Reform target Sefton Council control in first all-out vote in more than two decades
Plus: Traders plead for help during Southport Market roadworks
Hello and welcome to the 33rd edition of The Southport Lead.
While Sefton Council did not hold elections last year, next year will see its first all-out vote in more than two decades as a result of boundary change. That means that every single seat will be up for contention and Labour faces more risk to hold its strong majority than under the usual system where only one-third of the council is elected at a time.
After emphatically taking control of neighbouring Lancashire County Council last week, Reform UK now have high hopes to continue their growth and attention turns to places like Sefton where further success could be on offer.
But within the collapse of Labour and the Conservatives last week, there was also success for the likes of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and independent councillors. Today’s newsletter looks ahead to the 2026 vote as various parties try to stake a claim for why it could be their year.
Also in today’s edition, we hear from traders who have been affected by ongoing works around Southport Market as they ask for more support to help survive the disruption.
With the whole of Sefton Council up for grabs, can anyone seize control from Labour?
By Jamie Lopez
Reform UK is targeting control of Sefton Council after its success in the Lancashire County Council elections.
The Nigel Farage-led party enjoyed huge success in last week’s local elections, taking a large majority in Lancashire as well as taking control of and having two mayors and an MP elected.
The results were interpreted as an expression of dissatisfaction with the traditional ‘big two parties’, with Labour nationally shedding popularity after last year’s General Election success and the Conservatives pushing to further depths.
In Lancashire, support for both the two main parties collapsed county-wide – with the Tories 48-seat tally after the last election in 2021 plummeting to eight and Labour being left with only five elected members, having had 32 four years ago.
In places such as this, Reform now faces the prospect of delivering on the promises it made pre-election and doing so with a politically inexperienced team. The next few months will give an indication of how well it can live up to the expectations of supporters, many of whom expect radical change.
An announcement of a ban on any flags other than the Union Flag or St George’s cross being displayed above county halls was scrapped within a matter of hours and many will hope such greater focus is given to the bigger promises made ahead of the election.
How Reform manages those expectations may prove crucial in influencing areas like Sefton, where elections will be held next year. While the council usually only sees one third of seats contested at a time, boundary changes mean every single seat will be up for contention in 2026.
In Southport, movements are already under way to achieve similar success, with Reform this week issuing a callout for prospective candidates for next year’s election.
Andrew Lynn, who stood as the Reform candidate in the last general election and has since acted as the party’s Southport spokesperson, said: “Whatever may be your national politics, this is a remarkable opportunity to take back control of Sefton, and make it work for the residents of Southport again after years of neglect.
“Unlike the Tories and Lib Dems, who have been content to remain in a permanent minority in Sefton, Reform intends to vigorously contest every seat across the local authority area.
“Our branch will field three high-quality council candidates in every Southport ward in 2026. While we already have significant interest, we wish to ensure that all Southport residents get the chance to express an interest in standing for us.”
According to Andrew, who studied at Edinburgh University and Cambridge University before embarking a career in law in Hong Kong, prospective candidates should “display high integrity, moral courage, commitment, strength of character, energy, and ability to work as part of a team”.
He added: “While there is no absolute deadline, we intend to get prospective candidates organised and ready to start engaging with the local community as soon as possible, in order to give Southport the very best chance of forging a new future for itself under sympathetic and supportive local government.”
Sefton Council is currently controlled by a large Labour majority, with the ruling party holding 50 of the 66 seats. In Southport specifically, there is a greater split with the Liberal Democrats holding nine of 21 seats in the town, Labour having seven and the Conservatives having four. There is also one independent councillor, Sean Halsall.
While Lancashire’s headline result was Reform’s sudden surge to power, the election also saw positives for the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party with increased representation.
Elsewhere, the Lib Dems are celebrating their own performance in last week’s election, having gained control of three councils and become the largest party on another four.
Cllr John Pugh is the Liberal Democrat group leader in Sefton and believes his party is well positioned to perform well at next year’s election.
He told The Southport Lead: “There will be something of a competition to wrest Sefton from the suffocating grip of Labour next year and now Lib Dems have more council seats across England than the Conservatives following the elections, we intend to keep going in Sefton..
“A week is a long time in politics; a year from now unpredictable- but without a media bandwagon hard working Lib Dem councillors got a massive thumbs up from the electorate in this May's elections and will next year.
“Sefton voters will undoubtedly be looking for change and I like to think most of them prefer a party like the local Lib Dems that has repeatedly shown good sense and commitment rather than the latest Farage project.
“By 2026 though the electorate will know for sure what Trump/Farage populism gets us.”
Meanwhile, the Conservatives continue to insist the party remains an attractive proposition despite its national struggles.
Following the election of Thomas de Freitas to West Lancashire North - a location which is in Lancashire for local elections but Southport for General Elections - the party says it is a sign of the town’s confidence in the party.
