Southport elects Labour MP for first time

Southport has elected its first-ever Labour Member of Parliament.

Hurley garnered 17,252 votes, 38,29% of the vote, comfortably defeating the incumbent Conservative MP Damien Moore, who received 11,463 votes (25.44%).

Southport has never before sent a Labour representative to Westminster.

The Reform UK candidate Andrew Lynn came in third with 7,395 votes (16.41%), followed by the Liberal Democrats’ Erin Harvey with 5,868 (13.02%). The Green Party’s Edwin Black and independent candidate Sean Halsall rounded out the results with 2,159 and 922 votes, respectively, both losing their deposits.

Ahead of the declaration, Damien Moore called for a new Conservative Party leader, and suggested the presence of Reform UK had eaten into his vote share.

In his victory speech, Patrick Hurley thanked “each and every person who has offered me their support” and paid tribute to his opposing candidates, singling out Damien Moore, saying that the outgoing MP had conducted himself with “dignity” throughout the contest.

Mr Hurley pledged that his office would be open “within days” and that he was prepared to work with anyone who had “something positive to offer our town”.

While Labour’s grassroots campaign efforts in the area over the past decade have been significant, the local party are likely to be quietly thankful for the presence of Reform UK, who appeared to attract a significant amount of votes that might otherwise have been given to Damien Moore. While a change in boundaries devalues the comparison, Labour’s voting total actually decreased by 1,500 votes since the 2019 election. Though Ainsdale, with it’s often blurry voting preferences was replaced by the Northern Parishes, who typically return a strong Tory vote.

The evening will also be seen as a considerable disappointment for Southport’s Liberal Democrats. A strong platform of solid local scrutiny, and a candidate with an excellent public service-based CV were not enough to entice voters. The votes cast and voting percentage both decreased sligbtly since 2019, though, again, a change in boundaries muddies this comparison, as does the addition of three extra candidates since that election.

Independent Sean Halsall told reporters prior to the declaration that a potential win was likely to be very difficult, but that he planned to continue forming links with other left-wing independent groups and candidates, in response to a Labour party that has made a significant lurch to the centre.