A group of former Liverpool Labour members and new activists are seeking to “hold the balance of power” in the city's elections in May.
Almost a year ago, after clashing with members of the ruling party, a number of now-former Labour Party councillors broke away to form their own political group. With a little more than a month to go until the city goes to the polls to pick a new slate of councillors, the Liverpool Community Independents have set out their stall.
In a manifesto launch at the Quaker Meeting House on School Lane, the party’s interim leader, Cllr Alan Gibbons, confirmed the group will stand at least 10 candidates in wards across the city. However, not contesting the election for the group is its leader, former Lord Mayor Anna Rothery, who has been suspended for her role in the parking tickets row involving city councillors. Cllr Rothery was found to have had one ticket rescinded in the ECHO's investigation.
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Owing to the size of the party, Cllr Gibbons conceded they were “not going to hold power as an exclusive group” and said Liverpool has become a “byword for corruption” and the council was guilty of “waste on an industrial scale” and a “catastrophic lack of transparency.” The current Warbreck member, who will stand in the Orrell Park ward in May, said the group had a “reliable, proven” track record and were standing on “what we’ve done, not what we’re going to do.”
He added: “Each candidate either lives or has a business in the ward they are seeking to win and have an investment in the area and a resonance with people.” Cllr Gibbons, who in the aftermath of last year’s split with Labour was formally expelled from the party, said his group must be “community based, immediate, local and responsive.”
The interim leader said his party had reached out to fellow opposition groups including the Liberals and Greens to form a “progressive opposition” in the council chamber moving forward. Cllr Gibbons said: “Even if we all win, we won’t have the monopoly of power, we want to have enough of a balance of power to hold Labour to account.
Cooperation with the Liberal Democrats has not been something the group has sought to establish according to Cllr Gibbons, who said the party was more than just taking an anti-Labour standpoint with colleagues. He said: “I’d say it’s based on a progressive approach to local politics, we cooperated on things like trying to remove a 5% cut to the Mayoral Neighbourhood Fund and welfare policies that we felt should have been preserved.
“What we were cooperating on was trying to protect the interests of the people of Liverpool.” On Cllr Rothery’s status and his own position as a potential leader moving forward, the former school teacher said: “She could stand as an independent and reapply for membership whenever it's resolved with the city council, but no she’s not standing for us because she’s suspended for the duration.”
Asked if he was likely to become her permanent successor, Cllr Gibbons said the group would assess the situation after May’s ballot, adding: “Maybe, maybe not.” One of the party’s newest recruits, Cllr Maria Toolan - who posted her Labour resignation on Twitter - said the group had a “one off opportunity” to challenge Labour, who she said had become “far too complacent” and had “taken the electorate for granted.”
She added: “They’ve completely lost why they’re there. We’re the ones that put them there, we need to take them out.” Cllr Alfie Hincks, who will contest Fazakerley East, said: "We will possibly hold the balance of power, it's as good as being in power."
Cllr Gibbons added: “Establishment parties have failed this city, we need new voices.”
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