WIRRAL'S former council leader Janette Williamson has thrown her hat in the ring for the Labour nomination for the Wirral West Parliamentary seat.

The Wirral West Labour Party is currently going through its selection process to choose the candidate they want to replace Margaret Greenwood MP at the next election. The MP previously announced she would be standing down.

Announcing her intention to stand, Cllr Williamson, who led the council until May 2023, tweeted: “Proud to announce that I’ve applied to be Wirral West’s MP candidate. We need a local person who knows the issues our residents face. I believe I am that woman. Born here, grew up in Upton and brought my child up in Woodchurch.”

The race for the seat began in earnest last week with the announcement by former Upton councillor and Wirral Council cabinet member Matthew Patrick that he had put his name forward for the Labour nomination.

He said: “The Wirral is where I grew up, served as a councillor and cabinet member, where my family is and where I met my wife. I’m ready to take on the Tories and make sure we win Wirral West, together.”

As well as Cllr Williamson and Mr Patrick, others putting themselves forward for the Labour nomination include Cllr Liz Grey, who lives in Wirral West, and Wirral West Constituency Labour Party chair Cllr Gail Jenkinson.

Candidates will currently be going through a longlist and shortlist process before a choice is put to local Labour Party members. The candidate chosen by members will then be the party’s representative in the seat in a future general election.

The Conservatives have also started their search for candidates for Wirral West with two local councillors understood to be considering putting themselves forward. The party will be hoping to win back the seat with new boundary changes that would see areas like Clatterbridge and Heswall join the reshaped constituency.