Labour announces all-women ticket for Liverpool City Mayor elections

Three women are bidding to become Labour’s candidate to contest the post of Liverpool’s elected Mayor this May.

The role is up for grabs after elections were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A shortlist has now been announced by the party which comprises current acting Mayor Wendy Simon, Cllr Anne O’Byrne, and the city’s current Lord Mayor, Cllr Anne Rothery who became Liverpool’s first black Mayor.

Cllr Simon was called on to stand in as acting Mayor in December following the arrest of sitting Mayor, Joe Anderson, earlier in the month after he stepped aside while police enquiries continue.

She was Deputy Mayor and recently retired as a social worker to focus on running the council.

Cllr O’Byrne was Deputy Mayor of Liverpool until 2018 when she walked out of Mayor Anderson’s cabinet following the sacking of her close ally Nick Small.

She is committed to removing the Mayoral position and is campaigning to revert to a leader and cabinet model as part of a planned 2023 referendum.

Cllr Rothery has represented the Princes Park ward in Liverpool 8 since 2006, and she replaced sitting Lord Mayor, Cllr Peter Brennan, when he stepped down in 2019.

Eight applications were received for Labour’s position, which have now been narrowed down to three.

A vote will take place later this month and a candidate is expected to be announced in early March.

Mayor Anderson was arrested last December as part of a police investigation into building and development contracts in the city.

He was administratively suspended by the Labour Party. He remains on police bail until February 19, and said he will focus on clearing his name.

Last month a bid by Lib Dem leader Cllr Richard Kemp to begin a public consultation on ending the mayoral position was defeated by the ruling Labour Party.

Labour councillor Dan Barrington, agreed that there should be consultation, but added: “We don’t believe that’s something that could be rushed through.

He said: “We are currently in the middle of a pandemic and feel that now isn’t the best time to be launching into a consultation.”

“Our amendment proposes that the council will commit to hold a referendum on the future of the city’s governance in 2023 alongside the local elections.”

He said running the two simultaneously would help reduce the cost of a referendum.