Election preview: Wirral set to remain a hung council

Apr 22 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

STEVE FOULKES, leader of  Wirral Labour Party:

“Labour is passionate about  positive politics. We’re here  to make a real difference,  and we’re here for the long  haul. But we’re not going to  do it at your expense.

“This year, Labour has  again delivered a Council  Tax below RPI and lower  than the national  average. Once only  three councils had a  higher council tax  level than Wirral.  Now there are 241.

“The Conservatives have waited in  vain for dramatic  closures. Dedication, hard  work and rigorous financial  scrutiny is how we work. It’s  not headline grabbing, but it  allows us to double the  Council Tax discount for  over-75s, provide free  swimming for young people  and pensioners, deliver  improvements in our public  spaces, tackle dog fouling,  tackle climate change,  and give ordinary  people more say in the services they want, amongst many other improvements.

“We demand  dedication. Pat  Hackett with the Floral  Pavilion scheme in  New Brighton, Don  Prout, who pion-  eered the  transfer of housing stock in  Leasowe with dramatic  improvements and who  oversaw the creation of the  Millennium Centre, Sue  Brown with a brand new  school in Upton, Sue Percy  helping deliver conservation  status in Bebington, Dave  Hawkins working to bring  £820,000 of Lottery money  into Liscard – all positive  people with positive politics  for Wirral.

“There are billions of  pounds worth of investment  in Wirral in the pipeline, which will benefit our children and our children’s children,  simply because Wirral is  now seen as a safe and  attractive place to invest.
 
“Let’s keep it that way.”

SIMON HOLBROOK, leader  of Wirral Liberal Democrats:

“Last year, Wirral Council  faced a significant challenge  – four years of a divided  cabinet had produced a  looming budget deficit of  £45m, a bins collection  service in chaos, and a  council lacking direction.

“One year later, the  council’s budget has been  stabilised and the bins  chaos has been ended, and the council knows where it’s going.

“£16m of efficiencies have  been achieved and at 3.66%  the Council Tax rise is  second lowest on  Merseyside. Bin collections  are back on track and  recycling rates have more  than doubled to 32%, the  best on Merseyside. 

“An extra £1m has been  put into local services such  as reducing graffiti and dog  fouling, investing in reading,  allotments and play areas,  cutting carbon emissions,  introducing 20mph zones  and giving people a bigger  say in how money is  spent in their local  area.

“Change has  come about  because the Liberal  Democrats have  taken a bigger role in  running the council,  replacing the  Conservatives who had  previously failed Wirral  through their inept  leadership of the  Environment and  Streetscene portfolios.  Liberal Democrats have  brought new vitality to the  borough, resulting in a new  vision and a new corporate  plan.

“Looking forward, we need to implement that vision - building jobs and prosperity through attracting investment. Wirral’s potential is being recognised, but we must make sure everyone benefits. “We will continue to  make  safe, clean and  environmentally  sustainable  communities our  priority. 

“Liberal  Democrats have  shown we can  deliver  change and make a difference. With your support we can do more.”

COLIN HAWKESWORTH,  Green Party spokesperson  and candidate for Hoylake  and Meols:

“Time for Green action  instead of greenwash.

“Greens are expecting  further strong progress in  these elections. With  soaring food and  fuel prices, a  financial  system on  the verge  of  collapse  and  mounting  evidence  that cli-  mate change  is accel-  erating far  faster than previously  thought, true sustainability  has never been more  pressing.

“However, the mainstream  parties remain clueless in  the face of these challenges.  They urge us to get out of  our cars and use  alternatives which they have  failed to provide. They  endorse local shopping and  cutting down on food miles  while facilitating the onward  march of the supermarkets.

“They preach the gospel  of energy efficiency, yet  numerous blocks of flats  built to hopelessly  inadequate standards have  plagued large parts of  Wirral. They warn us that  climate change is a pressing  threat while falling over  themselves to support the  expansion of Liverpool  Airport.

“A Green Council would  implement real change. In  Hoylake, the council wants  to eat up existing farmland  for a resource-wasting golf  resort.

“Greens would instead  promote Hoylake/West Kirby  as the number one low- carbon leisure destination in  the North West with sailing,  walking, cycling and  beaches all easily accessible by rail. Instead of a four storey hotel on the seafront in West Kirby wWe would promote  the expansion of family-  owned hotels and B&Bs that  provide long-term  employment and increase local economic activity.”

“Across Wirral we would oppose the onslaught of poorly designed blocks of flats that serve the profit motive rather than the real needs of local people. Increasingly voters are seeing through the hypocrisy of the mainstream parties and are recognising that Greens follow through on their
commitments.”

JEFF GREEN, leader of  Wirral Conservative Party:

“I want Wirral to be cleaner,  greener and safer. That’s  why Conservatives, across  Wirral, want to do more to  tackle the problems of dog  fouling, litter and graffiti and  one of the reasons we  opposed cuts to closed- circuit TV cameras by the  Labour and  Liberal  Democrat  Cabinet and  why we  argued  against  cutting  Police  Com-  munity Support Officers from  our streets.

“Wirral also needs a  council that recognises the  threat to our local economy.  A council that recognises we  must do all we can to protect  and enhance our local  shopping centres and our  economy – that’s why, if  elected to run the council,  the Conservative Group will  never expand parking  charges. As a first step, we  will introduce free parking  for the first half hour at all  council car parks that currently do charge.

“For us, local politics isn’t  just about talking, it’s also  about doing.  Around Wirral,  you will find Conservative  councillors and candidates  really getting to grips with  issues in our communities,  protecting Post Offices,  fighting for NHS dental  services, tackling anti social  behaviour and local disorder  or running green action  days.

“We want Wirral to have a  council that spends your  money sensibly, that listens  to local people and gets the  job done. Budgets do matter, but people count.

“Only the Conservatives  can offer the fresh approach  Wirral so desperately needs  to fighting crime and  disorder, cleaning up the  environment and valuing and nurturing the  voluntary groups that do so  much to ensure we live in a  civil society.”

Notes from the smaller parties > > > >