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  • Writer's pictureJo Bird

Three years a local Labour councillor

Updated: Sep 5, 2021

Its three years ago today since I was first honoured to be elected as Labour Councillor for Bromborough.


I’ve reported back from my first and second year. In the last year, I have:

1. Tackled hundreds of diverse problems raised by hundreds of local ward residents and organisations.

2. Supported ward residents to speak directly to Council committees on issues including mis-selling of leasehold, road safety, park lighting, pension investments and local business recovery.

3. Helped to fund 18 uplifting murals in New Ferry, ensured explosion site was cleared and supported New Ferry Community Land Trust to deal with serious harassment and bringing empty buildings back into use.

4. Challenged United Utilities to stop emitting bad odours from sewage treatment next to people’s homes.

5. Worked with Port Sunlight Village Trust and others to reveal hidden histories of forced labour in Lord Leverhulme’s palm oil plantations in the Congo.

6. Promoted socialism in local government by standing for election to Labour’s National Executive Committee - and won 28% of votes from fellow Labour councillors. Served on new Socialist Councillors network steering group.

7. Publicly agreed with what Jeremy Corbyn said, “the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons”. The Labour Party investigated and found no breach of the rules.

8. Moved motions at Council meetings to cancel local authority debt and oppose no-fault evictions of people from their homes.

9. Danced my way into my fifties.

10. Led one minutes silence at Wirral Council for over 950 local covid related deaths and called for global vaccine equality.

11. Protested for safety and human rights for Sarah Everard, Diane Sindall and all our sisters who’ve been raped or murdered.

12. Successfully protected almost all front line Council services from budget cuts, campaigned to re-open Europa Fun Pool and found ways to ensure no cuts balanced budget in future.

13. Won contested election as Secretary of Birkenhead Labour Party and stood for election as deputy leader of Wirral Labour Group.

14. With a brilliant team, delivered 14,000 leaflets and spoke directly with almost a thousand ward residents.

15. WON RE-ELECTION as Labour councillor for Bromborough, Port Sunlight and New Ferry – for justice and equality. 61% of residents voted for me – a vote swing of 13%. Thank you!

16. Won complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office who found Newham Council have “more work to do” to respond to my Subject Access Request.

17. Spoke and sang for just Peace for Palestine and celebrated Congo Independence Day.

18. Worked with Friends of Shorefields Park to restore Council grass cutting.

19. Represented residents concerns about local traders, new emission charges and the environment.

20. Won my complaint against the JC and led calls for IPSO to launch a Standards Investigation into the JC due to serious and systemic failures.





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