Southport Now Target Seat for Labour

Southport Now Target Seat for Labour

Labour has signalled its serious intent to make a piece of political history by taking Southport from the Conservatives at the next general election.

Southport has never had a Labour MP but after coming second in June, the party believes it can now go one better and that another election might be called before the year is out.

This weekend saw the first of two events which will be the official restart of campaigning in the town, just weeks after June’s result and before Southport’s new MP, Damien Moore, has even had a chance to properly warm his seat.

Liz Savage. Labour’s candidate in Southport in the last two general elections, is confident they can build on a strong showing which saw her nearly quadruple their vote in the town in just over two years:

“I think people are already starting to realise that Damien Moore means less for Southport. The threat to our hospital due to planned Tory cuts has actually increased since he took office and with their reduced mandate and desperate deal with the DUP, his party are looking anything but strong and stable.”

Labour front benchers Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, Bootle’s Peter Dowd and Sefton Central’s Bill Esterson joined her and local party members at the event to kickstart the campaign.

“It’s fantastic to have the support of our parliamentary colleagues here and also to see so many new faces campaigning for the first time” said Liz, “There is a real buzz about Labour’s chances in Southport now; the town wants real change, it needs real change and only we can provide that.”

Labour’s shadow cabinet member for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, Cat Smith, believes there’s a chance mounting pressure on the Conservatives will force an early election and if so that Southport now faces a clear choice:

“I enjoyed campaigning alongside many dozens of Labour Party members and volunteers from Southport, which is a target seat for the Labour Party at the next general election. The Conservatives want to keep cutting our NHS and public services but Theresa May gambled when she called the election and now they have no majority and no mandate for their reckless cuts. Next time the choice will be between Labour, which is on the side of the many in Southport and the Conservatives, who only ever stand up for the few.”