Election preview: Knowsley vote overshadowed by stadium plan

Apr 24 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

ONE issue has  dominated the  headlines  continuously since  the last round of  elections in Knowsley – Everton  and Tesco’s joint bid to regenerate  Kirkby.

Feeling has run so high that  traditional Labour voters have  formed the single issue  1st4Kirkby party to challenge the  sitting candidates.

This year, two cabinet members  are up for re-election in the town  and all wards are being contested.

Cllr Jackie Harris, executive  member for community safety  and social inclusion, is standing  against the leader of the new  party Tony Barton and a former  Labour executive and one-time Robert Kilroy-Silk’s agent, Peter Fisher.

Cllr Harris believes her record  of 30 years’ work within Kirkby,  and her success last year in  winning £500,000 to refurbish  Southdene Community Centre,  stand her in good stead.

“At my surgeries every week,  I’m not just hearing about  Everton and Tesco. It’s safety and  education that people talk about,  and refuse and the day-to-day  things.”

“We’ve managed massive crime reduction here and people care about that.”

Her view is echoed by Cllr  Eddie Connor, cabinet member for  leisure, community and culture,  standing in Northwood.

He said: “We’re about to close  down three schools and open two  centres of learning in Kirkby. This  is a massive issue and people are  concerned and interested in it.”

Labour’s sweeping Future Schooling in Knowsley programme is revolutionising secondary school provision in the borough. The colossal investment and reorganisation comes after Knowsley was rated bottom nationally this year for GCSE performance.

But 1st4Kirkby’s Mr Barton  believes they have under- estimated the strength of feeling  around Everton and Tesco’s  planning application.

Standing alongside Ann  Murphy and Jennifer Wharton,  all Kirkby residents, he believes  on doorsteps in all six wards people are furious and prepared to  vote out the sitting councillors.

He said: “The question I keep  hearing is ‘why do we need a  stadium’? That hasn’t been  answered. We’re all in favour of  regeneration but what benefits  will it really bring?”

Days after it emerged that  Development Securities had sold  up its share of the town centre,  Lib-Dem candidate for Whitefield  John Wickham agrees that the  existing town centre could be  damaged by the stadium and  superstore bid.

But he claims to be suspicious  of any single issue party such as  1st4Kirkby.

He said: “There’s a bit of  resentment because we feel they  may split the anti Labour vote and allow them to get back in.”
 
Kirkby will also see one  Conservative candidate in the  Cherryfield ward, and the British  National Party will contest the  Whitefield seat for the second  consecutive year.

Cabinet members in the firing line > > >