Mike Prendergast, who stood in the General Election and is spokesperson for Southport Conservatives, said: “Thomas de Freitas’s election is a testament to the hard work locally, he and his fellow councillors put in for their local communities. Where Conservatives win, this leads to better outcomes for local people.
“At a national level, we know we have a lot to do to win back the support of those who might have voted for another party for the first time in their lives. That work continues and in Southport and the Northern Parishes we will be carrying on with that work across the constituency. Only the Conservatives can beat Labour in Southport and the Northern Parishes.”
News in headlines
The Old Bakehouse Coffee Shop offers a warm welcome to customers as a new community hub (Stand Up For Southport)
Bebe King’s aunt and uncles celebrate delayed weddings as they say ‘Bebe was right here with us’ (Stand Up For Southport)
“I don’t know how much longer we can survive”
By Elliot Jessett
Small businesses are claiming the management and implementation of Southport’s latest regeneration project is putting their livelihoods at risk. “We’re watching this place die and businesses like mine seem to be collateral damage”, said one trader.
The issues relate to Sefton Council’s ‘Les Transformations de Southport’ project which will pedestrianise Market Street and plans to improve interconnectivity, create new public spaces and increase footfall to the area.
According to the local authority, ‘Les Transformations de Southport’ proposes to return the town ‘to the grandeur of Victorian England’ when it was the country’s second most popular tourist destination. The name is a reference to a curious bit of 19th century history involving the exiled French Emperor Louis Napoleon’s visit to Southport.
Nonetheless, it also means major roadworks which began in February and will be ongoing for the next six months – completion is scheduled for November this year. Currently, parts of King Street and Market Street are completely cut off to transport and only a few narrow pathways are available for pedestrians to get about the area.
Rosie Coates, 43, is the proprietor of Crystals & Crowns on Market Street and has been up and running since December 2022. Rosie said she knew the roadworks were planned for the area but they were subject to constant delays before contractors started earlier this year.
Rosie said business was good in the first year of trading and even got to a point where she was covering costs, making revenue and earning enough to pay herself a salary. However, since the roadworks started, local businesses said they have suffered a massive loss in trade – up to 75% in some cases.
Rose said: “I do think it’ll look lovely when it’s done. I’m not opposed to the transition, but it’s how long it’s taking and the accessibility issues which profoundly impact on us.”
She added: “Since January, I’ve probably made about half of my bills each month, and the rest I’ve had to pay out of what little savings I have.
“It’s a tiny shop and I don’t do this to make tons of money. I just want to cover my bills because I love what I do, but I honestly don’t know how much longer we can survive.
Pointing to the multiple roadworks surrounding her shop, Rosie adds: “I wouldn’t want to walk through there. So why would anybody else?
“The results are crystal clear on paper – in April there was one Saturday when I took no more than £5. This is an existential crisis for businesses here and we’re all desperately worried about the future.
“It’s not like we’re just going, ‘we’re losing a bit of money’. We’re literally not making any money. We sit here and don’t see a person walk by all day long.
“We’re watching this place die and businesses like mine seem to be seen as collateral damage. We have no control over any of it.”
Crystals & Crowns is among a number of businesses calling for compensatory relief as well as reductions in business rates whilst the redevelopment works are carried out.
Rosie asked: “What are the local authority going to do to help the businesses that are too small to pay business rates? You wouldn’t do this to Mark’s & Spencer would you?!”
Sefton Council were approached for comment on local concerns and referred the LDRS to a letter they issued to businesses last week, stating: “We are aiming to increase the number of visitors, to the benefit of all the businesses.
“We do recognise that the works, by their nature, do impact on the area, and concerns have been raised by some businesses over reduced trade during the works. We are keen to do what we can to support and help businesses throughout this period.
The letter added: “There is no statutory provision for compensation by the highway authority if a business is affected by road works and as such, we aren’t able to offer direct financial support from the scheme budget during the works.”
The council did confirm they are exploring ways in which to offer business rate reductions and referred traders to gov.uk for more information. However, for people like Rosie, this is too little, too late, she said: “It feels like they’re not listening to what people are saying and are fobbing us off.
“It knows full well that shops this size don’t pay business rates because they’re too small. Yet they shout about how they’ll help with business rates and there may be a reduction, but it’s easy to say that because it doesn’t change anything.
“It loves saying that the market quarter is a quirky, creative area where the independent shops are, but they’re not helping the independents to stay here. We just feel hopeless right now and we feel ignored.”
It is a sentiment shared by one of the area’s local councillors Mike Prendergast. He said: “The scheduling and planning of the works along Market Street and King Street, has totally underestimated the impact it would have on footfall and accessibility.”
He added: “Sefton Council has basically forgotten about the businesses in the area, there is very little practical support and the businesses down there are being hit. [… It’s] totally unacceptable to treat local traders like this.”
Thanks for reading this mid-week edition of The Southport Lead, I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday morning. In the meantime if there’s anything you think I should be looking into then drop me a line southport@thelead.uk
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Jamie & The Southport Lead team