LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley last night called on the Government to re-examine funding Merseytram in the light of Greater Manchester’s rejection of congestion charging.

The results of a referendum on congestion charging for Manchester were announced yesterday. More than 1m people took part, with 79% against and 21% in favour.

If the result had gone in favour of the scheme, the people of Greater Manchester had been promised around £3bn of investment in public transport.

Last night, it was not clear what will now happen to the £1.5bn that the Department for Transport (DfT) would have put in through the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF).

The prospect of congestion charging in any provincial UK city now seems less likely. In Liverpool, transport leaders have dismissed a need for it as the city has the capacity for 1m people and is currently only populated by around 500,000.

Last night, Cllr Bradley said: “The Liberal Democrats in Liverpool have been against a congestion charge in Liverpool, as we don't see the big stick as a way of resolving transport issues.