More Congestion Charge doubt as Roger Jones loses his seat

Roger Jones, chairman of GMPTA, has lost his seat in a voter backlash against his plans for a Manchester congestion charge.  The count for his Irlam ward in Salford saw Jones come third with the Conservatives second and the Community Action Party winning.  The CAP made a point of letting Irlam voters know that it was an opportunity for them to show their displeasure at the idea of a Congestion Charge, and that's exactly what they did.

So what now?  Well, GMPTA will be looking for a new chairman and with one of its biggest champions out of local politics, the idea of a Manchester congestion charge is more uncertain than it was before.  Although a majority within the Association of Greater Manchester Councils still back the plans, they must surely be thinking more seriously about public reactions after last night's result.

The next major milestone in the congestion charge plans comes in a couple of weeks when the result of Greater Manchester's TIF bid is expected.  This will determine whether the government will be awarding a combination of a grant and a loan to the city region to pay for huge improvements to public transport and the introduction of the charge.

As for Roger?  Well, as he says in the Channel M report below, he'll be jobhunting for the first time since he left school.  He'll be alright though.  Seeing as he was named one of the most powerful people in Britain's transport industry just a few months ago, he'll no doubt get a high paid consultancy post somewhere.