A proposal to effectively move Southport from Merseyside and into West Lancashire has been described as 'unworkable nonsense' after it was revealed that council leaders had already dismissed the idea before it was made public.

Earlier this week, Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore touted the plan as part of his ongoing campaign against Sefton Council, announcing he'd written to Secretary of State Michael Gove to appeal for Southport to merge with West Lancs.

Local Conservatives had previously welcomed ongoing Boundary Commission proposals to carve Ainsdale out of Southport and replace it with four Conservative voting wards from South Ribble.

Sefton Council opposed the scheme after Southport councillors Greg Myers and Mhairi Doyle filed a motion condemning the plan. They cited Ainsdale's far stronger ties with Southport than areas such as Hesketh-with-Becconsall or Rufford and were supported by councillors across the political spectrum, except for Conservatives.

After a public backlash over the plan, the town's MP has now declared that instead he wants to keep Ainsdale but take it with him to the politically safer ground of West Lancashire, citing his anger at Sefton's claimed "mismanagement".

It's a move that has been dismissed by Councillors Myers and Doyle as motivated by little more than political expediency on the part of the Southport MP. Cllr Myers explained:

"Here we have a group who were quite happy to see the back of Ainsdale, see it just carved off from the rest of Southport simply because it suited their narrow political interest."

"Now after uproar over it, they've apparently suddenly U-turned and decided 'no we'd better keep Ainsdale but let's try to carve Southport off from the rest of Merseyside instead.' Yet again, down to the same narrow political interest."

"It's all the more baffling when he has already been told by the leader of West Lancashire Borough Council that West Lancs have no interest in such a merger and do not think it viable for a number of reasons, one of which is the loss of free Merseytravel privileges for Southport's older residents."

Councillor Doyle continued:

"It's woolly-headed unworkable nonsense. The MP knows he's on borrowed time here and is simply trying to shore up his position as best he can. Sadly, he doesn't seem to care what division he stokes up to try and achieve that."

"I'd rather see him and the Conservatives out of Southport - that's the change we really need locally."

West Lancashire Labour MP Rosie Cooper has also backed the plan over fears her area was in a "no man's land" between Manchester, Liverpool and Preston and needed to strengthen but it appears to be a non-starter locally with little appetite for the proposal elsewhere.

West Lancashire BC Leader, Cllr Ian Moran, confirmed:

"West Lancs administration has no interest in merging with Southport. We do not see it as remotely financially viable. We are instead already pursuing a county devolution deal with our Lancashire partners which includes Chorley and South Ribble."

Sefton Labour leader Ian Maher added:

“Damien Moore and Rosie Cooper may well want to raise this again for their own reasons, despite it being rejected out of hand time and again for good reason."

"My own view on this is led by the question 'what is best for Southport residents?' And my conclusion is that this suggestion would potentially be disastrous for the people of Southport.”

Residents have until April 4th to comment on the changes actually proposed for Southport by the Boundary Commission here: https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/

Originally Posted by editor

A proposal to effectively move Southport from Merseyside and into West Lancashire has been described as 'unworkable nonsense' after it was revealed that council leaders had already dismissed the idea before it was made public.

Earlier this week, Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore touted the plan as part of his ongoing campaign against Sefton Council, announcing he'd written to Secretary of State Michael Gove to appeal for Southport to merge with West Lancs.

Local Conservatives had previously welcomed ongoing Boundary Commission proposals to carve Ainsdale out of Southport and replace it with four Conservative voting wards from South Ribble.

Sefton Council opposed the scheme after Southport councillors Greg Myers and Mhairi Doyle filed a motion condemning the plan. They cited Ainsdale's far stronger ties with Southport than areas such as Hesketh-with-Becconsall or Rufford and were supported by councillors across the political spectrum, except for Conservatives.

After a public backlash over the plan, the town's MP has now declared that instead he wants to keep Ainsdale but take it with him to the politically safer ground of West Lancashire, citing his anger at Sefton's claimed "mismanagement".

It's a move that has been dismissed by Councillors Myers and Doyle as motivated by little more than political expediency on the part of the Southport MP. Cllr Myers explained:

"Here we have a group who were quite happy to see the back of Ainsdale, see it just carved off from the rest of Southport simply because it suited their narrow political interest."

