Wirral Council is set for crunch elections which could lead to huge changes in the local authority.
Labour is the largest party, but is well short of a majority. On a bad night for the party, it could lose its leadership of the council.
On the other hand, if ‘Partygate’ hits the Tories in Thursday’s vote, Labour could hope to make big strides towards regaining its majority. There are big battles to look out for in Birkenhead and Seacombe, where the Greens are looking to tear through some of Labour’s heartlands.
READ MORE: Local elections 2022: Everywhere in Wirral you can vote
Pensby and Thingwall is the classic swing seat in the borough, with Labour and the Tories battling it out for a ward which could be key to deciding who takes charge of the council. Local elections are a chance for voters to cast their verdict on their local council, but they are often also used by voters to express anger about national issues.
This year, Wirral Council passed a £20m cuts package, which has seen the council withdraw funding from nine libraries, Woodchurch Leisure Centre and two public golf courses. Labour and the Tories backed the plans, while the Liberal Democrats and the Greens were against.
As well as this, voters may be influenced by the cost of living crisis hitting people across the country and the ‘Partygate’ scandal which has rocked the government in recent months. On the night itself, voters can expect results to come in from as early as 11.30pm.
Some of the wards with the lowest turnout and least competitive races, which have historically been in Birkenhead areas such as Bidston and St James, have declared around this time in previous years. After these earlier declarations, results from many of Wirral’s 22 wards may well be announced rapidly starting after midnight.
But some of the key contests, such as Pensby and Thingwall, could take longer to count as tight results can lead to long arguments over spoilt ballot papers and other issues which can affect the result in areas where a small number of votes separate candidates.
Depending on how long such controversies go on for, we can expect all of Wirral’s results to be declared by around 1.30am-2am. Here are the names of everyone you can vote for in each Wirral Council ward on Thursday.
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)
