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.
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:
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