North Trafford Local Conservatives and local residents have welcomed the news announced on 1st of November 2024 that the Streford Remembrance Sunday parade will follow its traditional route. Trafford Council had previously announced that the parade would change to a much shorter route to accommodate a Manchester United match at Old Trafford with a 2pm kick-off.
Up until the announcement of the U-turn, Labour councillors in the area had claimed that no decision had been made regarding the parade route despite the council sending out an invitation to previous parade participants on 9th of September 2024. The invitation stated that the route had been changed ‘to a much shorter route to start and end at Stretford Sport Village’. The council also confirmed to North Trafford Local Conservatives on 14th of October 2024 that ‘The parade has been amended for 2024 due to there being a United match on at Old Trafford with KO a 2pm.’
In a Manchester Evening News story on the parade route of 29th of October 2024, the newspaper reported that a spokesperson for Trafford Council said that ‘No final decision has been made yet on the parade route. Discussions are ongoing with the police and local community to ensure the parade can take place safely.’ North Trafford Local Conservatives however were informed by the council on 14th of October 2024 that ‘The change has been signed off internally’ and that ‘We have consulted with internal teams, Highways and our traffic management company.’ That indicates that no external consultation had taken place with the police or the local community, despite the council’s claims.
Commenting on the news, Terry Burke, Community Chair of Stretford War Memorial said:
“I know that many local residents had been in contact with the council asking them to reverse their disrespectful decision regarding the Stretford Remembrance Sunday parade for 2024 and I welcome the news that additional resources are being put in place to accommodate those attending the parade or football match, or both events.”
Commenting, Stretford resident and spokesperson for North Trafford Local Conservatives, Tracey Haworth said:
“While welcoming this U-turn from the Labour-led council following pressure from residents and local Conservatives, the council should never had made the appalling decision in the first place.
“I am also worried that Labour councillors and their keyboard warriors had been claiming that the original decision hadn’t been made on the parade route when the decision had already been conveyed to parade participants in early September. This suggests that local Labour councillors are not aware of, or don’t care about decisions made by officers and other councillors or even worse, they have actively been trying to mislead the public.”