"Now after uproar over it, they've apparently suddenly U-turned and decided 'no we'd better keep Ainsdale but let's try to carve Southport off from the rest of Merseyside instead.' Yet again, down to the same narrow political interest."

"It's all the more baffling when he has already been told by the leader of West Lancashire Borough Council that West Lancs have no interest in such a merger and do not think it viable for a number of reasons, one of which is the loss of free Merseytravel privileges for Southport's older residents."

Councillor Doyle continued:

"It's woolly-headed unworkable nonsense. The MP knows he's on borrowed time here and is simply trying to shore up his position as best he can. Sadly, he doesn't seem to care what division he stokes up to try and achieve that."

"I'd rather see him and the Conservatives out of Southport - that's the change we really need locally."

West Lancashire Labour MP Rosie Cooper has also backed the plan over fears her area was in a "no man's land" between Manchester, Liverpool and Preston and needed to strengthen but it appears to be a non-starter locally with little appetite for the proposal elsewhere.

West Lancashire BC Leader, Cllr Ian Moran, confirmed:

"West Lancs administration has no interest in merging with Southport. We do not see it as remotely financially viable. We are instead already pursuing a county devolution deal with our Lancashire partners which includes Chorley and South Ribble."

Sefton Labour leader Ian Maher added:

“Damien Moore and Rosie Cooper may well want to raise this again for their own reasons, despite it being rejected out of hand time and again for good reason."

"My own view on this is led by the question 'what is best for Southport residents?' And my conclusion is that this suggestion would potentially be disastrous for the people of Southport.”

Residents have until April 4th to comment on the changes actually proposed for Southport by the Boundary Commission here: https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/

Things could not be more disastrous for Southport by remaining in Sefton - so we have nothing to lose by coming out.

One thing is for absolute sure - anyone in Southport, who is opposed to leaving Sefton is not a local Southport person.

Ian Moran is a Labour councillor and has failed to recognise that In Southport we have many really talented youngsters in sports, music and arts. There are several public figures and some very shrewd local business people. Under Sefton there is little opportunity for these valuable members of society to prove themselves.

For far too long all we have seen is Southport deteriorating year after year while other less prosperous regions have been given huge grants that have not increased those regions popularity at all. Money thrown away! Almost all of Southport's resort amenities have disappeared, while wholesale ruination is occurring to all our parks with trees and shrubs disappearing faster than money from the joint coffers - and probably soon to be concreted over for more housing.

All too often, the Labour cabal is very quick to oppose any desire for a change that will improve Southport - one wonders why that may be?

Originally Posted by said

Things could not be more disastrous for Southport by remaining in Sefton - so we have nothing to lose by coming out.

One thing is for absolute sure - anyone in Southport, who is opposed to leaving Sefton is not a local Southport person.

Ian Moran is a Labour councillor and has failed to recognise that In Southport we have many really talented youngsters in sports, music and arts. There are several public figures and some very shrewd local business people. Under Sefton there is little opportunity for these valuable members of society to prove themselves.

For far too long all we have seen is Southport deteriorating year after year while other less prosperous regions have been given huge grants that have not increased those regions popularity at all. Money thrown away! Almost all of Southport's resort amenities have disappeared, while wholesale ruination is occurring to all our parks with trees and shrubs disappearing faster than money from the joint coffers - and probably soon to be concreted over for more housing.

All too often, the Labour cabal is very quick to oppose any desire for a change that will improve Southport - one wonders why that may be?

We should never have left Lancs in the first place, Southport was a thriving resort until we got taken over by Sefton !!!...i've lived in Southport since i was 12 and have seen all the changes happening over the years and the losses incurred under Sefton and have been utterly dismayed at the sad change that has led Southport to how it is now !!!

Originally Posted by stevief

We should never have left Lancs in the first place, Southport was a thriving resort until we got taken over by Sefton !!!...i've lived in Southport since i was 12 and have seen all the changes happening over the years and the losses incurred under Sefton and have been utterly dismayed at the sad change that has led Southport to how it is now !!!

Yet you don't seem to remember that Southport wasn't taken over by Sefton, it's Conservative councillors voted to join Sefton.

Originally Posted by said

Things could not be more disastrous for Southport by remaining in Sefton - so we have nothing to lose by coming out.

