LIVERPOOL council leader Joe Anderson emerged as an early front runner in a project that aims to shed light on who governs Merseyside.

Last night, the first public debate on “Who Governs Merseyside?” took place at the Bluecoat Art’s Centre.

A public vote will now follow and a second debate will be called next month with the top five nominees invited to take part.

Cllr Anderson was nominated by all three panellists in last night’s debate.

BBC radio host Roger Philips, Professor of Economic Geography at the European Institute for Urban Affairs at John Moores University, Richard Meegan, and Phil Knibb, chief executive of the community- based education campus Communiversity, in Croxteth, led the panel.

Former Liverpool council leader Lord Mike Storey, and Blackburne House Women’s Technology Centre chief executive Claire Dove, were also listed as panellists, but could not attend.

Prof Meegan opened the debate, saying: “We live in one of the most centralised democracies. We are starting to see the full impact of cuts to budgets, that is an example of central government taking away.

“So for those reasons my first nominations are [Communities Secretary] Eric Pickles and [Business Secretary] Vincent Cable.”

He went on to nominate Rod Holmes chairman of The Mersey Partnership, (TMP) which brings together the public, private, and voluntary sectors.