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Steve Hayes, a former Wirral Green Party councillor, has written an open letter to residents to ask them to think carefully ahead of the all-out elections.
"I hope to prevent people from making the same mistake I made,” he explains in the letter.
"I initially joined the Greens after reading their promises about the climate emergency. In retrospect, I was too easily swayed into thinking they were the party with the answers.
As a Wirral councillor, I realised first-hand how bad the Conservative cuts to our area. For every pound in funding Wirral used to get, this Conservative government now gives us just 15 pence.”
As the borough prepares for its last election for four years, the former Birkenhead and Tranmere councillor says: "I also saw close-up Labour councillors fighting hard to keep services running despite huge Tory cuts. Sadly, I also saw the Green Party playing political games instead of working co-operatively, aimed only at promoting the “Green Party Brand”. Often, they would try and take credit for things they hadn’t done, like the regeneration development plans in Birkenhead or new investment coming into Bromborough. These ideas and plans were formed under Labour long before Green Councillors were elected.
"Voting for any other party will enable the Tories to control the Council, allowing them to sell off our Green Belt and green spaces and remove many services without conscience. Labour has pledged to maintain our Green Belt and green spaces and is more committed to the environment than the Greens."
The Greens’ targeted efforts to take only Labour will result in a Tory-controlled council.
"Realistically, only Labour can beat the Tories in Wirral,” he says. "A vote for the Greens will enable the Tories to take control of the Council. A vote for the Greens is a vote for a Tory-controlled council, and I believe that is a frightening possibility as Tory support in wealthier parts of Wirral is still very strong.
"Please don’t repeat my mistake. At the upcoming elections on May 4, please use all your three votes for Labour, who I believe is the better party and can stop the Tories from controlling Wirral Council.
Make your vote count. Use all three of your votes for Labour.”
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