After a string of spectacular by election results culminating in a historic win in Tiverton on Thursday, overturning a Conservative majority of 24,239- the biggest upset in electoral history, Southport Lib Dems believe their party has the momentum to remove Southport’s incumbent MP from office.

“Southport was a Lib Dem constituency for most of this century and can be so again- even if we get boundary changes,” says Lib Dem council group leader, John Pugh.

“So long as Mr Moore is shackled to the current incompetent administration, he will not get enough support to retain his seat and even Conservative supporters now realise that."

Experience has shown though that ordinary Southport folk from across the political spectrum, just like in Tiverton, are comfortable with the option of Lib Dem representation. That’s the message canvassers brought back."

Polarised?

Cllr Pugh points out that increasingly people across the country are looking for a politics that helps and heals rather than divides.

"Conservatives do best and survive in times when voters are polarised and there is stark choice between left and right and the sensible middle gets squeezed, as has happened recently.

What is clear from all these results is that there is a huge and very simple demand from ALL sections of the community for basically decent,compassionate and and competent government.”

The Liberal Democrats came from third position in Tiverton to secure a 6,000 majority in a seat that had been Conservative for 99 years."

…
“Southport was a Lib Dem constituency for most of this century and can be so again- even if we get boundary changes,” says Lib Dem council group leader, John Pugh.
…
Experience has shown though that ordinary Southport folk from across the political spectrum, just like in Tiverton, are comfortable with the option of Lib Dem representation. That’s the message canvassers brought back."
Polarised?
Cllr Pugh points out that increasingly people across the country are looking for a politics that helps and heals rather than divides.
"Conservatives do best and survive in times when voters are polarised and there is stark choice between left and right and the sensible middle gets squeezed, as has happened recently.
What is clear from all these results is that there is a huge and very simple demand from ALL sections of the community for basically decent,compassionate and and competent government.”
The Liberal Democrats came from third position in Tiverton to secure a 6,000 majority in a seat that had been Conservative for 99 years."

Cllr. Pugh revels in the myth of the middle. General elections are always LibDems undoing.

“Southport was a Lib Dem constituency for most of this century and can be so again- even if we get boundary changes,” says Lib Dem council group leader, John Pugh.

please no, the Lib Dems watched over the decline of Southport and did nothing to stop it, there’s nothing that the Lib Dems can claim they achieved for Southport other than being not the nasty Tories or labour. John Pugh was given 15 years to make an impact, he didn’t, and the candidates since his tactical resignation have been awful.

Originally Posted by Username2016

please no, the Lib Dems watched over the decline of Southport and did nothing to stop it, there’s nothing that the Lib Dems can claim they achieved for Southport other than being not the nasty Tories or labour. John Pugh was given 15 years to make an impact, he didn’t, and the candidates since his tactical resignation have been awful.

The Tory run Southport Town Council started the rot letting the town decline through lack of investment or coherant ideas. More conerned with being the lowest rated town than doing anything postive for it.
Thankfully they were ousted after formation of Sefton Council.

Tory cuts to local councils by Thatcher, Cameron and now Johnson have hampered Southport's attempts halt the Tories institutional vandalism whether by Lib Dems or now Labour. And electing a Tory MP has done nothing to help. The only person Damian Moore is interested in is Damian Moore.

The Tiverton result is more about the appalling Tories than the Lib Dems. Even so let us welcome it if it heralds the end of this incompetent government

Originally Posted by Nash

The Tory run Southport Town Council started the rot letting the town decline through lack of investment or coherant ideas. More conerned with being the lowest rated town than doing anything postive for it.
Thankfully they were ousted after formation of Sefton Council.

Tory cuts to local councils by Thatcher, Cameron and now Johnson have hampered Southport's attempts halt the Tories institutional vandalism whether by Lib Dems or now Labour. And electing a Tory MP has done nothing to help. The only person Damian Moore is interested in is Damian Moore.

The Tiverton result is more about the appalling Tories than the Lib Dems. Even so let us welcome it if it heralds the end of this incompetent government

So basically we shouldn’t expect anything from the Lib Dems over the 16 years Pugh held the seat and all the collective years the councillors have been around, you have to get off the proverbial pot at some point after all. However thanks for supporting my view that a Lib Dem vote is a wasted vote if you’re expecting anything for the town out of them as you’re basically saying it’s someone else’s fault there’s nothing noteworthy to claim of investment, jobs, improvement to the town (and let’s not forget the slavish support of coalition policies)

finally, what exactly did John Pugh do for Southport in his 16 years as MP?