Dispute Over Sefton Council Meeting Abandonment Intensifies

Politicians are used to personal attacks and mudslinging, so this week it came as no surprise to Liberal Democrat, John Pugh, when he was on the receiving end of a press tirade from Sefton’s Labour leader, Cllr. Marion Atkinson.

Cllr Atkinson was responding to Cllr.Pugh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cllr.Pugh’s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cllr.Pugh’s demand (echoed by other parties) that Sefton Council should reconvene the Council meeting hastily abandoned in July after interruptions. Cllr.Pugh wants Sefton Council to complete the important council business under consideration. 

Sefton's intention is to scrap the meeting altogether. 

“ I am neither a snowflake nor without flaws,” says Cllr. Pugh, " but I was genuinely surprised to be informed by media outlets that Marion's press release attacking me emanated from Sefton’s press and media department. 

Sefton has a large and talented media team funded by the local council taxpayer, but it is obliged to stay out of party political controversy. 

In fairness it is made clear in the press release that this is a personal statement from Cllr.Atkinson attacking me, but that only deepens the puzzle. Councillors can’t just ask the Council press department to put out their 'personal statements’ or where would this end?  

 The Sefton Communications Department is, I am sure, full of many helpful and obliging people, but are they paid by us to help councillors, however senior, with their 'personal statements' ?  Should that not be left to the respective political parties ?

  Cllr. Pugh has written to Sefton’s Director of Legal Services for a ruling on this matter. 

“ It is not as though I have in any prior press statement on this subject named Marion or criticised her personally, “ says Cllr Pugh. “ Reducing the number of ordinary full council meetings I regard as an ongoing corporate decline in accountability. It’s a worrying trend! 

  In the last 12 months Sefton changed its rules to make questions from the public and councillors more difficult, changed its rules to make it harder to amend or modify decisions, refused to have scrutiny meetings chaired by non-Labour members and toughened its guidance on Freedom of Information requests.

It is though still very important that all council departments and officers observe and are seen to observe political neutrality. 

There was furore back during the 2024 elections when Sefton put out a press statement in the very week of the local elections giving the impression that Pier repairs were imminent even though local authority press officers are legally obliged to avoid politically sensitive topics in an election period. We really don’t want any more  ‘misunderstandings’ in the run up to the 2026 'all up' elections when control of the Council is at stake. That’s why we need a bit of legal clarity now ."