One thing is for absolute sure - anyone in Southport, who is opposed to leaving Sefton is not a local Southport person.

Ian Moran is a Labour councillor and has failed to recognise that In Southport we have many really talented youngsters in sports, music and arts. There are several public figures and some very shrewd local business people. Under Sefton there is little opportunity for these valuable members of society to prove themselves.

For far too long all we have seen is Southport deteriorating year after year while other less prosperous regions have been given huge grants that have not increased those regions popularity at all. Money thrown away! Almost all of Southport's resort amenities have disappeared, while wholesale ruination is occurring to all our parks with trees and shrubs disappearing faster than money from the joint coffers - and probably soon to be concreted over for more housing.

All too often, the Labour cabal is very quick to oppose any desire for a change that will improve Southport - one wonders why that may be?

Most amusing from you, as ever Said.

Sefton has so far lost over £550m cumulatively thanks to Tory and Lib Dem cuts, just imagine what that amount could have done for our town and borough, services and amenities?!

Also, what Ian Moran recognises is factors such as Southport's very high social care bill and how West Lancs can't offer Southport's older residents free travel.

Regardless, the point is they have no intention of merging with Southport and the town's MP knows his 'plan' consists of little more than hot air and is just a bit of political street theatre.

Are you still using the Marvin Arbiton fictional name too btw? That was you wasn't it?

Originally Posted by stevief

We should never have left Lancs in the first place, Southport was a thriving resort until we got taken over by Sefton !!!...i've lived in Southport since i was 12 and have seen all the changes happening over the years and the losses incurred under Sefton and have been utterly dismayed at the sad change that has led Southport to how it is now !!!

We've never been under any control by Lancashire County Council, but we have (and still are) IN the county of Lancashire.

Southport was a County Borough until 1974, as was also the case with Bootle, so making comments that we should "never have left Lancashire in the first place" have absolutely no bearing on the subject, as they are factually incorrect.

We didn't get "taken over" by Sefton either as the councillors and aldermen on the County Borough council elected to join Sefton MBC rather than Lancashire as they knew they would have more power.

That was the case until, eventually, more and more Labour councillors were voted onto Sefton Council......

But what the heck. Let's keep the myth going for as long as possible.

In the late 60's Southport County Borough Police was absorbed into Lancashire Constabulary.


As for Narrow Political Interest it couldn't be much Narrower than Sefton Council when the Bootle Comrades make all the decisions I'm surprised they haven't collected money to supply the Russian invaders.

A noteworthy detail:
West Lancashire BC Leader, Cllr Ian Moran, confirmed:

"West Lancs administration has no interest in merging with Southport. We do not see it as remotely financially viable. We are instead already pursuing a county devolution deal with our Lancashire partners which includes Chorley and South Ribble."

Anticipate a deal of squabbling among Councillors in those districts over the organization of a new, bigger political entity with its own Mayor (or Governor, as Michael Gove originally preferred)! They're all under the thumb of central government and struggling to make ends meet.

Lancashire as it currently exists is an administrative mess. For instance note the CCGs overlapping political boundaries.

Posts under this item harking back to imagined 'golden age ' of Southport's municipal sovereignty are nostalgic fantasy.

You can always reply on our MP, Damian "Mr Sewage" Moore to come up with something stupid. Another thick Tory.

We have been in Sefton since the Conservatives so decided in 1974. And since they were ejected from control by the electorate they have been trying to gerrymander a situation that puts them back in power. They have never considered that the electorate dumped them because the were, and still are, a party bereft of talent and ideas.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

Yet you don't seem to remember that Southport wasn't taken over by Sefton, it's Conservative councillors voted to join Sefton.

There was no choice at that time - there were insufficient numbers of voters in Southport alone. It is different now, we do have a choice.

Originally Posted by Nash

You can always reply on our MP, Damian "Mr Sewage" Moore to come up with something stupid. Another thick Tory.

We have been in Sefton since the Conservatives so decided in 1974. And since they were ejected from control by the electorate they have been trying to gerrymander a situation that puts them back in power. They have never considered the the electorate dumped them because the were, and still are, a party bereft of talent and ideas.

Always harking on about the Conservatives - Labour supporters do much work verbally but insufficient work physically.

