A MEETING that would have been crucial as to who replaces Frank Field as Labour MP descended into “chaos” when it had to be rescheduled because everyone was locked out of the building.

The event was set to take place at Birkenhead Town Hall on Saturday, but a council security employee reportedly turned up “without keys” so it had to be temporarily moved to the nearby Welcome Centre.

It was set to decide who would be on the selection committee that will later choose Labour’s replacement as parliamentary candidate for Birkenhead at the next election.

After being moved, it was still hoped a decision could be made on who would take their seats on the selection panel.

But because candidates’ statements were also locked inside the town hall, the entire meeting – attended by more than 100 people – was called off following a motion by a councillor in attendance.

So far, there have been at least three known candidates to throw their hat into the ring to be Labour’s candidate for Birkenhead.

They are current Prenton ward Cllr Tony Norbury, Mick Whitley – who describes him self as a trade unionist and socialist, and Theresa Griffin, MEP for the North West.

Cllr Norbury said he was activating a “full enquiry” by Wirral Council officers into what happened on Saturday – and why the booking wasn’t “honoured”.

According to Cllr Norbury, there had been three weddings that day before the Labour Party meeting, but that when CLP officers met a council-employed security firm employee, they did not have the keys to the building in Hamilton Square.

Cllr Norbury said: “He then attempted to find the person who had them but was unable to find them in time.

“One of the problems was that the candidates’ statements were locked in a secure room in the town hall, which meant they could not be read by the people who turned up.”

A number of people were reportedly unhappy with the new arrangements after it was moved to the Welcome Centre on Hamilton Street, and were “determined” to have the meeting cancelled.

A Wirral Council spokeswoman said the authority was aware of the situation and was “looking into it”.

The meeting will be rearranged for a later date.

While the next General Election is not scheduled to take place until 2022, there is mounting speculation over whether one may be called sooner, particularly due to Brexit uncertainty.

And with Mr Field – who has held his seat since 1979 – having resigned the Labour whip last year, three candidates have already publicly announced their intention to be the party’s candidate at the next poll.

In a personal statement released last month, Cllr Norbury said as an elected member already, he “understands how to listen and help solve problems”.

His pledges include to bring jobs and industry back to the town, and build “positive relationships” between Birkenhead’s diverse groups.

Mr Whitley told the Local Democracy Service that if elected, he would “harness the power of trade unions and communities to fight together”, saying the party needed to reconnect with voters. He also said he would “inspire constituents that things can be different” and change the situation in Birkenhead.

Ms Griffin’s North West region in the European Parliament includes Birkenhead, but she will no longer have the role after the UK leaves the EU.

Ms Griffin she has fought all her life for working families, and to protect the “most vulnerable”. She added that she had worked to tackle energy poverty, improve workers’ rights, and would be “delighted” to be the first woman to represent the town.

It’s an unusual situation in the constituency, with Mr Field having resigned the whip, but still describing himself as an “independent Labour Party member”.

He said this week he has “no intention of calling a by-election”, but in the event of a General Election, would like to see an open convention held so he could “go up against anyone who thinks they could do the job better than I can”.

He said that situation would mean the “town decides, rather than 30 or 40 members made up of Momentum supporters”, adding: “We shouldn’t do things in the dark. That destroys the decision. It should be in the open – as much transparency as possible.”