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

Local elections in the United Kingdom are due to be held on 6 May 2021 for 145 English local councils, including Wirral. On the same day as the council elections, Wirral residents will vote for a new Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, as well as the Liverpool City Region Mayor.

In March 2020 the government announced that the elections scheduled for 7 May 2020 would be delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 in random order – Top left: Janette Williamson, Labour, Top right: Phil Gilchrist, Liberal Democrats, Bottom left: Pat Cleary, Green Party, Bottom Right: Jeff Green, Conservative.


Conservatives

Cllr. Jeff Green. Leader of the Conservative Group.

The last 12 months have been extraordinary for Wirral. We must not waste the amazing work of our GPs & NHS who are vaccinating us out of the pandemic. We must use the extra funding Wirral has received from the government wisely and start to rebuild Council services in a way that engages the public in their design and implementation.

Our young people have really suffered during the past year, we want to extend social and cultural opportunities for young people, utilising the extra £200,000 proposed by Conservatives and included in the Council budget, to expand facilities and increase ‘detached youth work’ to engage with groups of young people helping channel their energy and exuberance into constructive and safe activities.

We believe Wirral should be clean and green. This means protecting our Greenbelt from the Council’s ‘Local Plan’ and developers. We believe more should be invested in services that keep our streets clean and grass verges well maintained.

The Council must learn the lessons from the current situation in Liverpool. The public’s money must be spent wisely. We must get maximum value from every pound the Council spends. Everything the Council does must be transparent and responsive to public scrutiny.

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


Green Party

Cllr. Pat Cleary. Leader of the Green Group.

Wirral Council is changing and Green councillors have played a huge role in delivering that change. Those Wirral residents who voted Green in 2019 have been rewarded by the ditching of unpopular policies. That is because Green wins have led to a more balanced council.

We can now build on these achievements and help create a more socially just Wirral fit for the 21st century and the climate emergency. Key to that will be holding the Council’s feet to the fire on its commitment not to build new housing in the greenbelt. Not only is it essential to protect our green spaces and prevent urban sprawl but regenerating East Wirral as a green, attractive place that people want to live in and visit is fundamental to addressing many of our social problems.

New and existing housing must be fit-for-purpose. Investing in modern transport networks that avoid the mistakes of the past and create genuinely sustainable new communities is essential. So too is prioritising our key town centres.

The council has produced an exciting vision for the future of Birkenhead and wider East Wirral. Electing more Green councillors is the best way to turn that vision into reality.

Find out more at https://wordpress.greenparty.org.uk/wirral/

Labour

Cllr. Janette Williamson. Leader of the Labour Group.

Wirral Labour’s post-covid recovery strategy is inclusive, green and ambitious, incorporating large scale regeneration plans and local wealth-building projects. 

Labour will provide value for money for Council Tax payers, making our immediate environment clean, safe and welcoming with well-lit, well-maintained streets.

Labour will protect our cherished greenbelt and green spaces, providing high-quality affordable homes and business spaces, on brownfield sites.

Labour’s green agenda has already switched our buildings, schools and streetlights to 100% renewable energy and planted 21,000 trees. The Pollinators’ Plan will help our bees and butterflies.

We’ll continue to improve our leisure services – our municipal golf courses, leisure centres and swimming baths – after saving them in our unanimously-voted budget. 

We’ll deliver regeneration in Birkenhead, New Ferry and Liscard, transforming our town centres.Labour will continue to put communities at the heart of the council – to work with volunteers and local businesses. We will build wealth in our communities from the ground up, while keeping profits in the borough to invest back into the local area.

Our community bank will support small businesses and individuals, as the closure of high street branches has left many us unable to access a local bank.

Find out more at https://wirrallabour.co.uk/


Liberal Democrats

Cllr. Phil Gilchrist. Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.

Changing Wirral for the better.

Wirral needs a plan for recovery, as does our whole nation. Government funding has not met all the costs from the pandemic. Even so, we have kept as many services running as possible, safeguarding valued local facilities.

Wirral, with high levels of deprivation, still needs a fairer funding settlement from the Government. The funding model that relied on business rates from shops and offices is broken.

We will continue our work to get the basics right, so that the way Wirral looks will improve, tackling fly tipping,
road repairs and neglect wherever possible. We will work to improve standards in the care sector.

The hopes and dreams of young people have been set back by this lost year. We will build back services for young people that provide counselling, hope and a new resilience for their future.

