Lib Dems on way back in Southport

Southport is within a whisker of returning to having a Lib Dem MP once more, the latest polling by Sir John Curtice \(above) shows.

Sir John is the man in charge of Britain’s exit polls and was knighted on the back of his extensive contributions to accurate election polling. His latest poll of UK voting intentions (above left) shows both Labour and Conservatives going backwards with projected losses of ten and six MPs respectively. Of the main English political parties, only the Lib Dems are projected to improve their position, with a projected doubling of their present Parliamentary representation.

Southport, which has had a Lib Dem MP for 25 out of the past 32 years, only needs a six per cent swing to return new candidate John Wright as the town’s Member of Parliament. Widespread public knowledge that Labour is going backwards nationwide under Jeremy Corbyn can only assist Mr Wright and local Lib Dems. Southport has only ever had either Conservative MPs or Lib Dem ones. Only when Labour is polling well, as in 2017, has Southport always ended up with a Conservative MP.  Whenever Labour falls back, the Lib Dems have always won Southport. Labour has never won a single seat in Southport in over the past two centuries in scores of parliamentary elections.

Although Labour crept up into second place in the 2017 election in Southport. the Lib Dems bounced back immediately and gained most votes in the town in the local elections of 2018 with Labour sliding back into their normal third place.