BIRKENHEAD has been a Labour stronghold since it was re-created in 1950 but between 1861 and 1918, it mostly voted Conservative.

The town is promised major change over the next two decades as the focus for Wirral Council’s regeneration of the borough through redeveloping brownfield sites around its docks and on the banks of the River Mersey. However with higher levels of deprivation and a feeling the town centre is on the decline, some are sceptical things can be turned around.

The town’s most recent MP was Labour’s Mick Whitley who is standing down after losing a selection contest within the local party. Former Wirral South MP Alison McGovern, who lives in Birkenhead, is running as that party’s candidate.

Many also still remember the town’s former MP Frank Field who represented the area for four years with people on the doorstep praising his personal approach to politics and responding to concerns.

However, six candidates in total are battling for the seat with the Green Party believing the race could be much closer than polls predict. However, politics forecaster Electoral Calculus thinks Labour have a 100% chance of winning the seat with a predicted 56.8% of the vote.

Their poll predicted Reform on 13.8%, the Greens on 13%, Conservatives on 10.1%, and the Liberal Democrats on 4.8%. Electoral Calculus said they had taken into account recent election results as well as some polling in the constituency when doing their analysis.

The candidates are:

Jo Bird (Green Party)

Catherine Evans (Freedom Alliance)

Stuart Kelly (Liberal Democrats)

Alison McGovern (Labour Party)

Sarah Payne (Conservative and Unionist Party

Tony Stanley (Reform UK)