Election preview: Knowsley vote overshadowed by stadium plan

Apr 24 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

Artist's impression of Everton's new stadium & shops in Kirkby _400

KNOWSLEY council  leader Ron Round is up  for election in the  Swanside ward, and is in  bullish mood.

In a year that has seen  GCSE results plunge his  authority to the bottom of  the national league  ladder, and a political  party form to complain  about the council’s  handling of the Everton/  Tesco bid, Cllr Round  remains confident people  are still behind his  Labour group.

He said: “I think there  have been a lot of  hysterics with people  talking about town  centres in our borough.
 
“We have to look at the  opportunity there is for  the whole of Kirkby and  never before in history  has Knowsley conducted  such a rigorous  consultation.
 
“I have also not heard a  single serious complaint  about our attainment  levels on the doorsteps  as we’ve been going  around.”
 
“The main thing we are seeing is people saying they have problems with what’s happening nationally with the 10p income tax rate.
 
“Once we’ve got people back onto local issues on the doorstep people say they are very pleased with local service delivery and no-one is blaming us.
 
“We’ve got a strong track record of improving quality of life and I think election results again this year will back us.”
 
Increased competition across the borough does not worry the Labour leader either.
 
He said: “What happened in previous years is that Lib-Dems and Conservatives made deals and got confused over who was standing so wards like Swanside went uncontested.
 
“This year they’re challenging each other and you will see their vote diminish this year rather than grow.”

LIB-DEM leader Cllr Ian  Smith believes there is  panic in Knowsley, and  his party can capitalise  on a difficult year for the  Labour administration.
 
He said: “They’re  panicking in Knowsley,  as you know.
 
“Top of the agenda is  the town centres that  have been neglected. The  Labour group has to  rethink the way it goes  about regeneration and  take into account what  people really want.
 
“We’ve got to do something in Prescot, Huyton and potentially Kirkby about addressing the issues around the traditional town centre and how we can bring businesses back and make the situation more competitive. In Halewood they’ve been slow to develop Raven Court.
 
“The emphasis in this  council in the past has  been on out-of-town  industrial parks to attract  employment, but where  they have fallen down is  in the infrastructure of  town centres.
 
“If they’re not careful,  Kirkby will go the same  way as Prescot by  splitting the town  centre.”
 
He believes people are also frustrated about policing levels and the political picture nationally. He said Halewood and St Gabriels were on the hit list and is expecting surprises.
 
He said: “It’s a freedom day for many who have been denied the vote because there has been no choice for so long. That groundswell could prove interesting.”
 
He believes changes  are likely in Kirkby and  that Lib-Dems will  benefit.