20th January 2026
Concerns are growing among local residents over whether two senior Liberal Democrat executive councillors at Stockport Council should continue to hold office following their association with a deeply controversial case involving multiple arrests of a local resident.
Shan Alexander and Wendy Meikle, both members of the council’s executive, are now facing renewed public scrutiny — particularly in the case of Councillor Meikle, who currently serves as the council’s lead for Children’s Services.
The case centres on Mr Parnell, whose supporters describe him as a vulnerable individual who was repeatedly arrested despite later claims that no wrongdoing had occurred. Campaigners argue that the handling of the situation represents a serious failure of safeguarding, proportionality, and oversight by the authorities involved.
While responsibility for arrests ultimately lies with the police, critics argue that the involvement of council services — especially where children’s services and safeguarding processes intersect — raises legitimate questions about governance, accountability, and leadership.
Councillor Wendy Meikle’s role has drawn particular concern given her portfolio responsibility for Children’s Services. Campaigners say it is difficult to reconcile that position with what they describe as a pattern of actions that resulted in distress and harm to a vulnerable adult. They argue that even the perception of such failures undermines public confidence in the council’s ability to protect those at risk.
Similarly, questions have been raised about Councillor Shan Alexander’s continued position within the executive, with residents asking whether sufficient oversight and challenge took place at senior levels of the council during the events in question.
To date, there has been no clear public explanation addressing what role, if any, council leadership played, what lessons have been learned, or whether any internal reviews have taken place. For many residents, silence has only deepened mistrust.
This is not a call for trial by media, nor an assertion of personal wrongdoing. Rather, it is a call for transparency. When serious concerns are raised about the treatment of a vulnerable person, and when senior office holders are linked — directly or indirectly — to systems that may have failed, the public deserves answers.
Local government relies on trust. That trust is maintained not by circling wagons, but by openness, accountability, and a willingness to step aside where confidence has been compromised.
The Stockport community now waits to hear whether Councillors Alexander and Meikle will address these concerns directly, and whether Stockport Council will commit to a full and independent explanation of what went wrong — and how similar cases will be prevented in the future.
Both councillors have been invited to respond.
