House Crusher Programme and Local Election Results : Published in North West Enquirer

Where the Pathfinder programme is losing its way 

Firstly,  may we thank The Enquirer for an excellent review (May 4) on the controversial Pathfinder Demolition debate.

In Merseyside the extent of demolition as compared to renovation has led to an extensive resident resistance.

This has vented itself in the political process by the way four of the city’s leading anti-demolition campaigners were sponsored by the Liberal Party: Mike Butler in Anfield, Nine Edge in Princes Park, Griff Parry in Picton and Elizabeth Pascoe in Kensington and Fairfield Ward .

Across the city Liberal Party candidates had the slogan STOP DEMOLISHING – START RENOVATING placed on the ballot paper alongside their party name.

Whilst the demolition campaigners did not win any seats they all obtained significant votes.

The total impact in the city wide vote when all 30 wards are totalled was:

The Lib Democrat vote collapsed from 56 per cent to 40.5 per cent;

The Labour Party gained three seats and raised their vote by 6 per cent to 38 per cent;

The Conservative Party fielded more candidates than for a decade, however their vote rose from three  per cent to 6.7 per cent.

Interestingly, the new-look image didn’t permeate to Liverpool.

In several wards the Tories had to appeal to sectarian divisions and candidates stood as Conservative and Unionist as the only way to obtain 10 nominators.

The Greens benefited from the defection of a Lib Dem Councillor 48 hours before polling. They obtained 5.9 per cent of the vote and profiled an anti-demolition stand.

We in the opposition Liberal Party saw our city wide vote rise from six per cent to 7.5 per cent and remain a clear third party in the city.

We believe the Pathfinder Programme should be more appropriately described as the “House Crusher Programme.”

As the next 5,000 CPOs and demolitions are carried out and another 5,000 families are added to the city’s record waiting lists, we are confident the resident’s opposition will intensify.

Unless the Lib Dems change direction they will loose control within the next two years.

Councillors Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton,
Liberal Party members Liverpool City Council 

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