Top Sefton Labour Councillor Resigns

A top Labour councillor has mysteriously resigned without any published reason.

Blundellsands ward Councillor Andy Dams (above, right) was vice chair of Sefton Council’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee and is widely credited for being responsible for half the current Southport Conservative representation on the Council.

Councillor Dams’ enthusiastic campaign in Cambridge Ward in 2011 is generally considered to be the reason for the Conservative Councillor Tony Crabtree being elected that year, a seat which the Tories held onto narrowly in the 2015 elections.

Councilor Dams persuaded a small number of Lib Dem voters to switch to Labour which was all that was needed for the Conservative to scrape in by a handful of votes.

No Labour candidate has won any national or local election in Southport in almost 50 years. This is largely an effect of the voting system.

Labour promised to reform the voting system in their 2010 national election manifesto but they reneged on their promise.  Since then, Labour have supported the same voting system which elects Donald Trump in America even when he gets millions fewer voted than his opponent. This same voting system has always helped the Conservatives in Southport – especially when Labour is doing reasonably well nationally.

Whenever the Labour Party does at all well in Southport this has usually led to a Conservative victory whether Labour comes third or second. Only Lib Dems have ever defeated Conservatives in Southport in hundreds of elections over the past 48 years.

In the 2017 General Election, while Labour was winning seats elsewhere in England, a good showing by Skelmersdale councillor Liz Savage led to Theresa May getting a surprise extra Tory MP in Southport, helping her majority in Parliament .

After coming a poor third in Southport, Councillor Dams moved to Blundellsands Ward in Crosby where he was elected and quickly promoted.

It has not been announced why Cllr Dams has retired. Because his retirement letter was submitted exactly six months before his term of office is due to end, by law there will be no by-election for his vacant seat which will be filled in the annual council elections in May.