Desperate Merseyside Tories Seek Council Candidates from off the Street

With Conservative Party membership literally dying off nationwide and at an all-time low, the Tory Party has had to resort to desperate measures to find candidates to stand for election to local authorities. A six-strong group of Tory agents has been randomly knocking on doors in Merseyside seeking to find someone who votes Tory and might have their arm twisted to stand for the local council in a hopeless seat.

The posh lads from t' South who have been out doing this job only ask residents only two questions.

Firstly, “Are you a Conservative?”, and then, if yes, “Would you like to be a council candidate in May?”

And it has apparently worked. With literally hours to go to the 4.00 pm deadline today, the Tories say they have a 'full slate' in Liverpool. In Sefton Borough, the Conservatives have resorted to dragging back candidates who have previously retired from the council or, in the case of Sir Ronald Watson, been have been first ditched by the Conservatives after a monstrous row and then rehabilitated. The 'karma' is that the Tories in Southport have ditched David Barton, the man they replaced Ron Watson with and are now trying to replace David Barton with Ron Watson!

I’d say the Lib Dem case is a bit more desperate with the recent departures. Some could say it’s very telling the state of the party given:

1) two press releases on the other site about Cllr Maguire standing down without a single comment, tribute or welcome from a colleague given her tenure and previous role as leader. Which is somewhat odd given the propensity for Lib Dem councillors to jump on a political story as fast as a councillor can get a photo of themselves pointing at dog poo
2) it’s not much of a surprise given Cllr Dawson stabbing her in the back and in effect championing Damien Moore as next MP based on his outburst that he couldn’t vote for her and the mantra of “labour can’t win here”. With that he can only be linked that he wanted the tories in, you can imagine he cracked open the Cherry Brandy on that news! He does have firm for not thinking much of female MPs e.g:

http://thepotterblogger.blogspot.co....-dems.html?m=1

3) they regard political lightweights like Pugh, Dawson and Shaw as “senior” councillors despite not achieving anything and tendency for divisive politics holding Southport back

4) given their flagship campaign to “save our a&e” its riseable that if you click the link on their site to save our a&e the page is no longer found (was the same with the “town centre first” campaign so patently clear they’ll say whatever they think they need to to get votes but not necessarily follow through:

http://www.southportlibdems.co.uk/save_our_a_and_e

http://www.southportlibdems.co.uk/index.php ...this one comes with a childish attack on the tories just like many of their releases

5) the lack of support for Norwood ward by Cllr Lewis who seems to want to run surgeries in the other Cllr Barton’s Ward leaving her to meet with John Pugh and Tone, wouldn’t be surprised if he stands there instead!

6) the inability of the libs to stamp out nastiness in the party to residents and colleagues

A lib vote is a wasted vote.

Only a idiot would post such a stupid article,,Whats up are the Lib Dums desperate

Assuming they both become candidates for their current party - Independent for Barton and Conservative for Watson, it's hard to work out who is the better candidate:
Barton, who seems to stand around all day pointing, or
Watson, who was a prominent member of the group that got us into Sefton in 1974, contrary to the recommendation of the Boundary Commission.

I wonder if the Lib Dems will manage to field a candidate in every Sefton ward...

Asking people to become Conservative candidates in much of Merseyside is like asking people to slit their wrists and swim with sharks. Who would voluntarily place themselves in the way of the abuse and vitriol which would come their way? Doesn't help when allegedly 'unbiased' news sites criticise their every move.

Originally Posted by Darkside

Asking people to become Conservative candidates in much of Merseyside is like asking people to slit their wrists and swim with sharks. Who would voluntarily place themselves in the way of the abuse and vitriol which would come their way? Doesn't help when allegedly 'unbiased' news sites criticise their every move.

Quite. It's so ridiculously tribal. Was in a café in Liverpool today with a fresh poster stating "Liverpool Against Thatcherism". Erm....