Stop the Council Cuts protest: You are the candidates that we’ve all been waiting for

There is no need for Council cuts to libraries, swimming pools and golf courses. There was no need for a loan from government last year, bringing intervention that’s not welcome. These are political choices.

Even the Council’s auditor says there is over £20m in the reserves that could be used for services.

How are your local elected politicians voting? Are they putting Party first or people first? Are they for the many or for the money?

Are they like… “Oh, it’s so difficult being a councillor having all this power and privilege. Being paid to make these difficult decisions, when the Council has £330m of budget. It’s got more than £20m in the bank and it’s paid £24m to senior managers in last year. But Oh! It’s so difficult! We can’t possibly find just £2 million to save all those frontline services.”

Shame on them. And also, y’know if they can’t do it, if they can’t balance the budget without cuts to frontline services, then shove over.

Shove over and make room for candidates and councillors who can [Hecker – we’ll do it, we’ll do it] do the job what we’re elected to do.

If there is no candidate in your ward who can stand up for public services, then stand yourself. You can do it, you can do it and you can do it. You are the candidates that we’ve all been waiting for.

We are not the standing by types. We are the standing up types. That’s why we are here today. You’ve got a voice, you’ve got a camera, you can get yourselves a leaflet - and offer voters a real choice.

Because Another Wirral Is Possible. We can have public services for everybody, we can have decent jobs, warm homes, good schools, swimming pools, clean air. Refugees from everywhere are welcome here. We can have a publicly delivered National Health Service.

So we should use our free and fair elections, use our protests and our strikes. They are essential for our freedoms here. We must defend our right to protest, without the threat to our right to remain here. Everything is connected.

And Solidarity. Solidarity from us to everybody in Ukraine, in Palestine, in Syria, Yemen and all parts of the world suffering war and protesting for peace. Our compassion is not selective. We care for everybody.

We, we here in the frontline. We are the many - they are the few.

Thank you very much!

26 February 2022