Following huge gains locally in recent years, Labour is looking to further strengthen its position in Southport after revealing its candidates in the town for next month's local elections.

The last contest in the area in 2019, saw Labour achieve its highest ever vote, with three times as many as the Liberal Democrats. It was the worst result in a general election for a liberal candidate of any type in Southport since the Victorian era, going all the way back to 1900.

This followed two local election campaigns in the previous 18 months in which Labour took 5 seats from the Lib Dems and the previous general election result in which Labour also surpassed them with a record vote at the time.

Labour says its desire for positive action and cooperation between the community and council to take Southport forward is in clear contrast to opponents, as Southport Labour's Chair Cllr Mhairi Doyle explained:

"When you compare the record of Labour in Southport and across Sefton with the Lib Dems, for instance, it's quite stark how there is a fundamental change and they are clearly being rejected by local residents after years of doing little of any actual note but complain and spread misinformation."

"Contrast that with our hard work and advances locally and how Labour-run Sefton Council has just been acknowledged for its 'fantastic work' and critical role in helping ensure the success of the Southport Town Deal funding by the independent Chair of the Town Deal Board."

"We believe that is a clear example of how working constructively with the council helps move the town forward. Or, consider how Sefton along with other key workers and volunteers has done most of the heavy lifting locally to protect residents during the pandemic."

"The council has received widespread praise for how it has looked after those shielding, for instance, and how it has supported local businesses, while others such as the Southport's Conservative MP actually voted to oppose 80% furlough support for local workers and business."

"Also, for how it rushed to the aid of local care homes to provide PPE and guidance when the Conservative government failed to do so and how it stepped in to provide free school meals to hungry local children when the government refused to do so."

"As well as for stepping up to coordinate and provide the resources and personnel to ensure a very rapid and complete response to the South African Variant Covid threat when it hit here."

"Then consider how my colleague Cllr Greg Myers, on top of his normal caseload, volunteered to check on hundreds of local residents who were shielding during lockdown and as part of the door-to-door South African variant testing programme in Norwood ward. That's the type of commitment local Labour councillors show."

"My other colleagues, Cllrs Carran Waterfield, Janis Blackburne and Sean Halsall and I have also been hard at work helping residents too on a wide range of issues from tree planting and improving our green spaces, to enhancing local facilities such as the skatepark, to working local community groups to assist them and helping local families struggling to get the support they deserve."

"I guarantee that our candidates will work just as hard and help us to achieve even more for our residents if elected. Local Labour works for our community and increasing numbers of voters realise that."

"They also understand that we are doing our utmost to provide and protect the local services that protected and supported them during the pandemic. Something our opponents do not."


The Labour candidates in Southport are:

Ainsdale - Sean Flynn. Birkdale - Sonya Kelly. Cambridge - Laura Lunn Bates. Dukes - Tom Spring. Kew - Jennifer Corcoran. Meols - Steve Jowett. Norwood - Cllr Carran Waterfield

Originally Posted by roving-eye

"When you compare the record of Labour in Southport and across Sefton with the Lib Dems, for instance, it's quite stark how there is a fundamental change and they are clearly being rejected by local residents after years of doing little of any actual note but complain and spread misinformation."

She’s not wrong there, it’s also very confusing who the Lib Dem’s want us to vote for also, is it the Lib Dem’s or is it the possibly expelled Cllr. I think the Lib Dem’s have a lot of explaining to do as they’ve been very opaque with the electorate which is surprising for a party that tries to always gain the moral high ground in others not being open book on them. Wonder if Cllr Pugh will get a suspension too as he has in essence told us not to vote Lib in Dukes ward which is similar to Cllr Dawson’s first expulsion.

Ainsdale

Labour - Who is Sean Flynn??
Conservatives - Who is Michael Shaw??
Green - Who is Laurence Rankin??



Finally, 3 weeks before the elections we find out who are prospective Councillors are, but why wait until the last minute to tell us????

In Ainsdale, over the last 12 months:-

What have Labour done?
What are Labour going to do?

What have the Conservatives done?
What are Conservatives going to do?

What have the Greens done?
What are the Greens going to do?

There is only one prospective Councillor who has been doing anything, and kept us informed over social media about what was happening.

