific behaviours will not be accepted.
“What is proposed is to address aggressive begging and certain anti-social behaviours associated with a small minority of people which have a direct detrimental [affect] on the quality of life of people living in the city centre, for example, obstructing the entrances or stairways of their homes or carelessly discarding used needles and syringes.”
The main criticism made by the Lib Dems regards the Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which prohibit specific behaviours in…
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