Local Council Elections 2023: Who will you vote for this May?

Local elections in Wirral and throughout the United Kingdom are due to be held on Thursday 4 May 2023.

The move to whole council elections will mean that from this year the council elections will be held once every four years, rather than previously being held in three out of every four years. The change comes after councillors passed a resolution to change to whole council elections.

The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station.

This new requirement will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023. From October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections.

Valid Photo ID

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable as you can use any of the following:

  • Passport issued by the UK, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
  • Driving licence issued by the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or an EEA state
  • Biometric immigration document
  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • Blue Badge
  • National identity card issued by an EEA state
  • Older Person’s Bus Pass
  • Disabled Person’s Bus Pass

See the full list of acceptable ID on the Electoral Commission website 

birkenhead.news contacted the four main parties – Conservative, Green Party, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – and asked them to provide a 200-word Wirral-wide manifesto. Below, in alphabetical order by party name, are each of the party’s responses.

The main image shows the local party leaders – Top left: Janette Williamson, Labour, Top right: Tom Anderson, Conservative, Bottom left: Pat Cleary, Green Party, Bottom Right: Phil Gilchrist, Liberal Democrats.


Conservatives

Cllr. Tom Anderson – Conservative

The elections for local councillors will be the last in Wirral until 2027. So it matters who is elected and that they do better than the last 10 years.

Here in Wirral, with a Labour-led Council, four Labour MPs, a Labour Metro Mayor and a Labour Police Commissioner it is important that there is constructive opposition.

If our Borough follows Liverpool and becomes a ‘one party state’ then we will end up with the same problems faced by that city.

That’s one of the reasons why more and more people vote differently at different elections – choosing the candidates and parties they feel are best to represent them. This helps to provide the checks and balances that ensure any proposals and plans are questioned and challenged.

We’ve seen in recent years how more Labour councillors can’t or won’t do that. Too often they are told what to do and ‘whipped’ into supporting proposals that do not have wider support in the community. More Labour councillors after 4th May are not the answer.

Find out more at https://www.wirralconservatives.org.uk/


Green Party

Cllr. Pat Cleary – Green

Following last year’s record gains for the Greens in Wirral we are approaching these elections in buoyant mood. Wirral residents have seen that electing Green councillors means a hard-working year-round presence in their area. They also see us standing up for a fairer, greener borough.

Our key promise to voters is to continue working hard by engaging with residents and following up on the things that matter to them. Official data from Wirral Council clearly backs this up. In 2022 the typical Green councillor reported 273 issues on behalf of residents. This was way ahead of the Lib Dems (84) and Labour/Conservative (both 37).

By electing Green councillors, residents know their area will get the attention it deserves.

Greens have led the way in promoting social justice and protecting services. When Labour and Tory councillors voted to close libraries and leisure centres, Green councillors voted to save them. Green gains have forced the council to:

  • adopt a brownfield first policy for new housing thereby preserving our precious greenbelt,
  • end spraying/raking our beaches,
  • implement energy saving measures in council buildings,
  • preserve more of our green spaces to protect and enhance biodiversity.

You can read more about our policies at: https://wirral.greenparty.org.uk/policy-statement/

Labour

Cllr. Janette Williamson – Labour

Labour’s priority is the people of Wirral, and providing a safe, well-maintained and inclusive borough.

The Conservative government talks about levelling up, while delivering further austerity and cuts. Labour puts promises into action.

Our commitment to the environment is key, and our Local Plan protects Wirral’s green spaces, putting new housing only on brownfield sites.

The regeneration of areas including Birkenhead, Wallasey, Seacombe and New Brighton is exciting.

Labour councillors are community councillors who roll their sleeves up and get involved. We ensure that residents’ voices are heard.

This year we have saved youth services and play schemes including The Addy, Gautby Road Playscheme, The Hive, The Beechwood Playscheme and Pilgrim Street, giving young people somewhere to go.

We avoided moving Birkenhead Central Library and Wallasey Central Library and the closure of nine libraries – Beechwood, Eastham, Greasby, Leasowe, Moreton, Rock Ferry, St James, Seacombe and Upton.

We also stopped the closure of a leisure centre and two swimming pools and retained maintenance of parks, countryside, street cleansing and alleyway clearance.

We saved the community patrol team and CCTV control room, helping reduce nuisance crime.

The Wirral Conservatives voted against all of this. 

Please use all of your votes for Labour.

Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/WirralLabourOfficial/


Liberal Democrats

Cllr. Phil Gilchrist – Liberal Democrat

Our aim is to make Wirral Council efficient, responsive and compassionate.

