Southport MP told "put country before party" as #StopTheCoup protest pulls political rivals together.

Candidates for three of Southport's main political parties have written an open letter to the area's Conservative MP demanding that he oppose Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament.


It follows a rally outside Southport Town Hall at the weekend which saw demonstrators from across the political divide gather in the rain and join forces to protest the proroguing process, which they say is being abused by the government.


Local parliamentary candidates from the Greens, Labour and Lib Dems joined around 80 protestors at the #StopTheCoup demo which was hastily arranged the night before, following urgent discussions between the three parties in the town after the decision by the Conservative Prime Minister.


Labour's Liz Savage addressed the crowd first telling them that the issue was bigger even than Brexit itself:


"Make no mistake, this week has seen the greatest challenge to our parliamentary democracy during my lifetime. When Boris Johnson asked the Queen to prorogue parliament like this, he tore up the usual rules and conventions and instead is trying to trample through our hard fought for rights and traditions."


"Parliament is this country’s sovereign decision-making body, not this extremist Tory government. It’s imperative that we do not allow this to happen."


"This threat comes from a hardline Tory cabinet that is hell-bent on forcing through a disastrous No Deal Brexit at any cost... but, whether you voted for Leave or Remain, it doesn’t matter. "


"Some might have thought there wasn't a bigger issue facing us than Brexit, well, it looks like we found it. This crosses party lines, which is why so many of us here now are from different shades of the political spectrum."


The Liberal Democrat's John Wright followed next, warning them:


"Let’s be clear what this is. This is a coup, a power-grab by the Executive over the Legislature in order to force its will on the British people. This is an unelected Prime Minister of a minority government, with no mandate to do what he is doing. It is a constitutional and political outrage."


"The very soul of our democracy lies in Parliament’s ability to hold the government to account, and Johnson is wilfully and knowingly removing this fundamental tenet of our democracy."

His pretence - and we know it is a pretence, because we heard it yesterday from the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace - that this is necessary in order to bring in a new Queen’s Speech is yet another lie from a man who has made a career out of lying."



"He knows that his plans to force through a No Deal Brexit do not have the support of Parliament, do not have have the support of the majority of the British people. So his response is to silence those voices."


From the rain-soaked steps of the town hall, Laurence Rankin of the Greens told those assembled:



"This is a straightforward issue for all the parties represented here to agree. It is a direct attack on democracy, and the basic human right to political representation."



"Whatever our political views, or indeed even our views on the EU, we can all agree that Parliament must be allowed to express the views of the people—however much any particular Prime Minister might dislike it."


"The same people who promised us an “easy deal” now want to throw all their promises away and step off the cliff to crash out. They have no mandate to do it."
"Our democracy is not perfect, nor is our Parliament. I can understand the frustration felt by many. But we have some very nasty historical precedents for when a supposedly strong man presents easy solutions to the frustrations of democracy."


Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson also addressed the crowd making clear that there would be widespread opposition in the House of Commons to the Prime Minister's attempts to subvert parliamentary process in this manner. Further protests are also expected to follow.


Now the constituency's parliamentary candidates have also issued the open letter calling on the Southport MP, who is an ardent backer of Boris Johnson, to "put his country before his party" and oppose his government's plans.


The full text of the letter reads as follows:


Open letter and joint statement from Southport's Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates:



Today, parties across the political spectrum came together in Southport to share a platform and speak out against Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament.


We are deeply concerned that his actions undermine some of the central tenets of British democracy. Elected representatives of the people must be heard, not silenced. Parliament is the sovereign body and must be allowed to hold our government to account.


This is not about whether you voted Leave or Remain. It is about protecting the hard-won freedoms on which our democracy is based.


Boris Johnson has shown himself to have little regard for parliamentary sovereignty - something claimed to be of paramount importance to the Leave campaign in the referendum of 2016.



In proroguing parliament in such a cavalier way, we believe Boris Johnson’s intention is to silence opposition to his plan to force through an extremist No Deal Brexit by any means whatsoever.


It sets an extremely worrying precedent; the issue today is his No Deal Brexit but what next? What is the next issue on which our Prime Minister will seek to shut down opposition voices? And what of future prime ministers?


We are united in expressing our deep concern that a No Deal Brexit, which Boris Johnson and ardent supporters like Southport's Conservative MP are intent on, will be catastrophic for local constituents and the people of Britain as a whole.


We wholeheartedly condemn the support given by Southport’s MP for this government's actions and for the No Deal Brexit they are so recklessly pursuing.


It threatens jobs and livelihoods; higher prices in the shops; lower standards in food production; shortages in a number of key sectors; a weakening of Britain’s security; loss of environmental protections, and the trashing of our international reputation. It threatens Southport, it threatens our country, and now, it threatens our democracy.


