Voters in Moreton West and Saughall Massie go to the polls

Nov 25 2009 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

VOTERS in Moreton West and Saughall Massie go to the polls tomorrow, in the first council election since the authority’s dramatic U-turn on leisure provision.

A public debate held on Monday night at the Grange pub saw representatives from the Conservatives, Green Party and Wirral Campaign Against the Cuts (WCAC) engaging with residents from the ward and beyond.

But a no-show by the Liberal Democrats and Labour saw them slated by those candidates present.

The Green Party’s Jim McGinley said: “It’s not a surprise that the people responsible for the closures aren’t here.

“The ruling group doesn’t want to attend public meetings where they know they will look foolish.”

While WCAC’s Alec McFadden said: “It doesn’t surprise me the two parties that tried to close the swimming pools and resource centres haven’t got the guts to show up.”

Conservative candidate Steve Williams introduced himself, saying: “I agreed to stand on local issues, and I think the fact I haven’t got a political background is a big advantage.”

The former policeman said “everything the Conservatives stand for are my beliefs”, adding that he felt one of the biggest issues within the council was accountability.