Our vision has these priorities –

  • Defending the Local Plan and Green Belt to eliminate building on greenfield sites, while facilitating ‘brownfield’ development to provide the new dwellings our community needs.
  • Improving services to meet the needs of elderly residents, supporting them to remain in homes adapted for their needs.
  • Reducing Wirral’s carbon footprint by increasing the energy efficiency of more homes, through schemes that secure reliable ways to help households save on their heating bills.
  • Planning for improved leisure facilities which reduce energy usage and an offer that competes with the private sector,
  • Improving services for children with special needs and disabilities. Being more responsive to parents to ensure that children are in the setting most appropriate to their needs.
  • Working with other agencies to end the dumping of sewage in our rivers and the sea.
  • Using regeneration grants to build a better Wirral Ensuring that these are spent with a clear vision of the Wirral we want to hand on to future generations.
  • Putting extra cash into repairing our deteriorating roads, as the Government’s ‘pothole’ funding is not keeping pace with the need.

Find out more at https://wirrallibdems.org.uk/en/


Following is a full list of Wirral candidates listed alphabetically by surname. Where a candidate’s name is in italics, it denotes that that person is the sitting councillor.

Bebington (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
GreenJudith Grier
GreenEd Lamb
Liberal DemocratsAnthony Molyneux
ConservativeNicola Oakley
LabourKaitlyn Peterson
LabourCallum Stuart
ConservativeBarry Tunna
ConservativeChristine Tunna
GreenJason Walsh
LabourRobert Ward
Freedom AllianceCatherine Williams

Bidston and St James (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeWendy Clements
GreenJayne Clough
Freedom AllianceMalcolm Davis
GreenCraig Fitzpatrick
ConservativeJonathon Goldsmith
GreenMillie Gorman
LabourLiz Grey
LabourBrian Kenny
ConservativeTina McDonnell
LabourJulie McManus
Liberal DemocratsMike Parsons

Birkenhead and Tranmere (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeRichard Baker
GreenPat Cleary
LabourHelen Collinson
Freedom AllianceCatherine Evans
ConservativeAda Lewis
LabourJulienne McGeough
LabourPiara Miah
GreenAmanda Onwuemene
Liberal DemocratsEdward Smith
GreenEwan Tomeny
ConservativeColin Young

Bromborough (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
LabourBrenda Ashton
GreenJo Bird
ConservativeGillian Byrne
ConservativeDes Drury
LabourFinlay Gordon
ConservativeEleanor Johnson
Freedom AllianceStephanie McGarry-Gribbin
GreenRuth Molyneux
GreenKeiran Murphy
LabourSue Percy

Clatterbridge (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeHelen Cameron
GreenDan Gorman
LabourJenny Holliday
LabourMichael Holliday
ConservativeMary Jordan
GreenJim McGinley
Freedom AlliancePamela Peacock
ConservativeCherry Povall
Liberal DemocratsChristopher Raymond
GreenJohn Rodgers
LabourJoanne Smith

Claughton (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeCharles Assa
National Housing Party UKGary Bergin
GreenSusan Braddock
LabourGeorge Davies
Liberal DemocratsDavid Evans
LabourStephen Foulkes
GreenLiz Heydon
ConservativeAndrew Hodson
GreenPerle Sheldricks
ConservativeSheridan Tear-Edmonds
LabourGillian Wood
Liberal DemocratsRoy Wood

Eastham (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsChristopher Carubia
ConservativeDenise Crossley-Williams
LabourMelinda Downey
Liberal DemocratsPhillip Gilchrist
ConservativeWilliam Harland
GreenJoy Hogg
GreenPercy Hogg
ConservativePhilip Merry
Freedom AllianceSarah of the House of Blackburn
GreenPeter Rand
Liberal DemocratsHelen Raymond
LabourWilliam Smith
LabourNicole Williams

Greasby, Frankby and Irby (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsAlan Brighouse
IndependentDavid Burgess-Joyce
GreenMiriam Cooke
ConservativeTracy Elzeiny
Freedom AllianceRosie Evans
ConservativeDavid Fairbairn
GreenTom Green
LabourGail Jenkinson
ConservativeDarren May
LabourGrahame McManus
GreenCathy Page
LabourMark Skillicorn

Heswall (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
LabourSophia Ballantyne
Liberal DemocratsElizabeth Brame
ConservativeGraham Davies
ConservativeAndrew Hodson
ConservativeKathryn Hodson
Liberal DemocratsDavid Jones
Freedom AllianceDonna Lyons-Whearty
LabourMichael Royden
LabourJimmy Sergi
Liberal DemocratsPhilip Waterfield

Hoylake and Meols (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeMax Booth
LabourPaul Carney
GreenFintan Cleary
GreenAlix Cockcroft
ConservativeTony Cox
ConservativeAndrew Gardner
Liberal DemocratsTom Hughes
Liberal DemocratsIan Johnson
LabourSheila Murphy
GreenJulian Priest
Freedom AllianceColin Roper
LabourDavid Sindall