That is why we came together today; it is why we put aside traditional rivalries - and we urge everyone in Southport and beyond who cares about British democracy to stand together with us to help stop Boris Johnson’s attempted coup.


We call on Southport's Conservative MP to put his country before his party and oppose this attack on our democracy.

Originally Posted by roving-eye

Local parliamentary candidates from the Greens, Labour and Lib Dems joined around 80 protestors at the #StopTheCoup demo which was hastily arranged the night before, following urgent discussions between the three parties in the town after the decision by the Conservative Prime Minister.

There’s 90,000 people in Southport so either our PPCs can’t muster the support of more than 0.0009% of the township or its blatant opportunism in the event of a potential general election but I’d doubt as much a national embarrassment brexit is for both sides any of them would go against party lines, 15 years of Pugh shows the Lib Dem viewpoint as does Jo Swindon potentially being more Tory than some of the Tories....

A small group of anti-democracy activists, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Well done chaps!

Well - not to worry! Help is at hand. I have heard a rumour that the handbag swinging legal pretender has once again emerged from the shadows with £ signs crowning her head, galloping forward on her faithful steed - to become the non champion yet again Hey Ho!

Originally Posted by said

Well - not to worry! Help is at hand. I have heard a rumour that the handbag swinging legal pretender has once again emerged from the shadows with £ signs crowning her head, galloping forward on her faithful steed - to become the non champion yet again Hey Ho!

Do you mean Gina Millar the one people on here told me wasn't against brexit just wanting to uphold the law ?


Whereas now she is known as the anti-brexit campaigner.

Originally Posted by Username2016

There’s 90,000 people in Southport so either our PPCs can’t muster the support of more than 0.0009% of the township or its blatant opportunism in the event of a potential general election but I’d doubt as much a national embarrassment brexit is for both sides any of them would go against party lines, 15 years of Pugh shows the Lib Dem viewpoint as does Jo Swindon potentially being more Tory than some of the Tories....

Well, as you can see in the article... it was organised at very short notice and it was raining... and also, Southport is not exactly known as a hotbed of protest action! (Nor does it mean that everyone else who wasn't there agrees with Johnson, as some have tried to suggest elsewhere.)

As to "opportunism" - normally expect something more insightful from you than that, what you had here is local parties that disagree profoundly but on this issue came together as what Johnson is doing is abusing our parliamentary process to push through a disatrous No Deal that everyone else agrees with what Johson doing - that was it, nothing else.

Originally Posted by local

A small group of anti-democracy activists, they should be ashamed of themselves.

... yup, that's my view of Johnson's cabinet too... well said!

Originally Posted by gnalist

Well, as you can see in the article... it was organised at very short notice and it was raining...

We could have stopped democracy being destroyed and a disaster but it was raining and I already had plans?!?!?!

I’d more say politically Southport has a lot of politcos who like to be seen to be doing a lot but don’t deliver very much in comparison so there’s a lot of political apathy in the town. If you read the quotes then they did not say much more than they are unhappy with it so feels like grandstanding at best.

Even deputy Lib Dem for the area Cllr Shaw admitted he never voted in the referendum, I even read today Jo Swinson went on holiday rather than attend the march?

Originally Posted by Username2016

We could have stopped democracy being destroyed and a disaster but it was raining and I already had plans?!?!?!

I’d more say politically Southport has a lot of politcos who like to be seen to be doing a lot but don’t deliver very much in comparison so there’s a lot of political apathy in the town. If you read the quotes then they did not say much more than they are unhappy with it so feels like grandstanding at best.

Even deputy Lib Dem for the area Cllr Shaw admitted he never voted in the referendum, I even read today Jo Swinson went on holiday rather than attend the march?

Poor weather has dampened many a protest.

Also, not exactly sure what you are expecting three local candidates to do much more than they have on this particular matter tbh... they ain't MPs, they have no actual vote etc - seems a bit churlish tbh.

Originally Posted by gnalist

... they ain't MPs, they have no actual vote etc - seems a bit churlish tbh.

Then what’s the point in the article, the self publication and the hastily organised event, we already know their views so if they can’t do anything why act like the better informed species if it’s not just to cynically look for votes if a snap GE is called? I voted remain by the way but this has become a combination of a political race to the bottom and opportunism to grab future votes.

Dumb Damien Moore has his snout firmly in the trough, so I doubt he knows what democracy is.

Originally Posted by gnalist

and it was raining

Picture the scene - democracy is on it's a£$e (according to some).
Stan and Beryl are incandescent with rage and determine to do something about this - however - they take a quick gander out of their mock Georgian bungalow's bay window and - see a few spots of rain on the Vauxhall Insignia's windscreen.
They wrestle with their collective consciences and agree to do something to save the country when the weather turns a bit more clement.

In fairness Stan had recently taken delivery of a new blazer and slacks from Fosters whilst Beryl's hair had just been tinted and set.

Just about says it all really!