Labour has selected North West charity leader Patrick Hurley, 47, to be its candidate for Southport and the Northern Parishes at the General Election.

Originally from Prescot, Patrick has had a long career in the charity and social enterprise sector in the wider region, having previously spent his early adult life in a variety of low paid jobs, struggling to make ends meet. Patrick is the co-founder of both Ethos Magazine, dedicated to promoting ethical business, and also Liverpool Soup, a regular event raising tens of thousands for local good causes. He spent twelve years in local government, and is passionate about raising Southport’s prospects again.

Patrick said, “I remember how lovely Southport was when I was a child, walking down Lord Street and in the arcades, and it’s such a shame that national under-investment in our towns and high streets has meant that our town has seen better days. But it’s the same wherever you go in the North. Councils across the country are going bust. My wife is from Wigan and her home town looks tired. And when I go to Bolton or Preston or St Helens, everywhere needs renewing and refurbishment. I’m determined to bring the next Labour government’s investment and reform promise to Southport and the West Lancs villages, to make sure that their best days lie ahead of them.

“But more than that. I want to bring down NHS waiting lists, not just for hospitals, but for GPs and dentists too. I want to invest in manual and technical qualifications for the next generation, so that our young people are trained up in the jobs that desperately need doing in our country.

"Most of all, I want to make sure that people in Southport feel the benefit of a growing economy. We need to make sure that the next government helps to put more money in local people’s pockets, because everyone has been feeling the pinch in recent years, whether it’s on rents, mortgages, energy prices or food shopping bills.

“The country needs a decade of renewal, and I’m asking former Conservative and Lib Dem voters to lend us your vote at the next election, so we can renew our country and our town together.”

"Growing up in Prescot and St Helens in the 1980s, I saw first-hand the impact the Conservative government had on my generation. Millions unemployed, multiple recessions, hospitals and schools underfunded. In my own family, too, the impact was profound. The education and employment opportunities that others had access to were withheld because of where we lived and the income of our parents."

When I was 13, I was more interested in football, cricket and building dens down a nearby embankment than whatever the Government were doing, never mind knowing there were millions unemployed, or whether my school was underfunded.

As he can remember the 80's, perhaps he can remember the "Winter of Discontent" under James Callaghan and his Labour Party government between November 1978 and February 1979..

Get a life springs to mind.. :)

Patrick's Blog


There's nothing here.

Another young hopeful enters the 'hurley burley' of UK politics.

Mr. Hurley should not be making promises that his party cannot possibly respond to. The economy is in a mess. It is growing, but not in time for Labour to be making ill found promises to the electorate.
All councils nationwide are under the same constraints as Liverpool council. Liverpool council does have the additional benefits from the toll roads and the income from the Tunnels that other councils do not have. Liverpool in particular, has managed to obtain further advances from central government, for example having it's council tax debt written off, money for cycle lanes, money for road repairs, money for housing projects etc.,
A few councils have gone bankrupt - but this is not due entirely to central government council grants, it is caused by mismanagement by the councils, possibly before the cuts from central government such as risky investing outside of a council's remit, or unwise purchases that have lost money. Liverpool council are a Labour council but cannot deny that they themselves have been guilty of such transactions.
People's care and children's homes are of concern. The expenditure of these services although high, should not be used a excuse for poor management. Liverpool has a joint council receiving money from it's borough councils. Investment from the public purse for any public project should be completely open and allowed to be debated on by everyone affected and the council should act honestly upon the majority's advice.
The locals' opinions have not been respected by the borough council on several
occasions. This is a grave error. There is no one better to know about a place than the long-standing local electorate, which includes some incredibly wise businesspeople. That is to say, people who really know what investments will make money and which will not.

The local Labour council have in the past, introduced that which they see as a novel enterprise, but which has been tried, tested and discarded in many UK regions as loss-making projects. The local indoor market for instance - the local people pointed out that such a project as a food hall had been introduced in many towns and cities and would not be hugely popular in such a small town whereas a properly run market with a variety of stalls with rents at a reasonable cost would be very popular. The Atkinson Museum? A great disappointment. The only museum relic is the wooden canoe and a few good paintings with a brief mention of the Polish pilots who were stationed at Wood Vale for a few weeks, but not active in the War. There is no mention of the Vulcan Factory, the Dan Dare Comic, the Formula One boats, The Pier events, Buffalo Bill Circus, etc.,etc., There are local professional archaeologists who would be happy to advise and direct. to create an interesting museum as an attraction for the local town.

Yes, Labour do need to work together with the people no matter which party the people support. The regions are served by the councils to create interesting and exciting places by which to attract tourists and investment but on Merseyside they are not very successful at that.

Originally Posted by said

Mr. Hurley should not be making promises that his party cannot possibly respond to. The economy is in a mess. It is growing, but not in time for Labour to be making ill found promises to the electorate.
All councils nationwide are under the same constraints as Liverpool council. Liverpool council does have the additional benefits from the toll roads and the income from the Tunnels that other councils do not have. Liverpool in particular, has managed to obtain further advances from central government, for example having it's council tax debt written off, money for cycle lanes, money for road repairs, money for housing projects etc.,
A few councils have gone bankrupt - but this is not due entirely to central government council grants, it is caused by mismanagement by the councils, possibly before the cuts from central government such as risky investing outside of a council's remit, or unwise purchases that have lost money. Liverpool council are a Labour council but cannot deny that they themselves have been guilty of such transactions.
People's care and children's homes are of concern. The expenditure of these services although high, should not be used a excuse for poor management. Liverpool has a joint council receiving money from it's borough councils. Investment from the public purse for any public project should be completely open and allowed to be debated on by everyone affected and the council should act honestly upon the majority's advice.
The locals' opinions have not been respected by the borough council on several
occasions. This is a grave error. There is no one better to know about a place than the long-standing local electorate, which includes some incredibly wise businesspeople. That is to say, people who really know what investments will make money and which will not.

The local Labour council have in the past, introduced that which they see as a novel enterprise, but which has been tried, tested and discarded in many UK regions as loss-making projects. The local indoor market for instance - the local people pointed out that such a project as a food hall had been introduced in many towns and cities and would not be hugely popular in such a small town whereas a properly run market with a variety of stalls with rents at a reasonable cost would be very popular. The Atkinson Museum? A great disappointment. The only museum relic is the wooden canoe and a few good paintings with a brief mention of the Polish pilots who were stationed at Wood Vale for a few weeks, but not active in the War. There is no mention of the Vulcan Factory, the Dan Dare Comic, the Formula One boats, The Pier events, Buffalo Bill Circus, etc.,etc., There are local professional archaeologists who would be happy to advise and direct. to create an interesting museum as an attraction for the local town.

Yes, Labour do need to work together with the people no matter which party the people support. The regions are served by the councils to create interesting and exciting places by which to attract tourists and investment but on Merseyside they are not very successful at that.

So the economy's growing is it? Perhaps that nice Mr Hunt could do with being connected with where you heard that. in fact I think he'd like to know before Wednesday