AT the moment most people are desperately worried about the virus, their jobs and the future for our young people.

Council staff, working from home, are going above and beyond their remit, to support local people in this crisis.

The work of trying to turn Wirral round, to deal with and recover from the virus, goes on.

This is hand in hand with schemes to ‘do something positive’ about Birkenhead, work to protect our scenic countryside and valued Green Belt.

I voted to buy the House of Fraser building because I could see a future for the site.

As a building it will now prove that it is useful in the short term.

The site as a history but we now control its future.

In the midst of all this the Council is wrestling with its budget, struggling with the rules about balancing the books.

Councillors are working on ways to deal with this and set a budget for next year.

There is now less than a fortnight till the budget consultation closes. It has been overshadowed throughout by the virus, Christmas and the New Year.

There are groups campaigning on the issues that trouble them, from the baths to the bins, from the gallery to the grass cutting.

They all have a voice.

As councillors we will weigh up the priorities with all the facts at hand.

This has been a terrible time for so many people but as a community we will get through this.

Councillor Phil Gilchrist.

Leader, Wirral Liberal Democrats