The six candidates for Southport’s parliamentary seat answered questions from members of the public on Thursday evening at a hustings event at Christ Church on Lord Street, with around 150 local voters in attendance.
Conservative Damien Moore warned against “handing Bootle a blank cheque” while Labour’s Patrick Hurley called for an end to “years of decline” in places like Southport.
In an event that began more mildly-mannered than the fiery TV debates that voters have recently been treated to, candidates politely took turns answering questions on a range of topics from climate change to education, often sprinkled with applause that started suspiciously close to the areas where connected party officials and councilors were sat.
In the later half of the evening, adjudicator Reverend Ben Dyer appealed to the crowd to withhold shouted comments to the candidates. Separately, a lady waited until the conclusion of the event to loudly demand of Damien Moore: “Where is the £350m a week you promised for the NHS?”
Broad consensus across the panel could be found on telegraph poles, with all candidates widely agreeing that residents should have extra rights regarding consultation, and that Openreach’s use of permitted development rules could have a negative effect on Southport.
With the exception of Reform UK’s Andrew Lynn, who proclaimed that “the climate always changes”, candidates also managed to generally agree on the extent of the climate emergency. Damien Moore and Erin Harvey both highlighted the need for more electric vehicle charging points. Patrick Hurley pointed to Labour’s proposed Great British Energy body, while Sean Halsall bemoaned a recent decision from Labour within Sefton Council to favour the tidal lagoon at the former eco-park over a proposed wind turbine. Edwin Black warned of one billion climate refugees by 2050, and that the climate emergency was a “national problem”.
Asked directly if they supported assisted dying, no candidate took a contrarian view, with all panelists, each offering a range of caveats, cautiously suggesting that assisted dying could be acceptable with strong safeguards.
Opening with a question on social care, Patrick Hurley promised that Labour would deal with the “inconsistent standards, chronic staff shortages” and would bring in a new national care service. Reform UK’s Andrew Lynn said that work had to pay for care workers, and that lifting the basic income tax threshold to £20,000 would help carers, while front line NHS workers would pay no tax on the first £50,000 earned for three years, finishing his answer by suggesting that government mandated coronavirus vaccines for care workers had “caused harm” to the industry.
Damien Moore said that the Conservatives were investing up to £760m into social care, but warned that social care issues would not be solved while the sector was used as a political football, calling for a royal commission. Edwin Black criticised Labour’s assessment that £1.8bn per year could positively affect social care, instead saying that the Green Party believed that £8bn per year was required. Sean Halsall told the audience that proper wages and pensions were required for carers with a view to reducing turnover of staff within the industry. Erin Harvey said social care was “front and centre” of the Liberal Democrat manifesto ad that her party had pledged an additional £4bn per year to introduce free personal care, with policies designed to end the “post code lottery” for care.
On education, candidates were asked why per pupil funding in Southport lagged 10% behind other local and national averages, and how that funding could be increased.
Andrew Lynn said he believed the figures showed that pupils in Southport had been hit with a “double whammy” of funding decreases from both central government and Sefton Council, then confirming that savings made from scrapping net zero targets at a yearly saving of £30bn, and foreign aid at a saving of £12bn could be used to fill this funding gap. Erin Harvey criticised an earlier £3bn funding cut from central government, and that she would undertake an urgent review of local education in the area, alongside the national party increasing money for SEND provision and the forgiving of certain debts related to SEND provision.
Sean Halsall, a former governor at two different schools, judged that the funding formula for local schools was problematic and highlighted the shortage of placements for SEND provision. Edwin Black told the audience that among funding problems, Ofsted is not fit for purpose and requires reform.
Patrick Hurley announced the government had caused the problem and would call for a renewed funding formula and more mental health support in schools, also highlighting Labour’s manifesto pledge to hire 6,500 new teachers.
Damien Moore said he believed that the current funding formula was fairer than when it previously favored larger cities. He said the Conservatives were offering a record £60bn and that £2.6bn would be allocated for SEND provision, and that pupil premiums in Southport had raised 10%. Mr Moore closed by warning that Labour’s plan to charge VAT on private education could overwhelm state schools.
Concluding with a question asking the candidates what they would do to ensure that Sefton “spends the money they should in maintain Southport”, with a particular nod to Southport Pier and nearby Kings Gardens, Edwin Black opened by confirming he was in favour of “as much devolution as possible.” and that Southport should not have to be in contest with Bootle for funding, particularly if national council funding was raised.
Erin Harvey highlighted the Liberal Democrat record in local scrutiny, and that there needs to be a “clear vision to protect Southport’s heritage” and that Southport Labour had chosen to spend “more capital funding on vanity projects in Bootle”. Andrew Lynn said he was uniquely qualified from his experience as a lawyer to give oversight to complex local projects and contracts but would also like to see “increased autonomy for Southport” and that “local democracy has failed us” given Labour’s strong position in Sefton.
To claps, Patrick Hurley said “if you’ll have me, the first thing I’ll be doing is helping to get rid of a Tory government” and said that Sefton’s budget was over £200m a year less than it was in 2010 while that “£30m town deals don’t touch the sides” compared to lost central funding. However, claps from one side of the room turned to groans from another – presumably in response to the perception of favoritism in funding towards the South of the borough – when he suggested “towns should not be pitted against one another”.
The general election will be contested next Thursday, on 4 July.
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