WIRRAL Council is set for crunch elections which could lead to huge changes in the local authority.

Labour is the largest party, but is well short of a majority. On a bad night for the party, it could lose its leadership of the council.

On the other hand, if ‘Partygate’ hits the Tories in Thursday’s vote, Labour could hope to make big strides towards regaining its majority. There are big battles to look out for in Birkenhead and Seacombe, where the Greens are looking to tear through some of Labour’s heartlands.

Pensby and Thingwall is the classic swing seat in the borough, with Labour and the Tories battling it out for a ward which could be key to deciding who takes charge of the council. Local elections are a chance for voters to cast their verdict on their local council, but they are often also used by voters to express anger about national issues.

This year, Wirral Council passed a £20m cuts package, which has seen the council withdraw funding from nine libraries, Woodchurch Leisure Centre and two public golf courses. Labour and the Tories backed the plans, while the Liberal Democrats and the Greens were against.

As well as this, voters may be influenced by the cost of living crisis hitting people across the country and the ‘Partygate’ scandal which has rocked the government in recent months. On the night itself, voters can expect results to come in from as early as 11.30pm.

Some of the wards with the lowest turnout and least competitive races, which have historically been in Birkenhead areas such as Bidston and St James, have declared around this time in previous years. After these earlier declarations, results from many of Wirral’s 22 wards may well be announced rapidly starting after midnight. But some of the key contests, such as Pensby and Thingwall, could take longer to count as tight results can lead to long arguments over spoilt ballot papers and other issues which can affect the result in areas where a small number of votes separate candidates.

Depending on how long such controversies go on for, we can expect all of Wirral’s results to be declared by around 1.30am-2am.

Throughout the night and early hours of the morning, the Wirral Globe's reporters will be running a live blog detailing all the results and reactions as the votes come in from across the peninsula.

How to vote:

Voters will have received a poll card in the weeks before polling day which will tell them where they should go to cast their vote. Voters will be allocated to a polling station based on their home address. Information on polling stations is also available on the Electoral Commission’s website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information.

Staff will be on hand to assist voters with any questions about filling out their ballot paper. There are also a number of things that will be available at polling stations to help people cast their vote, including large print sample ballot papers and tactile voting devices to help those with a visual impairment.

Kris Cureton, Electoral Services Manager and Deputy Returning Officer for Wirral Council said: “Make sure you check the information on your poll card, as your polling station might have changed since the last election. You do not need your poll card to vote, but we encourage you to bring it with you to make the process quicker and more efficient.”

Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, added: “Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 5 May. Voters who have opted to vote by post must return their postal ballot pack by 10pm; they can hand it in at their polling station if they don’t have time to return it by post.”

Those voting in person on 5 May might see some public health measures in place at polling stations, similar to those in place in other indoor venues. Wirral will be following the latest public health guidance to make sure polling stations are safe places to vote.

If you are self-isolating or become unwell as a result of Covid-19, you don’t need to lose your vote. Voters have up to 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy vote. This allows them to nominate someone they trust to vote on their behalf. For further information on how to apply for an emergency proxy, voters should contact the electoral registration team at Wirral Council on 0151 691 8046 or email electoral@wirral.gov.uk

 

Here are the names of everyone you can vote for in each Wirral Council ward on Thursday: 

Bebington

Brenda Ashton (Labour)

Judith Grier (Green Party)

Nicola Oakley (Lib Dem)

Robert Thompson (Conservative)

Bidston and St James

Jayne Clough (Green Party)

Liz Grey (Labour)

Tina McDonnell (Conservative)

Mike Parsons (Lib Dem)

Birkenhead and Tranmere (two councillors to be elected)

Ross Campbell (Liberal Democrat)

Pat Cleary (Green Party)

Mike Clements (Conservative)

Paul Jobson (Labour)

Tony Murphy (Labour)

Amanda Onwuemene (Green Party)

Edward Smith (Lib Dem)

Colin Young (Conservative)

Bromborough

Graham Davies (Conservative)

Vicky Downie (Liberal Democrat)

Ed Lamb (Green Party)

Sue Percy (Labour)

Clatterbridge

Mary Jordan (Conservative)

Thomas Laing (Labour)

Jim McGinley (Green Party)

Christopher Raymond (Liberal Democrat)

Claughton

Gary Bergin (For Britain Movement)

David Evans (Lib Dems)

Liz Heydon (Green Party)

Andy Hodson (Conservative)

Gillian Wood (Labour)

Eastham

Chris Carubia (Lib Dem)

Denise Crossley-Williams (Conservative)

Percy Hogg (Green)

Nicole Williams (Labour)

Greasby, Frankby and Irby

Tracy Elzeiny (Conservative)

Gail Jenkinson (Labour)

Cathy Page (Green Party)

Michael Redfern (Liberal Democrats)

Heswall

Ann Ainsworth (Labour)

Barbara Burton (Green Party)

Paul Connolly (Conservative)

Lucy Johnson (Lib Dem)

Hoylake and Meols

Alix Cockcroft (Green Party)

Tony Cox (Conservative)

John Ellis (Independent)

Peter Reisdorf (Lib Dem)

David Sindall (Labour)

Leasowe and Moreton East

Debbie Caplin (Conservative)

Angie Davies (Labour)

Chase Newton (Lib Dem)

Hannah Rapley (Green)

Liscard

Francis Doyle (Lib Dem)

Jane Owens (Conservative)

Perle Sheldricks (Green)

Janette Williamson (Labour)

Moreton West and Saughall Massie

Hilary Cullen (Green Party)

James Laing (Labour)

Christopher Teggin (Lib Dem)

Vida Wilson (Conservatives)

New Brighton

Adam Keenan (Lib Dem)

Darren May (Conservative)

Sue Powell-Wilde (Labour)

Cynthia Stonall (Green Party)

Oxton

Allan Brame (Lib Dem)

Philip Griffiths (UKIP)

Rachel Heydon (Green)

Susan Mahoney (Labour)

Philip Merry (Conservative)

Pensby and Thingwall

Allen Burton (Green Party)

Leah Fraser (Conservative)

Finlay Gordon (Labour)

Phil Waterfield (Lib Dem)

Prenton

Naomi Graham (Green Party)

William Harland (Conservative)

Julienne McGeough (Labour)

David Tyrrell (Lib Dem)

Rock Ferry

Chris Davies (Labour)

Stephen Davies (Independent)

Craig McDonald (Green Party)

Simon Mendies (Conservative)

Tom Sutton (Lib Dem)

Seacombe

Bobby Cartwright (Conservative)

John Hoey (Labour)

Anthony Morris (Lib Dem)

Rae Voller (Green)

Upton

Stephen Bennett (Labour)

Lily Clough (Green)

Alan Davies (Lib Dem)

David Fairbairn (Conservative)

Wallasey

Andrew Bennett (Labour)

John Codling (Lib Dem)

Moira Gommon (Green)

Lesley Rennie (Conservative)

West Kirby and Thurstaston

Jeff Green (Conservative)

Yvonne McGinley (Green)

Lawrence Monk (Northern Independence Party – Nationalise Energy Companies)

John Mullins (Lib Dem)

Louise Reecejones (Labour)