Southport Liberal Democrats

Birkdale councillor Iain Brodie Browne, newly elected leader of the 20-strong Lib Dem opposition group on Sefton Council, has spoken out against theBootletakeover of Sefton. Following Labour's success in the local elections in winning seats in Sefton Central and Bootle, although none in Southport, Sefton leader Cllr Peter Dowd has announced his new Cabinet at last week's Council Meeting (i.e. Tuesday 15 May) - and every Cabinet member is a Bootle councillor.

Iain Brodie Browne was elected last night (14 May 2012) as the new Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Sefton Council. The Birkdale Councillor had acted as Deputy Leader for the past 5 years.

Iain told the Lib Dem Councillors that their job was to robustly challenge the actions of the ruling Bootle group of Labour councillors and to hold them publicly to account for the decisions they take.

"I met with Southport's Lib Dem MP John Pugh yesterday to discuss the tough decisions that lie ahead - for example on Libraries, Tourism investment and the Green Belt. Lib Dems have clear policy in these areas and will campaign vigorously to defend them.

"I urge the Labour Leader to announce today that he will apply to the Boundary Commission to review the number of Councillors in the Borough and to agree to a cut for the highest paid Councillors' allowances.

"There is a very real concern amongst the public that the Bootle Labour Party will turn their back on the rest of the Borough. Already we have seen that all the top positions have been given to Councillors from the Bootle constituency. It would be disastrous if towns like Southport-which elected no Labour Councillors, indeed the Labour vote fell in the town- were not fairly dealt with. We shall judge this administration by it actions not its press releases.

"It is my hope that the new Labour Leader will not go down the road of dividing the different communities within the Borough but rather working constructively with representatives from the whole area. By appointing only his Bootle colleagues to the top jobs he has not made a good start. It would be outrageous if he continued by giving Labour Councillors the key positions of chairing the committees that are established by law to review and scrutinise his administrations actions.

'Tony has been a first rate Leader of our Party'-said Iain Brodie Browne after Councillor Tony Robertson announced his intention to stand down after 10 years in the job.

'We all have a

great respect for Tony. He has worked tirelessly to bring together people from different communities and political parties in the borough to work together. I have been enormously impressed by his ability to persuade people to work together in the common interest rather to pursue divisive and sectional interests. Sefton have greatly benefited by his consensual approach.

Sefton Council's Liberal Democrat Group Leader for the past 10 years, Cllr. Tony Robertson, has decided not to seek re-election as Party Leader on the Council.

Cllr. Robertson's decision was taken in the light of his group becoming the official opposition to the now Labour run Council.

Says Tony "Now is a good time to change the Leadership of the Lib Dem Group in my view as we face a very different set of challenges in holding Labour to account. In my years as Lib Dem Leader, 7 of those as Council Leader, I used my consensus approach to try to bring together different political views across the 3 political parties. Enjoyable as that was the future under aBootledominated Labour administration will be a different challenge. It is time for the Lib Dems to adopt a new approach to address these new circumstances.

Following Thursday's Council Elections, which saw the Lib Dems sweep to victory in 6 out of Southport's 7 wards, Birkdale councillor Iain Brodie Browne, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems on Sefton Council has hailed the results as showing the people of Southport's trust in their local Liberal Democrats in difficult times.


Councillor Iain Brodie Browne

Lib Dems made stunning gains from the Conservatives in Dukes Ward (Shoreside Birkdale and Southport Town Centre) and in Cambridge Ward (Marshside and Hesketh Park) as well as increasing their majorities massively in Meols Ward and Birkdale Ward and seeing off the Labour challenge in the Norwood and Kew Wards. Fewer people voted Labour in Southport this year than last year but the biggest fall was in the Conservative vote in the town which almost halved.

"This year's results were the best ever for Liberal Democrats in Southport," said Councillor Brodie Browne.

"Liberal Democrats have never come this close to a 'clean sweep' before. Since last year, we have seen a swing from Conservatives to Lib Dems of 6.7%, which is quite amazing."

"Both we and the Conservatives have made significant losses to Labour in the rest of Sefton, but the Lib Dems could scarcely ask for a better result in Southport. All Lib Dem councillors recognise that we have to keep working hard for the town to justify the voters' faith in us."