Who are the 112 candidates in the 2015 Wirral Council elections?
Who are the 112 candidates in the 2015 Wirral Council elections?
The nomination period for anyone wishing to stand as a candidate in the elections to become a councillor at Wirral Council has closed. As usual elections in each of the twenty-two wards on Wirral are all being contested. Wards are listed alphabetically, then the candidates alphabetically by surname. One candidate (the Conservative candidate in Liscard) called Ann Ondra Lavin has withdrawn their nomination, therefore is not included in the list of candidates. Polling day is on the 7th May, with results expected on the 8th May.
Name of ward
Name of candidate
Description
Bebington
Jim Bradshaw
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Bebington
Des Drury
The Conservative Party Candidate
Bebington
Brian Downing Gill
Liberal Democrats
Bebington
Anthony James Smith
Green Party
Bebington
Jerry Williams
Labour Party
Bidston & St. James
Karl Richard Cumings
Green Party
Bidston & St. James
Geoffrey Peter Dormand
The Conservative Party Candidate
Bidston & St. James
Ben Halligan
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Bidston & St. James
Brian Martin Kenny
Labour Party
Bidston & St. James
Roy John Wood
Liberal Democrat
Birkenhead & Tranmere
Jayne Louise Stephanie Clough
Green Party
Birkenhead & Tranmere
June Irene Cowin
The Conservative Party
Birkenhead & Tranmere
Philip Leslie Davies
Labour Party
Birkenhead & Tranmere
Monica Price
Liberal Democrat
Birkenhead & Tranmere
Laurence John Sharpe-Stevens
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Bromborough
Mike Collins
The Conservative Party Candidate
Bromborough
Sue Colquhoun
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Bromborough
Penelope Ruth Golby
Liberal Democrats
Bromborough
Mark Halligan
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Bromborough
Percy Hogg
Green Party
Bromborough
Joe Walsh
Labour Party
Clatterbridge
Jan Cambridge
Liberal Democrats
Clatterbridge
Jenny Holliday
Labour Party
Clatterbridge
Roger Laurence Jones
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Clatterbridge
Vinny Spencer
Green Party
Clatterbridge
Adam Christopher Sykes
The Conservative Party Candidate
Claughton
Tom Cubbin
Green Party
Claughton
Stephen Foulkes
The Labour Party Candidate
Claughton
Philip William Barrington Griffiths
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Claughton
Barbara Vera Sinclair
The Conservative Party Candidate
Claughton
Christopher Teggin
Liberal Democrat
Eastham
Paul Thomas Cartlidge
Green Party
Eastham
Keith Ross Jack
The Conservative Party Candidate
Eastham
Dave Mitchell
Liberal Democrats
Eastham
Helen Louise Robinson
Labour Party
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
David Robert Burgess-Joyce
The Conservative Party Candidate
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
Laurence Cresswell Jones
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
Julie McManus
Labour Party
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
Catherine Anne Page
Green Party
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
Peter Timothy Clifford Reisdorf
Liberal Democrats
Heswall
Barbara Florence Burton
Green Party
Heswall
Andrew Chapman Hodson
The Conservative Party Candidate
Heswall
Mike Holliday
Labour Party
Heswall
David Anthony Scott
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Heswall
David Robert Tyrrell
Liberal Democrats
Hoylake & Meols
Gerry Ellis
The Conservative Party Candidate
Hoylake & Meols
Bill McGenity
Labour Party
Hoylake & Meols
Yvonne McGinley
Green Party
Hoylake & Meols
Michael Graham Redfern
Liberal Democrats
Hoylake & Meols
George David Robinson
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Leasowe & Moreton East
Ron Abbey
Labour Party
Leasowe & Moreton East
Jan Davison
UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Leasowe & Moreton East
Denis Thomas Knowles
Local Conservatives
Leasowe & Moreton East
Craig John Reynolds
Green Party
Liscard
Daniel Clein
Liberal Democrats – Stronger Economy Fairer Society
Councillor Paul Hayes “The aspiration should not be for imitation for the Lyndale School, we have the real thing”
Councillor Paul Hayes “The aspiration should not be for imitation for the Lyndale School, we have the real thing”
On the day that Wirral Council fires the starting gun in the local elections with the publication of the notice of election giving candidates until 4pm on Thursday 9th April to submit their nomination papers, I thought it would be good to look back at an issue that has divided the political parties on Wirral Council which was the decision to close Lyndale School.
When Wirral Council met last month to decide its budget for 2015/16 the Conservatives submitted an amendment to Labour’s schools budget. As the amendment was short I will repeat it here:
The Lyndale School
Council recognises the unique and caring environment provided by The Lyndale School to children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Council acknowledges the value of this facility and affirms its belief that such provision should remain at The Lyndale School.
Council, having regard to the overwhelming support given to the campaign to keep The Lyndale School open by the public of Wirral recognises that The Lyndale School should remain open and wishes to bring to an end the anguish and uncertainty that has been heaped on pupils and their parents and carers throughout this whole sorry saga.
Accordingly, Council requests Cabinet to issue a Revocation Notice to consult on proposals to stop all current and planned action being taken to close The Lyndale School immediately. Should this be approved, Cabinet is further requested to instruct officers to commence negotiations with the Schools Forum and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the High Needs Funding Formula so as to identify and secure adequate funding to enable The Lyndale School to remain open from 1 April 2016. The revised High Needs Funding Formula shall be expressly detailed in the Schools Budget for 2016/17.
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Councillor Paul Hayes speaks about Lyndale School 24th February 2015
Here’s what Councillor Paul Hayes had to say on the Conservative amendment to the Schools Budget:
Mr Mayor, tonight we will expect the usual debates on the principles of budgetary principles for the Council and how we prioritise taxpayers’ money to deliver services, but the fact is Mr Mayor this issue, the Lyndale School is not about money. So much has already been confirmed throughout this entire process both by the Cabinet Member and by council officers.
Mr Mayor, this is about, this isn’t about cuts from above, it’s about choices on the ground, choices in this Town Hall and in this Chamber this evening. It’s about how you choose to care and educate for some of the most vulnerable children in our community, children with some of the most profound and multiple learning difficulties and Mr Mayor surely there can be no doubt that the excellent caring and learning environment provided to the children of Lyndale School for so long should continue to be done so at the Lyndale School in Eastham.
The aspiration should not be for imitation for the Lyndale School, we have the real thing, right here in Wirral. Surely Members will join me in the fight to keep it?
Mr Mayor, the Council needs to listen to the real experts in this issue, the parents, the staff and the carers of the pupils of Lyndale. These families who have stood steadfast in defence of this excellent school. We shouldn’t be blindly accepting the views of an expert consultant who charged us £10,000 for the benefit of her advice and as I’ve learned today an extra £500 when called to give evidence at the call in.
Mr Mayor, the Lyndale campaign was of course and as we’ve heard tonight from other Members been recently boosted by Dawn Hughes and her daughter Ellie, I know that Dawn is in the public gallery this evening. She secured backing of a tribunal in her battle to keep Ellie at the School which gives her so much security and comfort.
Mr Mayor, if a learned and I’m sure very distinguished tribunal judge and its two lay panel members recognise the uniqueness of Lyndale School and the real harm moving children from this environment would cause then why can’t Wirral Council?
Mr Mayor, I know some of the Labour Members are very uncomfortable with the decision to close Lyndale School. I appeal to them to make their votes count tonight. This amendment, this second amendment does not put the Labour Budget at risk, it corrects an appalling decision which should never have been made and it halts the anguish which has been caused upon some of the most vulnerable families in our society. I know that it’s difficult to vote a different way to friends and colleagues in the same group and I should know as I’m probably going to do that at item 7a.
However Mr Mayor, this is too much of an important issue to be decided on imposed party whip or as Councillor Sullivan alluded to the block vote. I note that neither the Leader of the Council nor Councillor Tony Smith (the Cabinet Member) have mentioned the Lyndale School in their contributions earlier. I hope Members will not forget Lyndale amongst the political wrangling of tonight and vote to keep this crucial and vital school community.
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Why are Wirral councillors trying to kill off press freedom by a new public meetings filming ban?
Why are Wirral councillors trying to kill off press freedom by a new public meetings filming ban?
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Video of the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee from 3rd March 2015, the item on filming starts 43 seconds into the meeting
Surjit Tour (Monitoring Officer at Wirral Council) gives councillors his opinion at the meeting that he doesn’t think the draft policy banning filming breaches the Human Rights Act 1998 3rd March 2015
Last night councillors (as you can see from the video above) on Wirral Council’s Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee agreed to bash the final nail in the coffin of press freedom to report on public meetings of Wirral Council and recommended to all councillors at the next Council meeting on the 16th of March that press freedom remain dead and buried (that is they recommended a draft policy on the reporting of all public meetings of Wirral Council).
Labour councillors on the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee last night repeatedly prevented any discussion by opposition councillors on the controversial subjects of the closure of Lyndale School and library opening hours. If councillors from the ruling group can’t respect and listen to viewpoints they may not agree with, how can democracy actually function at all on Wirral Council?
The draft policy (if approved by Council) will mean that at the start of the meeting the Chair will ask anyone if they have any objections to the meeting being filmed. If someone does object the Chair will stop the meeting being filmed. However any legal powers Chairs may have had to stop filming of public meetings were repealed by the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 last year.
The policy goes much further and states a ban on editing filming, photography or recording of a meeting that could cause “reputational harm”.
Wirral Council seem to not recognise the importance of the independence of the press and councillors on the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee don’t seem to think there is anything wrong with this policy.
If you’re from the Wirral and would like to make your views known to your local councillors ahead of the Council meeting on the 16th March, their contact details are on this page. As emails to councillors are no routinely filtered, I would suggest phoning or writing by mail.