The all-party approach to regenerate Birkenhead and avoid building on the Green Belt has widespread support. We have long recognised the value of our farmland and countryside. Developers who challenge the Council’s plan to retain the Green Belt will be strongly resisted.

We will plan for more 20 MPH areas so Wirral’s people will enjoy quieter, safer neighbourhoods.

Find out more at https://wirrallibdems.com/


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

Bebington

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsVicky Downie
ConservativeGeoff Jones
LabourChristina Muspratt
GreenJason Walsh

Bidston and St James

PartyCandidate
GreenDiane Johnson
ConservativeTina McDonnell
LabourJulie McManus
Liberal DemocratsMike Parsons

Birkenhead and Tranmere

PartyCandidate
ConservativeJune Cowin
GreenEmily Gleaves
LabourSusan Mahone
Liberal DemocratsEdward Smith

Bromborough

PartyCandidate
LabourJo Bird
ConservativeAnthony Drury
GreenSheena Hatton
Liberal DemocratsChase Newton

Clatterbridge

PartyCandidate
LabourChristopher Davies
GreenJim McGinley
ConservativeCherry Povall
Liberal DemocratsDaniel Rogers

Claughton

PartyCandidate
For BritainGary Bergin
LabourGeorge Davies
ConservativeRania Elzeiny
GreenLiz Heydon
Liberal DemocratsChris Teggin

Eastham

PartyCandidate
ConservativePaul Connolly
Liberal DemocratsPhillip Gilchrist
GreenPercy Hogg
LabourShab Syed

Greasby, Frankby and Irby

PartyCandidate
ConservativeTom Anderson
LabourGail Jenkinson
GreenCathy Page
Liberal DemocratsMike Redfern

Heswall

PartyCandidate
GreenBarbara Burton
Reform UKKen Ferguson
ConservativeKathy Hodson
LabourGiuseppe Roberto
Liberal DemocratsRobert Thompson

Hoylake and Meols

PartyCandidate
GreenAlix Cockcroft
ConservativeAndrew Gardner
LabourMatt Houghton
Liberal DemocratsPeter Reisdorf

Leasowe and Moreton East

PartyCandidate
ConservativeDebbie Caplin
LabourHelen Collinson
GreenMichael Dixon
Liberal DemocratsJohn Mullins

Liscard

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsSue Arrowsmith
LabourDavid Brennan
ConservativeJane Owens
Reform UKDave Sharp
GreenPerle Sheldricks

Moreton West and Saughall Massie

PartyCandidate
ConservativeMax Booth
GreenHelen O’Donnell
Liberal DemocratsDavid Tyrrell
Reform UKPaul Whelligan
LabourNicole Williams

New Brighton (Two councillors to be elected)

PartyCandidate
GreenMoira Gommon
LabourTony Jones
Liberal DemocratsAdam Keenan
LabourPaul Martin
ConservativeDarren May
ConservativeTony Pritchard
Liberal DemocratsCharlie Smethurst
GreenCynthia Stonall

Oxton

PartyCandidate
GreenJudith Grier
Reform UKPhilip Griffiths
LabourPaul Jobson
Liberal DemocratsStuart Kelly
ConservativePhil Merry

Pensby and Thingwall

PartyCandidate
GreenAllen Burton
ConservativeIvan Camphor
Liberal DemocratsPhil Waterfield
LabourTim Watson

Prenton

PartyCandidate
LabourAngie Davies
GreenHarry Gorman
Liberal DemocratsLucy Johnson
ConservativeHilary Jones

Rock Ferry

PartyCandidate
IndependentStephen Davies
ConservativeNick Hanna
GreenCraig McDonald
LabourClare O’Hagan
Liberal DemocratsTom Sutton

Seacombe

PartyCandidate
GreenHilary Cullen
Liberal DemocratsAnthony Morris
LabourPaul Stuart
ConservativeVida Wilson

Upton

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsAlan Davies
GreenLily Clough
LabourJean Robinson
ConservativeEmma Sellman

Wallasey

PartyCandidate
Liberal DemocratsJohn Codling
GreenRachel Heydon
ConservativeIan Lewis
LabourTom Usher

West Kirby and Thurstaston

PartyCandidate
GreenYvonne McGinley
ConservativeSimon Mountney
Liberal DemocratsOrod Osanlou
LabourLouise Reecejones

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