Election bombshell for Southport MP Damien Moore

Southport journalist Martin Hovden writes: Despite all three main political parties in Southport holding onto their seats in yesterday's local elections, Conservative MP Damien Moore will be alarmed by how close his opponents came to snatching victory in two former Tory strongholds in the town.

Sefton Council Tory Group leader Tony Brough beat his Labour rival Janet Harrison in Ainsdale by just 33 votes, while Cambridge Tory Councillor Mike Morris secured only 25 more votes than Liberal Democrat Mike Sammon.

And in Birkdale Tory candidate Lee Durkin was pushed into third place by Labour compared to last year, as veteran Lib Dem Councillor Ian Brodie-Browne held onto the seat with a 400-plus majority.

The fall in Tory support in the town came despite a Press Release blitz by MP Damien Moore in the week leading up to the election, including a desperate plea for support on election day itself.

Mr Moore won with a 4,000-plus majority in the 2019 general election, with Labour in second place and the Lib Dems third.

The big question that has to be asked is: should one of the opposition parties in Southport stand aside to have a better chance of beating Mr Moore in the next general election, expected in 2024? At the moment, Labour and the Lib Dems are splitting the vote, allowing the Tories to win.

Based on the current political make-up in the town, combined with the last general election result, it makes sense for Labour to put forward a parliamentary candidate, with Lib Dem support.

Meanwhile, in yesterday's local elections, the other candidates who won their seats were: Conservative Sir Ron Watson (Dukes); Labour Laura Lunn Bates (Kew); Lib Dem Gareth Lloyd-Johnson (Meols); and Labour Mhairi Doyle (Norwood).

Detailed results here