Politicians in Liverpool are preparing for the most tightly-run fight over the town hall for years, as David Bartlett reports

BATTLE lines have been drawn in the first realistic challenge to the Liberal Democrat control of Liverpool City Council since 1998.

For the first time in a decade, there is a real prospect of the party losing overall control of the council.

In May’s local elections that are nationally predicted to see Labour perform badly, the party has made Liverpool its number one target.

The Lib-Dems’ leadership is marred by ongoing Standards Boards investigations, the council was named the worst in the country by the Audit Commission because of its “weak” finances, and Labour can boast the recent defection of Cllr Beatrice Fraenkel to their ranks.

But the Lib-Dems point to a relative reduction in the council tax burden since they took over and the regeneration of the city as their major achievements.

Liverpool, they say, is a very different place from what it was 10 years ago.

And council leader Warren Bradley is “up-beat” and confident his party will still be in control after May 1. People living in key battlegrounds should expect a plethora of leaflets to be dropping on to their door mats in the next few weeks.

Labour is confident they can increase their number of seats, and look likely to.

But, barring a complete meltdown of the Lib-Dem vote, this is unlikely to translate to Labour taking over.

The more likely event is a hung council.

On paper, the Liberal Democrats currently have 48 seats, Labour has 36, the Liberals three, the Greens one, and there is one independent and one vacancy after the death of Lib-Dem Bob Ousby.

But, on closer inspection, the Lib-Dems will really go into the count on May 1 with 50 of the city’s 90 seats.

The Cressington seat of Cllr Fraenkel, who will be standing in the safe Labour ward of Kirkdale, is likely to return to the Lib-Dems, and there is Cllr Ousby’s seat as well.

LABOUR have made steady gains over the last couple of years, but to take outright control, Labour effectively have to take 11 new seats.

In recent by-elections, Labour has overturned majorities of 27 and 33 percentage points.

Labour leader Joe Anderson said: “We have got a real opportunity to push forwards where the Lib-Dems’ majority is anything under 30%.

“This gives us a chance quite simply because the Lib-Dems are considered as being out of touch and arrogant by many people.”

There are four wards where a Lib-Dem councillor is standing where a Labour councillor was returned last year, and these will be considered must-wins by Cllr Anderson’s group. There are another five wards where the Lib-Dems have a majority of less than 30 percentage points.

But the Lib-Dems believe they, too, can take seats and are targeting Princes Park, Central and in particular Croxteth where they snatched a seat last year.

The minority parties – the Liberals and the Greens – are also hopeful of making gains.

Last year, former Lib-Dem John Coyne kept his St Michael’s seat under the Green banner and is hopeful his candidate, Sarah Jennings, will join him representing the ward.

After May’s elections, the next time Liverpool goes to the polls to chose local representatives will be 2010.

“That’s why we are making a real effort this year,” said Cllr Anderson. “Another two years of the Lib-Dems would be a disaster.”

HE CLAIMED that only Labour can take Liverpool on to the next level in terms of regeneration.

Cllr Bradley seems relaxed, though. He said: “I am quite up-beat. We have worked hard over the past 12 months.

“Our record since 1998 speaks volumes. When we were elected in 1998 we promised to keep council tax low, improve education, improve confidence in the city and investment – and that’s what we have done.”

“We are confident we will still be the controlling party.”

He said the party will be asking people on the doorsteps whether Liverpool has changed for the better in the last 10 years.

“Most people in Liverpool would agree,” he added.

Labour are well aware of the state they left the city in when their tenure came to an end in 1998. “I think there was a need for a change, the Labour party had become insular and out of touch,” said Cllr Anderson.

“We have learnt from that. We have learnt from the painful experience of 10 years in opposition.

“Maybe we needed that to refresh and renew.

“I believe we have got the vision and determination and the expertise required to move the city forward to the next level.”

He has also been on a charm offensive with the city’s business leaders and is promising some big ideas in the party’s manifesto, which is due to be unveiled soon.

“We have been talking to people and preparing for power for the past two years.”

davidbartlett