The 2021 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England.[11] This election was held on the same day as other local elections. The election was originally due to take place in May 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] This delay meant those elected (excluding the by-election) would serve only a three-year term.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
In August 2019, incumbent Labour councillor for Prenton Tony Norbury was not approved for candidacy by the Local campaign forum thus was unable to seek re-selection.[17] Former Prenton councillor Angie Davies, who lost her seat in May to the Green's Chris Cooke, was selected as the new Labour candidate in October.[18] The Greens are fielding Harry Gorman who was selected in June.[19][20]
Tom Usher, then youngest member of council and cabinet member for Children and Families, lost a selection contest in his Liscard Labour branch in October to Dave Brennan by 21 votes to 30.[21] This was criticised by Independent group leader, and former Labour councillor, Moira McLaughlin who perceived Usher as having been "booted out by the hard-left". Liscard labour chair Edwina Doyle dismissed this notion putting the result down to Usher being "a bit younger and less experienced [than Brennan]". In January 2020, he was selected to contest the neighboring, Conservative held, ward of Wallasey.[22]
Conservative councillor Chris Blakeley died of cancer on 15 January.[23] A casual vacancy was announced on 6 February with the seat to be filled at the upcoming election when Blakeley's term was due to end.[24] Simon Mountney, who had served alongside Blakeley as a fellow ward councillor from 2004 to 2014, was selected as the Conservative candidate in March.[25][26] Though he was replaced by Max Booth the following January after the elections had been rescheduled.[27] Mountney was later selected to contest the West Kirby and Thurstaston ward.[28]
The Conservatives posted an appeal for candidates on Twitter on 17 February for wards in the Wallasey and Birkenhead constituencies.[29]
2021 Candidate selection
Chase Newton was selected as the Lib Dem candidate for Bromborough on 23 July 2020 succeeding Vicky Downie who stood down due to personal reasons.[30] Downie had been the party's candidate in the ward for the previous three elections.[31]
Former Labour Councillor Bill Davies resigned his seat in September with a casual vacancy announced on the 7th.[32]
Conservative councillor Geoffrey Watt died on 24 September 2020 after a short illness.[33]
Campaign
On 24 February, Leader of the Council Pat Hackett announced he was standing down as both leader and councillor for New Brighton later in the year.[34] This was, however, to be in July after the election was scheduled.[35] Hackett was succeeded as Leader of the Labour Group by his deputy Janette Williamson on 29 June 2020.[4][36] She was voted in as Leader of the Council in a virtual meeting on 28 September.[1] Hackett later resigned his seat in September.[37]
A leaked internal Labour report released on 3 March 2020 predicted severe losses for the party at the upcoming local elections across the country.[38] Wirral, however, was one of only two authorities (the other being Burnley) seen as a possible gain for Labour with Wirral being the only positive prediction under all models used within the report.[39]
On 13 March it was announced that all elections due to be held in May would be suspended until the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
An e-newsletter created by the Oxton Labour Party revealed that it and the rest of the Birkenhead constituency party were not delivering leaflets due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[40]
Leader of the Conservative group Ian Lewis resigned on 15 December 2020 citing internal party problems.[41] Lewis's predecessor Jeff Green was elected leader on 22 December beating controversial Greasby, Frankby and Irby councillor David Burgess-Joyce.[6]
^ abCllr Jan Williamson #listentoexperts (29 June 2020). "Cllr Jan Williamson #listentoexperts on Twitter". Twitter. @J__Williamson. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
^ ab"Local elections postponed for a year over coronavirus". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
^ abLeach, Anna; Clarke, Seán; Kommenda, Niko (7 May 2021). "2021 election results: latest results from Scottish, Welsh and local votes". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
^Houghton, Tom (22 February 2019). "The UK's newest Independent Group has been created by fed-up politicians – right here on Merseyside". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
^ abJustice, Julian (9 August 2019). "It's a 'No' to Norbury". Wirral Leaks. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
^ abcdefg"ELECTION CANDIDATES". Wirral Labour Party. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
^Gorman, Harry; Cooke, Cllr Chris (July 2019). "Green View Issue 21: July-August 2019". Green Party. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
^ abcd"People". Wirral Green Party. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
^ abMorgan, George (11 October 2019). "Senior council cabinet member deselected in shock move". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
^ ab"Council Monday, 2nd March 2020 at 6:00pm". Wirral Council Webcasting. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
^ abMorgan, George (16 January 2020). "Heartfelt tributes follow the death of Wirral councillor Chris Blakeley". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
^Satoor, Paul. "NOTICE OF CASUAL VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR FOR THE MORETON WEST AND SAUGHALL MASSIE WARD" (PDF). Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
^"Simon Mountney". Wallasey Conservative Association. March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
^"Max Booth". Wallasey Conservatives. January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
^ ab"Simon Mountney". Wirral West and Wirral South Conservatives. February 2021. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
^Wirral's Conservative Councillors (17 February 2020). "Wirral's Conservative Councillors on Twitter". Twitter. @torycouncillors. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
^ abCarubia, Chris (3 August 2020). "Meet Our Candidate For Bromborough 2021". Liberal Democrats Wirral. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^Teale, Andrew. "Bromborough Ward — Wirral". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^ abSatoor, Paul (7 September 2020). "Notice of vacancy in the office of Councillor for the Rock Ferry Ward". Wirral Council. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
^ ab"Geoffrey Watt". Wirral Globe. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
^Manning, Craig (24 February 2020). "Wirral Council leader Pat Hackett stepping down from politics this year". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
^"Council - Monday, 2nd March 2020 at 6:00pm". Wirral Council Webcasting. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
^Morgan, George (3 July 2020). "Janette Williamson a step closer to Wirral Council leadership". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
^ abSatoor, Paul (30 September 2020). "Notice of vacancy in the office of Councillor for the New Brighton Ward" (PDF). Wirral Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^Watson, Iain (3 March 2020). "Labour: Party 'braced for losses' in May's council elections". BBC News. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
^Christian (3 March 2020). "Labour local elections leak". Scribd. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
^Oxton Labour Party (29 July 2020). "Oxton Rose July 2020: Campaigning Going Forward". Facebook. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^Lally, Kate (15 December 2020). "Wirral's Tory group leader Ian Lewis steps down from role". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
^Morgan, George (4 June 2021). "Wirral Labour councillor Sarah Spoor resigns". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
^Satoor, Paul (7 June 2021). "Notice of vacancy in the office of Councillor for the Liscard ward". Wirral Council. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
^ abcMorgan, George (25 June 2021). "Candidates for key Wirral by election announced". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
^"Jane Owens MBE". Wallasey Conservatives. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^Satoor, Paul (28 June 2021). "Statement of Persons Nominated for the Liscard ward" (PDF). Wirral Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
^Rand, Lisa; Nicholson, Abigail (4 October 2021). "'Rising star', 36, dies with fiancée and mum by his side". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^Satoor, Paul (20 October 2021). "Notice of vacancy in the office of Councillor for the Liscard ward". Wirral Council. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^Oxton Labour Party (28 October 2021). "Oxton Labour Party's post". Facebook. Retrieved 28 October 2021.