Leasowe and Moreton East (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeTracy Blackburn
GreenKatie Bristow
ConservativeNeil Cartwright
LabourAngie Davies
GreenMichael Dixon
IndependentKarl Greaney
LabourPaul Jobson
LabourLouise Luxon-Kewley
Freedom AllianceJuliette Mantley
Liberal DemocratsChase Newton
GreenHolly Turner
ConservativeJonathan Yongjiang Wang

Liscard (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
Reform UKDaniel Bruffell
GreenHelen Burnham
ConservativeStephen Dobson
Liberal DemocratsVicky Downie
GreenWilliam Gorman
LabourDaisy Kenny
GreenPeter Lageard
LabourJames Laing
ConservativeLesley May
ConservativeJane Owens
Freedom AllianceLynsey Welsh
LabourJanette Williamson

Moreton West and Saughall Massie (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeColin Baldwin
ConservativeJohn Bennett
LabourMark Cawood
GreenHilary Cullen
GreenRick Hughes
Freedom AllianceNiamh McGarry-Gribbin
LabourKatherine Stuart
LabourMaegan Stuart
Liberal DemocratsChristopher Teggin
Liberal DemocratsRobert Thompson
GreenJane Turner
Reform UKPaul Whelligan
ConservativeVida Wilson

New Brighton (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
GreenAlexandra Badwi
GreenAndrew Bennett
Freedom AllianceDermot Bolger
ConservativeAndrew Gilfoyle
Liberal DemocratsCharlie Houghton
LabourTony Jones
ConservativeAnn Lavin
LabourPaul Martin
ConservativeElizabeth Murphy
LabourSue Powell-Wilde
GreenCynthia Stonall

Oxton (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
LabourClint Agard
Liberal DemocratsAllan Brame
LabourTony Cottier
GreenAllan Goode
Reform UKPhilip Griffiths
GreenRachel Heydon
Liberal DemocratsStuart Kelly
ConservativeJon Loach
ConservativeFreda Punnen
Liberal DemocratsMike Redfern
Freedom AllianceMonika Skinner
ConservativeColin Vallance-Owen
GreenAlex Wallis

Pensby and Thingwall (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
LabourAnn Ainsworth
GreenAllen Burton
ConservativeIvan Camphor
ConservativeMike Collins
ConservativeLeah Fraser
GreenMarilyn Jones
LabourFinlay Gordon
Freedom AllianceWilliam Parry
GreenMark Reeves
LabourMike Sullivan
Liberal DemocratsJudith Wolf

Prenton (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
LabourJohn Ainsworth
ConservativeMichael Clements
GreenChristopher Cooke
ConservativeMark Davey-Hayford
Freedom AllianceLily Evans
ConservativeSibani Ghosh
GreenHarry Gorman
GreenNaomi Graham
LabourRachel Millard
Liberal DemocratsJonathan Richardson
Liberal DemocratsDavid Tyrrell
LabourArchie Wood

Rock Ferry (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeSusan Amyes
LabourPaula Basnett
Liberal DemocratsFrank Doyle
ConservativeMargaret Kalil
GreenCraig McDonald
LabourTony Murphy
IndependentYvonne Nolan
GreenHelen O’Donnell
GreenGareth Rowlands
Reform UKTony Stanley
ConservativePaul Taylor

Seacombe (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
Freedom AlliancePaul Cardin
ConservativeBobby Cartwright
LabourTom Laing
ConservativeAdele Lumb
Liberal DemocratsAnthony Morris
GreenHannah Rapley
ConservativeEvelyn Sorrell
GreenSarah Spoor
LabourKaitlin Stuart
LabourPaul Stuart
GreenRae Voller

Upton (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
ConservativeJohnathan Andrew
LabourStephen Bennett
ConservativeAndy Brown
Freedom AllianceDebbie Cameron
GreenLily Clough
Liberal DemocratsAlan Davies
ConservativeThomas Maxwell
GreenNadia Parsons
LabourJean Robinson
GreenTim Watson
LabourJerry Williams

Wallasey (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
Freedom AllianceMatthew Chell
Liberal DemocratsJohn Codling
LabourGraeme Cooper
GreenRyan Davies
GreenMoira Gommon
GreenJane Gorman
LabourBrenda Hall
ConservativeSteven Hoey
ConservativeIan Lewis
LabourSaul Murphy
ConservativeLesley Rennie
Liberal DemocratsJohn Uriel
Reform UKLynda Williams

West Kirby and Thurstaston (Three councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
GreenKaren Brenchley
GreenBarbara Burton
Liberal DemocratsRoss Campbell
Liberal DemocratsJohn Cresswell
ConservativeJeff Green
ConservativeJenny Johnson
LabourPaula Kenny
LabourMary MacEwan
ConservativeSimon Mountney
Liberal DemocratsPeter Reisdorf
LabourElizabeth Watkins
Freedom AlliancePat Whearty
GreenMark Wilde

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