Wirral Council hangs in the balance ahead of a huge night which could have a major impact on the borough.
Voters go to the polls on May 5 to elect a third of Wirral’s 66 councillors, with residents having their first chance to cast their views on the £20m worth of cuts the council made in its budget, which was passed on February 28. Funding is set to be withdrawn from Woodchurch Leisure Centre and nine public libraries, although money will be made available to groups who want to save these facilities, while two public golf courses have already closed due to the cuts.
After losing its majority in 2019, Labour now has just 27 of Wirral’s 66 councillors, well below the 34 it needs to regain full control of the council. Cllr Janette Williamson, the Labour leader of the council, will be well aware her party has just four more seats than the Conservatives, who have 23, while both the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have six councillors.
READ MORE: Wirral's knife-edge elections could bring massive changes
On a disastrous night for the party, Labour could lose the leadership of the council. But while the party is under threat from the Conservatives in Pensby and Thingwall and the Greens in several seats in the east of the borough, Labour can expect to take back Rock Ferry as Independent Moira McLaughlin is set to stand down.
Given how finely balanced the council is, every vote matters. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Thursday, April 14. It takes just five minutes to apply online here (gov.uk/register-to-vote).
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on April 14, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on April, 26. Here are the names of everyone you can vote for in each council ward on the first Thursday in May.
Bebington
- Brenda Ashton (Labour)
- Judith Grier (Green Party)
- Nicola Oakley (Lib Dem)
- Robert Thompson (Conservative)
Bidston and St James
- Jayne Clough (Green Party)
- Liz Grey (Labour)
- Tina McDonnell (Conservative)
- Mike Parsons (Lib Dem)
Birkenhead and Tranmere (two councillors to be elected)
- Ross Campbell (Liberal Democrat)
- Pat Cleary (Green Party)
- Mike Clements (Conservative)
- Paul Jobson (Labour)
- Tony Murphy (Labour)
- Amanda Onwuemene (Green Party)
- Edward Smith (Lib Dem)
- Colin Young (Conservative)
Bromborough
- Graham Davies (Conservative)
- Vicky Downie (Liberal Democrat)
- Ed Lamb (Green Party)
- Sue Percy (Labour)
Clatterbridge
- Mary Jordan (Conservative)
- Thomas Laing (Labour)
- Jim McGinley (Green Party)
- Christopher Raymond (Liberal Democrat)
Claughton
- Gary Bergin (For Britain Movement)
- David Evans (Lib Dems)
- Liz Heydon (Green Party)
- Andy Hodson (Conservative)
- Gillian Wood (Labour)
Eastham
- Chris Carubia (Lib Dem)
- Denise Crossley-Williams (Conservative)
- Percy Hogg (Green)
- Nicole Williams (Labour)
Greasby, Frankby and Irby
- Tracy Elzeiny (Conservative)
- Gail Jenkinson (Labour)
- Cathy Page (Green Party)
- Michael Redfern (Liberal Democrats)
Heswall
- Ann Ainsworth (Labour)
- Barbara Burton (Green Party)
- Paul Connolly (Conservative)
- Lucy Johnson (Lib Dem)
Hoylake and Meols
- Alix Cockcroft (Green Party)
- Tony Cox (Conservative)
- John Ellis (Independent)
- Peter Reisdorf (Lib Dem)
- David Sindall (Labour)
Leasowe and Moreton East
- Debbie Caplin (Conservative)
- Angie Davies (Labour)
- Chase Newton (Lib Dem)
- Hannah Rapley (Green)
Liscard
- Francis Doyle (Lib Dem)
- Jane Owens (Conservative)
- Perle Sheldricks (Green)
- Janette Williamson (Labour)
Moreton West and Saughall Massie
- Hilary Cullen (Green Party)
- James Laing (Labour)
- Christopher Teggin (Lib Dem)
- Vida Wilson (Conservatives)
New Brighton
- Adam Keenan (Lib Dem)
- Darren May (Conservative)
- Sue Powell-Wilde (Labour)
- Cynthia Stonall (Green Party)
Oxton
- Allan Brame (Lib Dem)
- Philip Griffiths (UKIP)
- Rachel Heydon (Green)
- Susan Mahoney (Labour)
- Philip Merry (Conservative)
Pensby and Thingwall
- Allen Burton (Green Party)
- Leah Fraser (Conservative)
- Finlay Gordon (Labour)
- Phil Waterfield (Lib Dem)
Prenton
- Naomi Graham (Green Party)
- William Harland (Conservative)
- Julienne McGeough (Labour)
- David Tyrrell (Lib Dem)
Rock Ferry
- Chris Davies (Labour)
- Stephen Davies (Independent)
- Craig McDonald (Green Party)
- Simon Mendies (Conservative)
- Tom Sutton (Lib Dem)
Seacombe
- Bobby Cartwright (Conservative)
- John Hoey (Labour)
- Anthony Morris (Lib Dem)
- Rae Voller (Green)
Upton
- Stephen Bennett (Labour)
- Lily Clough (Green)
- Alan Davies (Lib Dem)
- David Fairbairn (Conservative)
Wallasey
- Andrew Bennett (Labour)
- John Codling (Lib Dem)
- Moira Gommon (Green)
- Lesley Rennie (Conservative)
West Kirby and Thurstaston
- Jeff Green (Conservative)
- Yvonne McGinley (Green)
- Lawrence Monk (Northern Independence Party - Nationalise Energy Companies)
- John Mullins (Lib Dem)
- Louise Reecejones (Labour)
