‘LITTLE Ben” was restored in time to ring in the New Year at Liverpool Town Hall. Will 2010 see Labour restored to power in the council chamber below?

It’s a fascinating question because, although there may be a mood for change after a dozen years of Lib-Dem rule, Labour could be hampered by national unpopularity as it fights the General Election, likely to be on the same day, May 6.

A lot will depend on what the people of Merseyside more generally make of David Cameron. The Conservative leader is here on Thursday supporting Debi Jones in the redrawn constituency of Sefton Central. The visit, so early in the New Year, is a sign that the Tories are determined to grab the seats they can in our area. They must take Sefton Central and Wirral West and South to stand a chance of getting an overall majority.

Liverpool itself remains a desert for the Tories, a city that had six Conservative MPs 50 years ago. Older readers may recall that they included Reg Bevins, who became Postmaster General. Now it’s a graveyard, with the Tories seeming to have given up the ghost. They haven’t even picked candidates for the city’s constituencies. Mr Cameron would do well to announce who his standard bearers will be on Thursday. There are Conservative supporters in seats like Wavertree and West Derby, and they deserve to be respected.

The choice of a Parliamentary candidate is even more pressing for Labour in Wavertree. The retirement of Jane Kennedy has given a fillip to the campaign of the Lib-Dems. Expect a substantial degree of London influence over this selection. Labour’s National Executive has decided on an all- women shortlist, issuing a bullish statement about the need for a better gender balance in Parliament. They have also set up a special panel to “oversee” selections from now till polling day.

All this may assist the chances of Luciana Berger. She’s on the London Jewish Forum, is a member of the very influential Labour Friends of Israel, and is believed to have the support of the outgoing MP.

If Cameron’s Conservatives do win power, they could well be bottom of the opinion polls next New Year. The cuts in public spending will dominate 2010 and bring unpopularity to whoever makes them. There are signs that the Merseyside economy is reasonably well positioned to weather the storm. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show the area is performing better than other metropolitan regions.

Jobs will help. What’s needed is the Government’s go-ahead for the Mersey Gateway project in Halton. A decision was expected before Christmas for a scheme so vital to the southern part of our area.

Let’s also hope that having been chosen as a World Cup 2018 venue, the world’s football stars will be playing in the new, rather than the old Anfield, with a start being made this year on the project that will also kick-start the regeneration of north Liverpool.