Southport Conservatives accuse Liberal Democrats of Labour-inspired secrecy agenda

On Friday, the deep internal divisions of the Southport Liberal Democrat Party were exposed and laid bare for the town’s residents to witness.

Tony Dawson, the once infamous right-hand man to long-serving MP John Pugh had gloated early in the day at being unanimously endorsed by the Liberal Democrat Group on Sefton Council and local party members to stand in Dukes Ward at this May’s elections uncontested, despite having been expelled by the Party, nationally.

However, in a turn of events that could only have been inspired by a scene out of House of Cards, it transpired that David Newman, who is also the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Liverpool City Region Mayor, approached a senior party official based outside of Sefton to seek permission to stand in the ward on the final day of candidate applications – without telling local members or John Pugh, the Leader of the Southport Liberal Democrat Party and former MP.

The shock revelation was revealed when Sefton Council published their statement of persons nominated in the upcoming elections and two Liberal Democrat names appeared.

Now the Conservative Party in Southport has criticised the Liberal Democrats in the town of a ‘Labour-inspired secrecy’ and have called on the Leader of the Party and former MP John Pugh to ‘come clean with the issues about why he [Tony Dawson] was expelled from the Party’ and what the circumstances were surrounding the decision.’

Cllr Sir Ron Watson CBE said:

“Southport residents have already had to endure an ever-growing culture of secrecy on Sefton Council under the controlling Labour Party. Now it appears the Liberal Democrats are up to the same tricks – hiding important information from the general public about why one of their councillors was expelled from the Party and the circumstances surrounding their departure.

“Tony Dawson was elected to represent Dukes Ward on a Liberal Democrat platform. Not only did he keep his expulsion from the voters, but he has tried to deny them the opportunity to hold him to account by strong-arming the Liberal Democrats locally not to field a candidate in these upcoming elections.

“The Liberal Democrats on Sefton Council should, to quote David Newman, their candidate for Dukes ward this May, ‘come clean with the issues about why he [Tony Dawson] was expelled from the Party’ and what the circumstances were surrounding the decision. The general public have a right to know of the conduct of one of their councillors.”

Conservative Candidate for Dukes ward this May, Michael Prendergast said:

“This just goes to show why Southport and Dukes ward need more Conservative councillors. Tony Dawson and the Liberal Democrats are now more interested in fighting one another than they are in serving the people of this town.

“That’s why I am standing for the Conservative Party in Dukes Ward this May. To give residents a greater say on Sefton Council about how their money is spent, and to shine a light on the secrecy agenda on Labour-controlled Sefton Council.

“We just can’t trust Tony Dawson or the Liberal Democrats to do it – we need an effective Party in opposition who are united, not divided. Working with our hardworking Conservative MP Damien Moore, and our growing number of Conservative Councillors in Southport, I am confident we can serve Southport proudly.”