Liverpool Labour may well think itself fortunate to escape the May 4th local elections relatively unscathed, suggests Claire Hall

Labour’s tenure at the Cunard Building has been one of permanent crisis. Since the fall of Mayor Joe Anderson in the wake of the Caller Report, the council has written off £230 million in bad debt, endured the self-inflicted trauma of a multi-million pound energy bill fiasco, voted down an independent inquiry into the controversial Beautiful Ideas Company report, seen the ACC conference centre owing £7.1 million, landlords owing over a million pounds in unpaid council tax and a property developer going 30 months without paying rent on a city centre car park. A councillor had to resign over a stalled site and there was the revelation that fourteen Labour councillors had had parking fines rescinded without going through the official PCN system.

Surely it couldn’t survive that fine mess without being punished at the ballot box?

Well, overall it did. The main opposition, the Lib Dems, had a disappointing night, ending on fifteen seats and failing to make Labour pay for its continuing difficulties. This is Labour’s heartland and old habits die hard.

That isn’t the whole story, however. The Greens came away with only three seats, but it could have been different. Kevin Robinson-Hale ran former deputy mayor Jane Corbett close in Everton West after years of remorseless community campaigning and the Greens lost by a single vote in the Festival Gardens ward. Veteran community campaigners, Steve Radford’s Liberals retained three seats. The Liberate Liverpool group that promised an earthquake didn’t really register a tremor.

Labour did take a localised, but significant hit from the new independent socialist group of the Liverpool Community Independents. As the Liverpool Echo’s political editor Liam Thorp put it: “It will have stung the ruling group to lose out to their former councillor Alan Gibbons, who romped home in Orrell Park with a stunning win. The leader of the Liverpool Community Independents said he was blown away to win 1,428 votes compared to his Labour rival’s 360.”

“And if that one hurt, well the defeat to another Community Independent, Sam Gorst in Garston will be felt for even longer. Labour had thrown just about everything at the south Liverpool seat but Cllr Gorst and his independent colleague Lucy Williams edged out the ruling group to make it an impressive three wins for the Community Independents. Make no mistake, Labour really, really didn’t want to lose those seats and they will sting.”

For a brand new group to win three seats from a standing start is quite astonishing. It is fifty years since out-and-out independents have defeated Labour candidates in the city. So how did it happen?

The Community Independents’ roots were in a rebellion against budget cuts leading to five Labour councillors joining three who had already left the party in the Liverpool Community Independent group.

The LCI group demanded an independent investigation into the controversial Beautiful Ideas company. This was rejected by the Labour group, causing considerable tensions between remaining and former Labour colleagues.

The LCI entered the election campaign with only four sitting councillors on their slate. Five other candidates joined them with no previous experience as councillors. Because of boundary changes, most did not have access to the ‘marked register,’ essential data about who voted previously. They did however run a professional postal vote campaign, something learned from their time in the Labour Party. Ironically, the astute organisational skills of the left’s nemesis, Merseyside organiser Sheila Murphy, may have sharpened their operation. But was there a political space to the left of Labour?

In the event, the new Orrell Park ward proved fertile territory. Alan Gibbons had been a councillor for two years in the old three-member Warbreck ward. When it was divided into a two-seat ward and a single seat Orrell Park ward where he had lived, the battle lines were drawn.

It is possible a single ward made it easier for the newly independent Gibbons. Labour’s candidate had one big disadvantage. Living in south Liverpool, Mumin Khan had no previous knowledge of the ward and was perceived to be ‘parachuted in.’

To make up for this, Labour used their superior numbers and resources. One weekend, over thirty whipped councillors and Labour members flooded the ward two days running. In the final week Labour produced three leaflets.

All to no avail. Local factors proved crucial. Gibbons was returned with 77% of the vote on a 43% turnout. A year ago, the turnout in a by-election Labour almost lost had been a mere 17%. The local campaign, resting on consistent casework, and an anti-corruption message resonated with the community and it is likely previous non-voters turned out strongly.

In a way, the Garston election, though the result was closer, is more damaging for Labour. Desperate to hold on to the key two-seat ward of Garston at the other end of the city, Labour poured in resources, with scores of whipped councillors leafletting and door-knocking.

Then came the most controversial moment of the campaign. Councillor Sam Gorst had already been the subject of anonymous ‘satirical’ troll sites producing three thousand tweets over previous months, many targeting him. With days to go to May 4th, Labour produced a ‘community newspaper,’ detailing accusations about Gorst.

Labour’s action arguably backfired. The city’s four opposition parties issued a statement condemning the publication. The result was a remarkable victory for Councillor Gorst and his running mate, health worker Lucy Williams.

Both candidates live in Garston. Labour’s candidates live outside the ward. The local effect may not be confined to Orrell Park and Garston. Though not successful, other LCI candidates got over 20% vote share and the new political kids on the block were coming a good second in a number of wards.

So what provisional lessons can be learned? The first is that there appears to be a space for a radical socialist voice in the council chamber. The second is that being a sitting councillor is a massive advantage. Internal Labour splits could lead to more difficulties of this kind.

The third is that strong organising and a consistent record of work in the community can help opposition parties challenge Labour, something also seen in some Green and Liberal Party challenges. Labour may be wise to seek out candidates who live in their local ward, as lack of consistent work in the community can make them vulnerable.

Will Labour learn the lessons and the LCI surge turn out to be a flash in the pan?

Time will tell.

Image: Liverpool Townhall. Source: Liverpool Townhall. Author: Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.