Unlike most areas across the UK, Liverpool isn’t going to the polls this May.
As a result of the damning Caller Report last year, votes were shelved for 2022 in favour of all-out elections in 2023. A consultation is being held on the future of the Mayoral structure currently governing the city which could lead to the position being scrapped all together.
At the moment, Labour holds 65 of the 90 seats available on Liverpool Council, but will face a challenge to maintain its majority in a little more than 12 months. This week, we got a brief snapshot of the scale of the task facing the party that hopes to keep hold of the power it has held for the past 12 years.
READ MORE: Teen girl's hair ripped out in street attack as ten children arrested
To read the figures, it would appear that with its wins in Everton and Warbreck on Thursday, Labour had comfortably consolidated its position. However, looking closer, a massive shock was narrowly averted in Warbreck, with the Liberal Democrats coming within 36 votes of an upset and increasing their number of councillors to 13.
The largest opposition group were buoyed by their performance, with an almost 40% swing in their favour. Cllr Richard Kemp said the poll gave him confidence that “literally dozens” of wards were now “in play” next May.
He said: “If in six weeks we can increase the vote by 38.3% just think what we can do in the next 12 months where we are going to be campaigning in wards across the city." Sam East’s win in Warbreck was coupled with a victory for Ellie Byrne, daughter of MP and former Everton ward member, Ian Byrne.
The new Cllr Byrne’s electoral margin was wider than Cllr East but there was still a 20% swing towards the Green Party away from Labour, which could give hope of taking seats for the group led by St Michael’s member, Cllr Tom Crone, come next year. This week’s polling results could be interpreted as an electoral comment on the council in the wake of the Caller Report and appointment of Government commissioners, as well as the hotly contested £40 annual green bin charge.
Further challenges remain for the governing group with a third by-election to be held in Fazakerley following the resignation of Lindsay Melia last month. Former Cllr Melia was part of a group of seven so-called Labour ‘rebels’ that defied party lines to vote against the annual budget.
Another of the group, George Knibb has also left the group altogether. While it could stand to retain three seats from the trio of by-elections, Labour could actually be down a further five should the remaining councillors suspended for defying the whip not have their cases resolved by April 19.
A new independent group could be established at Town Hall within weeks as the suspended members have indicated they will resign the Labour whip if their suspension cases are not resolved within the next two weeks. Cllr Alan Gibbons said the group had discussed their plans with councillors who had also left party lines but had not yet formalised the details of a new group.
The number of Liberal Party and independent currently stands at eight with no real gains made in terms of vote share on Thursday that could point towards success next year. Despite Labour’s potential weaknesses, it is unlikely that the Conservatives will end their almost 30 year streak without representation on Liverpool Council if results on Thursday were anything to go by with Wendy Hine and Mark Butchard securing just 97 votes between them across Warbreck and Everton.
