Safe seat for councillor who quit Lib Dems for Labour

Mar 20 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Safe seat after party switch

A COUNCILLOR who defected from the Liberal Democrats to Labour has been found a safe seat ahead of May’s local elections in Liverpool.

The Daily Post can reveal Cllr Beatrice Fraenkel will stand in the city’s Kirkdale ward in place of Pat Holleran who retired yesterday on health grounds.

She will switch to the north of the city from affluent Cressington where she was deselected by the Lib-Dems in favour of Paula Keaveney.

It comes as popular Lib-Dem councillor Kevin Firth tonight faces deselection amid claims he challenged the party leader Warren Bradley over the fallout from the Mathew Street festival cancellation.

Cllr Firth will be challenged for the right to stand in the Old Swan ward in May at a meeting of the Liberal Democrat’s West Derby and Wavertree association.

The Daily Post understands that Gary Millar, chief executive of Parr Street Studios and chairman of the Linda McCartney Centre Field of Women Appeal, will be the main contender for the party’s nomination.

Pat Holleran’s retirement means there will be two seats for the Kirkdale ward in contention at the local elections. Cllr Joe Hanson, who represents the area, will also de-fend his Kirkdale seat.

Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said Cllr Fraenkel would bring a “wealth of experience and knowledge” to representing the area.

In December council leader Warren Bradley came under fire for his handling of the Mathew Street Festival fiasco.

According to a senior party source there was a meeting of Lib-Dem group at the town hall during the December period of intense pressure on Cllr Bradley and the party.

The source said: “Kevin Firth had the temerity to hold the leader of the group to account.”

Last night Cllr Firth told the Daily Post: “I remain fully committed to the Lib-Dems and I hope that on the basis of my good service my group will reselect me.”

Last night Cllr Bradley said: “In a democratic political party you are entitled to challenge a sitting candidate – it’s not something new.

“The questions he asked I asked him to ask because it is about transparency, but that’s not the reason somebody has challenged Kevin.”

davidbartlett@dailypost.co.uk