Stockport Labour group leader to step down
The leader of Stockport Labour group is stepping down after two years in the role.
Cllr David Meller has led the council's biggest opposition group since 2023, steering the local party through last May's council elections and the general election in 2024.
Labour is the biggest opposition group in Stockport with 21 councillors, behind the Lib Dems who lead the town hall as a minority administration with 30 council seats.
But this year Cllr Meller has decided not to stand for re-election as Labour's group leader, opening the door for a change of the guard in May.
Cllr Meller plans to continue his role as a ward councillor, he said, where he represents Cheadle East and Cheadle Hulme North.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I am proud of what we've achieved as a group over the past two years.
"My decision to step aside from leadership is entirely personal, with a lot going on at the moment.
"Recently, at the age of 39, I was diagnosed with autism. This diagnosis has brought considerable relief and clarity, answering many questions I have grappled with throughout my life.
"While my autism has provided me with intense focus, determination and an ability to rapidly process and retain information, it has also presented challenges: burnout, difficulties in certain social contexts and, at times, feelings of being overwhelmed by all my commitments."
First elected as a councillor in 2018, he said he will use his seven years of experience at the town hall to support the next Labour group leader.
During his time as Stockport Labour leader, Cllr Meller made housing a major focus of the the group's work, which included leading calls for a review of the borough's approach to managing social housing.
He has also supported Stockport's regeneration, and previously held the role of cabinet member for economy and regeneration when the council was led by Labour.
But the pressure of leading the Labour group, juggled with being a ward councillor and managing his life away from the town hall, ultimately led to the decision to step down.
He said: "Balancing all these roles alongside full-time employment and parenthood has been demanding, my recent diagnosis adds another layer of complexity.
"It's now time for me to recalibrate and prioritise my family and career more while representing Cheadle, Cheadle Heath and Cheadle Hulme and being the best representative I can be.
"Stepping back from the group leadership will also allow me greater freedom to advocate passionately on key issues close to my heart: delivering the homes Stockport desperately needs, tackling economic deprivation in our borough, supporting neurodiverse people across Stockport, and shaping a borough that future generations, including my son, can thrive in.
"We will see what the future holds going forward. I rule nothing in or out."
The change in leadership at Stockport Labour group comes after Mark Hunter announced in March his decision to step down as the Lib Dem leader of Stockport council, bringing a change in leadership at the two biggest groups in the town hall.
~
Free from clickbait, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.
To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.
Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter
Share:
