Wirral South – how will you vote?

[dropcap type=”circle”]I[/dropcap]n 2015 Labour’s Alison McGovern was re-elected as our Labour MP with a majority of 4,599.

UKIP knocked the Liberal Democrats into fourth place.

In 2010 Ms McGovern won the seat for the first time with a slender lead from the Conservatives of just 531.

On Thursday there is no UKIP candidate standing, and the most likely beneficiary of almost 4000 or so voters with nowhere to go is the Conservatives.

So Wirral South is a marginal that could be decided by one simple factor: has Jeremy Corbyn done enough on the campaign trail to persuade those Labour voters who would have rejected him a couple of months ago, to back Labour after all?

Here’s our brief guide to the candidates hoping for your vote tomorrow – listed in alphabetical order by surname.

Chris Carubia (Liberal Democrat)

Even though 48% of the electorate voted to remain within the European Union, the Liberal Democrat campaign never caught national fire, despite it including a pledge to allow the British public another referendum on whatever Brexit deal we strike in a couple of years’ time.

It’s possible that this has something to do with a campaign that is highly locally targeted.

Wirral South Lib Dems have been urged to volunteer in Southport where the party believes it has a good chance of winning. Sue McGuire is fighting to retain the seat vacated by the retiring Lib Dem MP, John Pugh.

So Wirral South Liberal Democrats may be considering alternatives: vote with my conscience for Chris and the party and philosophy of my national choice; or switch my vote to Labour in order to prevent a Tory win and an increased ‘hard Brexit’ Commons majority for Theresa May and her government.

Chris’ campaign in a nutshell: “The Conservative Government is now taking our country in the wrong direction. They want Britain out of the single market. They have been making huge cuts to our NHS which is already struggling to meet rising demand. Schools face deep cuts to their budgets, robbing our young people of the decent education they deserve.”

Alison McGovern (Labour)

A couple of weeks ago Wirral South Labour canvassers were reporting that the name ‘Jeremy Corbyn’ was meeting resistance on some Labour voting doorsteps. But two weeks is a long time in politics and the Labour leader is now being seen by many through a new prism.

Corbyn was not Alison’s choice of Labour top dog. Progress, the centre-right pressure group she chairs, viewed him as a man who would make Labour unelectable for decades, and, upon his election as leader, urged Labour MPs to stay in the party to wrestle back policymaking control.

John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, would tell anyone who’d listen that Progress was a party within the party with evil on its mind. These denunciations persuaded Alison the time was right to resign from Labour’s policy review on child poverty and combating inequality.

Alison McGovern has a reputation as a good constituency MP. She is said to be a hard worker who gets involved, and has been highly visible recently campaigning for action following the explosion in New Ferry.

Whether she returns to Westminster depends very much on Labour voters’ attitudes to the man she never wanted as a boss.

Alison’s campaign in a nutshell: “I was born in Wirral South and have fought for our community against this government. The Tory manifesto of misery sets out more pain for local people. I want to be their champion to fight against cuts to schools, protect local NHS services and block the dementia tax in parliament.”

Mandi Roberts (Green)

The Greens provide a refreshing take on politics and our national and global futures. They have not been worn down by political wars of attrition and still have the capacity to see things differently and afresh.

In party co-leader, Caroline Lucas, they also have one of the brighter sparks of the 2017 election campaign. Fiercely intelligent, articulate and with her heart clearly in the right place, she continues to weave the Green agenda into our politics with subtlety, passion and good humour.

Mandi says she is standing for election in Wirral South in support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM for short – being represented in politics.

Mandi’s campaign in a nutshell: “I am standing for the protection of our natural environment and resources in a changing climate, a fairer economy and social cohesion, and to provide that alternative Green voice for the people of Wirral South.”

Dr Adam Sykes (Conservative)

Heswall resident Adam Sykes must have started his appeal to Wirral South voters with such high hopes. The Tories had a 20 point lead in opinion polls; Labour was all over the shop.

Today, thanks to one of the worst General Election campaigns in British political history – one which also failed to factor in a resurgent Jeremy Corbyn – the contest is wide open.

The inadequate messaging began with ‘strong and stable’ and ‘coalition of chaos’ and reached its lowest point with ‘magic money tree’.

Which highly paid communications experts concluded that the endless repetition of three word phrases would win people over? Only those who think we are incapable of rational thought.

The same people who decided to build a cult of personality around Theresa May without identifying a central problem: she does not have a big personality.

This first person campaign, in which the PM has talked only of “I, me and my” has rendered some candidates invisible in terms of local issues because the campaign was meant to be about Brexit, Theresa May, a hapless Jeremy Corbyn – and precious little else.

Adam’s campaign in a nutshell: “This election is really important – we need to make sure we have a Government, and a Prime Minister, that can get the best deal from Brexit. Every vote for Labour in Wirral South is a vote to put Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street and many traditional Labour supporters have told me that’s the last thing they want!”

Every election is important, but that importance is as nought if people don’t participate in them.

Whatever your opinions, especially if you are young, take tomorrow’s opportunity to make your voice heard.