Ha!Ha! Just what talent and brilliant ideas have Labour had?? I know - Let's build thousands of homes with roads spilling out on busy Junctions, that will hold the traffic up and create more pollution No we won't open up the Burscough Curves - because more people would come into Southport instead of going to Liverpool. Let's measure the amount of traffic on various roads - then we will close off the busiest roads to force the traffic into side roads where parking has become a serious problem already! £Millions must be spent on the Everton Stadium since there is nothing else to spend the money on! Some really good ideas there - not!!

While we are on about the various parties - can anyone tell me what happened to the £50 million distribution given by central government, to ALL councils for the Household Support Fund. I understand that Yorkshire paid out £200 to each household in poverty as well as food vouchers, Durham gave out £150 cash and food vouchers, etc., What happened to this funding for the poor in Merseyside?? Did the poorest households get a payout last October to help them through the winter? I just don't recall seeing anything published about it, that's all.

Originally Posted by said

Always harking on about the Conservatives - Labour supporters do much work verbally but insufficient work physically.

Ha!Ha! Just what talent and brilliant ideas have Labour had?? I know - Let's build thousands of homes with roads spilling out on busy Junctions, that will hold the traffic up and create more pollution No we won't open up the Burscough Curves - because more people would come into Southport instead of going to Liverpool. Let's measure the amount of traffic on various roads - then we will close off the busiest roads to force the traffic into side roads where parking has become a serious problem already! £Millions must be spent on the Everton Stadium since there is nothing else to spend the money on! Some really good ideas there - not!!

While we are on about the various parties - can anyone tell me what happened to the £50 million distribution given by central government, to ALL councils for the Household Support Fund. I understand that Yorkshire paid out £200 to each household in poverty as well as food vouchers, Durham gave out £150 cash and food vouchers, etc., What happened to this funding for the poor in Merseyside?? Did the poorest households get a payout last October to help them through the winter? I just don't recall seeing anything published about it, that's all.

Said/Marvin - Do you deliberately try and make even less sense with every post or does it just happen naturally?

Just a few pointers - you do realise it's the Conservatives that have weakened planning laws and are also pressing councils to build houses and if they don't meet targets then they have their planning powers curtailed even further? Next, the Burscough Curves were closed during the Beeching cuts and who kicked that off? Yup, the Conservatives. Johnson's govt also very recently refused to reopen them. Also, you got the figures wrong on the Household Support Fund and Sefton's allocation was just under £2.5m... but it won't touch the sides of the cost of living crisis and is nowt to do with anything being discussed here anyway.

Btw, you still supporting BNP candidates "Marvin", as well as Southport's MP?

Originally Posted by said

There was no choice at that time - there were insufficient numbers of voters in Southport alone. It is different now, we do have a choice.

No its not, there is still to few voters in Southport Alone

Originally Posted by said

For far too long all we have seen is Southport deteriorating year after year .... Almost all of Southport's resort amenities have disappeared,

Don't panic !

The "Tower of Hope" and the "Cove Resort" will restore Southport to its former glory.

Maybe.

Originally Posted by said

Always harking on about the Conservatives - Labour supporters do much work verbally but insufficient work physically.

Ha!Ha! Just what talent and brilliant ideas have Labour had?? I know - Let's build thousands of homes with roads spilling out on busy Junctions, that will hold the traffic up and create more pollution No we won't open up the Burscough Curves - because more people would come into Southport instead of going to Liverpool. Let's measure the amount of traffic on various roads - then we will close off the busiest roads to force the traffic into side roads where parking has become a serious problem already! £Millions must be spent on the Everton Stadium since there is nothing else to spend the money on! Some really good ideas there - not!!

While we are on about the various parties - can anyone tell me what happened to the £50 million distribution given by central government, to ALL councils for the Household Support Fund. I understand that Yorkshire paid out £200 to each household in poverty as well as food vouchers, Durham gave out £150 cash and food vouchers, etc., What happened to this funding for the poor in Merseyside?? Did the poorest households get a payout last October to help them through the winter? I just don't recall seeing anything published about it, that's all.

Building Thousands of homes - Conservative Government Policy & Edict.

Burscough Curves reopening proposal - Turned Down by Conservative Government.

Closing through roads to create Livable Neighbourhoods - Conservative Government olicy & Edict.

Building Evertons new Stadium - being funded by the club, the only Council involvement is planning permission and regeneration of surrounding areas.