It is of no use for Labour, Conservatives or Greens to crawl out of the woodwork at the last minute, and expect to get my vote.

I vote on what I read about what each party has done locally, and how I'm kept informed.

More woke warriors.

Originally Posted by ECHOEONE

More woke warriors.

More cycle lanes
more liveable neighbourhood schemes
more protests

no more labour . you should all leave the town

Originally Posted by Tentill4

Ainsdale

Labour - Who is Sean Flynn??
Conservatives - Who is Michael Shaw??
Green - Who is Laurence Rankin??



Finally, 3 weeks before the elections we find out who are prospective Councillors are, but why wait until the last minute to tell us????

In Ainsdale, over the last 12 months:-

What have Labour done?
What are Labour going to do?

What have the Conservatives done?
What are Conservatives going to do?

What have the Greens done?
What are the Greens going to do?

There is only one prospective Councillor who has been doing anything, and kept us informed over social media about what was happening.

It is of no use for Labour, Conservatives or Greens to crawl out of the woodwork at the last minute, and expect to get my vote.

I vote on what I read about what each party has done locally, and how I'm kept informed.

Same here in Dukes Ward.
Dawson is up for re-election but has been expelled from his party for undisclosed reasons so is standing as an independent.
Never seen or heard anything from the Lib Dem, Labour or Green candidates and all I've seen from the Tory candidate is lies.

Many Councillors have cited their activity as a go-between passing residents' concerns to the appropriate Council Officer.

Birkdale’s Lee Durkin is doing that!

It begs the question:

What, if anything, else do these Councillors do?

Originally Posted by sandGroundZero

Many Councillors have cited their activity as a go-between passing residents' concerns to the appropriate Council Officer.

Birkdale’s Lee Durkin is doing that!

It begs the question:

What, if anything, else do these Councillors do?

But he's not doing anything that a resident can't already do themselves.

2 years ago I contacted 6 local councillors (from the 3 main parties) regarding an issue affecting the 2 wards that they represented. 1 replied but ignored the issue, the other 5 didn't even reply.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

But he's not doing anything that a resident can't already do themselves.

2 years ago I contacted 6 local councillors (from the 3 main parties) regarding an issue affecting the 2 wards that they represented. 1 replied but ignored the issue, the other 5 didn't even reply.

I would be intrested to see what he could do as a councillor.

If he was Kew ward he would have my vote

But you are correct the councillors ignore most of the residents

Originally Posted by salus.populi

But he [i.e. Lee Durkin is] not doing anything that a resident can't already do themselves.
2 years ago I contacted 6 local councillors (from the 3 main parties) regarding an issue affecting the 2 wards that they represented. 1 replied but ignored the issue, the other 5 didn't even reply.

Originally Posted by town36

I would be intrested to see what he [i.e. Lee Durkin?] could do as a councillor.
If he was Kew ward he would have my vote
But you are correct the councillors ignore most of the residents

So, Councillors ignore residents, either

• not caring; or
• essentially, powerless?

In several jurisdictions I have resided, it has always been Liberals, latterly of course the LibDems who have been organized and motivated to elicit and weaponize voters' gripes without, it must be said, much regard for whether the gripe is appropriate for the candidate's role. The tactic has been effective to the extent that Conservative and Labour candidates follow suit.

The question remains:

What do Councillors actually do apart from compete for votes?

…not a lot, it seems!

Are our democratic institutions fit for purpose?

Originally Posted by town36

I would be intrested to see what he could do as a councillor.

If he was Kew ward he would have my vote

Why though? Is it just because he puts out a lot of self-publicity?

Originally Posted by town36

I would be intrested to see what he could do as a councillor. | If he was Kew ward he would have my vote | But you are correct the councillors ignore most of the residents

Originally Posted by salus.populi

Why though? Is it just because he puts out a lot of self-publicity?

…valid point!

Is it because Lee Durkin or any Councillor wannabe is motivated to prod Council Officers to

• resurface Crescent Road,
• plant trees, or
• …whatever

…that they start sending press releases to roving-eye southport@qnews.co.uk ?

…and why do we settle for a Council that evidently fails to respond directly to residents appropriate hopes and expectations?

With communications technology available, surely it is possible to create a more responsive and accountable local government.