The Leader's blog

Democracy must prevail in these challenging times

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who took part in the recent local elections whether you were a voter, candidate, agent, or one of the hundreds of council staff who helped ensure everything went smoothly.

Given what is happening in Ukraine it is more important than ever that people are able to exercise their democratic rights in a safe environment and without fear.

From a personal point of view I am obviously delighted with the results as we were given a mandate by you, our residents to continue our work and to deliver on our corporate priorities. However we are not complacent and we will continue to run the council and its services on behalf of everyone, no matter what your political persuasion is.

The challenges we face haven’t gone away as the demands for our services continue to increase while we need to make more savings. I also know the cost of living crisis is putting serious pressure on people across the borough and we will continue to do what we can to help those in need.

One of our corporate priorities is supporting people out of poverty and we have launched an innovative project to tackle the issue in Trafford.

A special team of Community Commissioners - Trafford residents who are living in poverty - shared their inspirational stories of survival at the launch of the Trafford Poverty Truth Commission (PTC).

The aim of the PTC is to bring the groups together to bring about the change that will impact positively on the lives of those living in poverty in the borough and we will be keeping everyone updated on its progress.

I mentioned Ukraine earlier and the first people who have been forced to flee the war have arrived in Trafford. We have all been horrified by the images we have seen with millions of people having their lives shattered. I know so many of you have offered to help and I would like to thank you for your support.

From a council point of view we will be doing all we can to support those Ukrainians who have moved to our borough to make sure their transition to life in a new country is as smooth as possible. We all hope peace will soon return to the war torn country.

Finally, we are fortunate that Trafford is home to internationally renowned sporting venues and plays host to some of the world’s best events. This summer will be no different as the Women’s Euros starts in the borough in July.

Manchester United's Old Trafford ground is hosting the opening ceremony on 6 July, followed by England against Austria in the 73,200-capacity stadium. There are also matches going on elsewhere in Greater Manchester so make sure you get a ticket and watch what promises to be some superb sporting action.

Best wishes Andrew