Place your bets on a three-horse race for resort’s votes

IS SOUTHPORT set for another neck-and-neck General Election race?Damien Moore won the seat for the Conservatives in the last general election, in 2017, gaining from the Lib Dems.

The close contest saw Labour finish runners-up as Mr Moore won 18,541 votes (38.7%), with Labour’s Liz Savage second on 15,627 (32.6%) and Lib Dem Sue McGuire third with 12,661 (26.4%).

But with the UK to go to the polls on December 12 will it be another bruising three-horse race?

Veteran Southport journalist Martin Hovden gives his verdict:

JUST a few weeks ago I speculated Southport would be a simple two-horse race in a future general election.

Not any more. After Tuesday’s decision to hold the election on Thursday, December 12, our town is now on course for a three-horse battle – thanks to the recent dramatic rise in the national polls of the Liberal Democrats.

The seat is currently held by Conservative MP Damien Moore, who won a 2,914 majority over Labour’s Liz Savage in the 2017 General Election. That was the year the Lib Dems were pushed into an embarrassing third place after their MP

John Pugh retired from the House of Commons.

I thought recently that the Lib Dems were a spent force. Campaigning was sparse and half-hearted and even I – a political geek – had to Google the name of their candidate (John Wright).

But new leader Jo Swinson has injected much-needed life into her party.

And as a Southport voter, I’ve been impressed with the number of Lib Dem leaflets pushed through my letter-box in the past few months.

So, in Southport it’s a battle between the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems.

It’s clear that no matter how important health, education and social care issues are, it’s going to be a Brexit general election as far as voters are concerned. They are simply relieved the political deadlock has finally been broken.

In a nutshell, the parties’ positions on

Europe are:

Tories – We’ll leave the EU as soon as possible.

Labour – We’ll negotiate a better deal and then hold a second referendum.

Lib Dems – We’ll scrap Brexit and remain in Europe.

Watch out for the Green Party. Climate change is fast becoming a very important issue with the public. Will that concern turn into votes?

Keep an eye on Brexit Party candidate Darcy Iveson-Berkeley. At the age of just 19, he will be the youngest candidate in the town.

And the result in Southport on December 12? Until recently I would have said Labour had a very good chance of victory. But I sense support is draining away and replaced with disillusionment and anger because of the party’s total confusion on Europe.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn is also a Marmite leader – some admire his compassion and conviction politics while others dismiss him and his policies as a real danger to the future of the country.

Let battle commence... and remember, whatever your view don’t waste your vote.