Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
At May’s Local Election, two of the happiest groups were the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. The former achieved a near clean sweep in Southport with 17 out of 21 seats but none anywhere else across Sefton.
Meanwhile, the latter won all three in Waterloo having only ever had one councillor in Sefton previously.
National, and indeed international, factors have since played a key role and this week saw one of those Waterloo councillors announce he had joined the Lib Dems. That is the focus of today’s main story.
Southport briefing
💊 Disability campaigner Teresa Smith BEM is fundraising to develop a dignified Thalidomide Memorial to honour the babies who died and the survivors whose lives were affected by the scandal. Teresa, from Southport, is among those victims and was feared to have just two minutes to live when she was born with no legs and short arms 66-years-ago. She spent much of her first two-and-a-half years receiving lifesaving treatment at Alder Hey hospital and has since dedicated decades to helping others both through her charitable work and in her career as a social worker. In 2022, she was awarded a BEM for services to Thalidomide patients and research in Merseyside. Teresa is now leading efforts to develop a memorial which is hoped to be installed outside The Strand in Bootle. Working with disabled sculptor Tony Heaton OBE, the initial round of fundraising seeks to develop the concept through drawn studies, discussion of design options, community consultation and production of a small 3D model of the proposed memorial. You can find out more and support the fundraiser here.
🚘 An ‘anti-skid’ surface is being added to a key bridge on the route between Southport and Preston after repeated crashes. Bank Bridge, on the A59 in Tarleton, was hit three times in the space of six weeks over the summer, with concrete blocks being put in place after the most serious of the incidents in order to plug the gap that had opened up in the structure. The new surface will start in advance of the bashed bridge on the Southport-bound side of the carriageway – on the sharp right-hand bend on the approach to the structure – which is the direction from which the summer’s accidents all occurred. An existing crash barrier on the pavement on that side of the road – designed to protect the bridge – stops just short of the point of impact in each of the smashes. The work will mean the road is closed every night between 8pm and 5am from 1st until 7th November at the latest.
“Traffic will be diverted between the A59’s junction with the A565 and the Carr House Lane roundabout – via the villages of Croston and Bretherton – during the closure. County Cllr Thomas de Freitas, who represents the West Lancashire North division, has repeatedly called for improved safety measures and said (LDRS) the move was a much-needed first step. “This is, of course, welcome and should lead to an improvement to the safety of the bridge. Lancashire County Council confirmed to me last week that they have spent around £150,000 on the bridge over the years to repair damage from accidents. It’s good to now see money spent on prevention, rather than just repairs. I’ll be continuing to push on behalf of my residents and businesses for improvements at this site.”
🚓 A man has appeared in court accused of a spate of burglaries across Southport. On Friday night, £125 was stolen in a break-in at Broadhurst’s Butchers at Southport Market while two cafes were also targeted in the town centre and Birkdale. Joshua Johnson, of West Street, has since been charged with three counts of burglary other than a dwelling and one count of attempted burglary other than a dwelling with intent to steal. The 30-year-old appeared at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Monday and was remanded into custody ahead of his next appearance at Liverpool Crown Court on November 30. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Hooley said: “This type of crime has a significant impact on businesses, including the inconvenience and cost of repairing the damage caused by a break-in. Small independent businesses are vital to the high street and local economy, and burglaries such as these can have a significant impact on business owners and their livelihoods. We are committed to supporting local businesses and taking action against those responsible for this type of crime.”
📱 Scammers are pretending to be officers from Merseyside Police when targeting potential victims with cold calls. Multiple reports were made on Monday of calls being made to members of the public which appeared to be from the force’s genuine switchboard number - 0151 709 6010 - but this had actually been done using a scam known as caller ID spoofing. An investigation has been launched and police are urging people to be aware of the scam and report any future instances. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said: “Impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence and it’s something we take extremely seriously. We will not hesitate to investigate any reports whether on people’s doorsteps, on the phone or online so that we can take action and bring offenders to justice. Shamefully, offenders like this often deliberately target the most vulnerable in our community.
“I would ask people to take a few minutes to speak to friends or relatives who may be vulnerable to such a scam so they are aware of the risks and have the right advice and guidance. There are a number of steps you and they can take to try to prevent this from happening: You can always ask a police officer for identification. All our officers have a collar number and a warrant card - if in any doubt, you can always check the name, collar number and crime reference numbers provided are genuine by calling 101. Remember, a police officer should never ask you to disclose your PIN number or card details, either in person, on the phone or online. If you suspect someone is impersonating a police officer please contact police.” Anyone with information which could assist the investigation is asked to DM @MerPolCC quoting reference number 781 of 2 November.
Ex-Green Party councillor joins Liberal Democrats after quitting party
By Jamie Lopez
A Sefton councillor who quit the Green Party last month has joined the Liberal Democrats.
Cllr Kieran Dams resigned from the Green in October in response to a motion being passed at the national party’s conference which stated that Zionism, the movement for a Jewish state, is racist. It also rejects a two-state solution and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state “with equal rights for all”.
Cllr Dams was one of three Green councillors elected in Waterloo in May and quit the party after the vote was passed having voted against it himself. After spending a few weeks serving as an independent councillor he has now confirmed his move to the Lib Dems.
He said: “What attracted me to the Liberal Democrats is the party’s driving principle that everybody is equal and should be able to succeed no matter their background.
“The party’s heritage is grounded in community politics and locally it is clear to see that the Lib Dems work hard in Southport and understand residents’ needs. In the council chamber I have seen them hold the Labour run Council to account over many issues including the closure of the Aviary, the overspend on Southport’s conference centre, the Pier and how to rejuvenate the town centre.
The Lib Dems hold all but four seats across Southport wards but until now did not have councillors anywhere else in Sefton.
Cllr Dams added: “By joining the Lib Dem group, I can better represent the residents of Waterloo by being part of a wider team working together to hold the Labour administration to account.
“I believe local government should be about making a real difference to people’s lives. I want to work with people who share that ambition and the belief that local councillors should be accessible, listen to residents and fight for the issues that matter to them.”
Lib Dem leader Cllr John Pugh said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Kieran into the Liberal Democrat Party and our group on Sefton Council. At a time when politics is becoming more tribal polarised and personality driven, our party’s principles to build a free and fair society that balances liberty, equality and community will appeal to many politicians in the centre and on the left that have become disaffected or disenchanted with other parties. We are their natural home.
“Being a local councillor should be about listening to residents and concentrating on issues that impact people’s everyday lives. Kieran shares those values and brings valuable experience and a real commitment to public service. We are very pleased that 17 Lib Dems have now become 18 on Sefton Council and we look forward to working with him.”
Until Cllr Neil Doolin was elected in 2024, the Green Party had never had a seat on Sefton Council and were delighted to see a clean sweep in Waterloo ward take that to three councillors in May’s local election. With Cllr Dams now having changed party, both Cllr Doolin and Cllr Samantha Cook remain in situ as Greens in the same ward and promised to continue working for residents.
A spokesperson for Sefton Greens said: “We understand that Kieran Dams has made the decision to join the Liberal Democrats after resigning the Green Party several weeks ago.
“Our focus as Green Councillors and Campaigners remains on advocacy for the people of Waterloo. We will continue to work hard for residents, hold the Labour administration to account, and campaign on the issues that matter most to communities across Sefton.
“Our energy and commitment remain steadfast and focused on delivering positive outcomes for all.”
