Wirral boundary changes prompt Birkenhead Labour candidate fight

The Wirral South constituency, currently represented by shadow employment minister Alison McGovern will cease to exist

A selection battle between two Wirral MPs will decide who will be Labour's candidate in Birkenhead at the next general election.

A boundary review means the number of constituencies on the peninsula will be cut from four to three.

The Wirral South constituency, currently represented by shadow employment minister Alison McGovern, will cease to exist.

The other three - Birkenhead, Wallasey and Wirral West - will all remain.

All are currently represented by Labour MPs in Parliament.

Wirral South covers the central part of the Wirral peninsula including the towns of Heswall, Bebington and Bromborough.

Alison McGovern has represented Wirral South since 2010.

In an open letter to her constituents, she said: "I'm going to ask Labour members to support me standing in a new Wirral constituency which includes Bebington, but I'll be the last person to have the title of MP for Wirral South."

Under changes introduced by the boundary commission, Bebington will become part of the Birkenhead constituency.

Ms McGovern said: "I came into politics to change our country and fight for the people of Merseyside, and I plan to continue to do so.

"I hope to have your support in standing to be Labour's MP for the new constituency which merges parts of Wirral South and Birkenhead and which will include my home."

Frank Field was Birkenhead's MP for 40 years

Birkenhead has been represented since 2019 by Mick Whitley.

He succeeded former New Labour government minister Frank Field, who was Birkenhead's MP for 40 years.

Mr Field - now Lord Field of Birkenhead - left the Labour Party in 2018, stood as an independent at the 2019 general election but lost.

The constituency boundaries have been reviewed to reflect population change.

The government aim is that all parliamentary constituencies contain roughly the same number of electors.

Each constituency must contain no less than 69,724 and no more than 77,062 registered electors, as at the fixed date of 2 March 2020).

Other wards currently part of Wirral South - Bromborough and Eastham - will become part of the renamed Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency.

Mick Whitley has confirmed he will hope to remain Labour's candidate in Birkenhead.

He said: "In the event of a new contest, as the sitting MP for Birkenhead, I will definitely be standing and will once again, ask the local members to put their trust in me - so that, together, we can finish the work that we began four years ago.

"I am looking forward to leading a positive campaign, based on my record of delivering real change for the town in which I was born and bred."

Today another Wirral Labour MP, Wirral West's Margaret Greenwood announced she would be standing down ahead of the next general election.

She was first elected in 2015 to the seat which was previously held by the Conservative Esther McVey.

A source close to Mick Whitley told the BBC they hoped this vacancy would appeal to Ms McGovern rather than competing for Birkenhead.

They said: "Given the opportunity has now arisen to avoid a Labour MP on Labour MP contest, one would hope that Alison acts in the Party's interests as we approach a General Election - where we desperately need to get the Tories out - and put her hat in the ring for Wirral West, rather than continue to pursue a red on red contest in Birkenhead."

It's understood the Labour Party selection process to choose Birkenhead's candidate will start this week.

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