Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THIS week's elections show that England's political landscape is hugely divided. Tonight, Conservatives in Southport and the Northern Parishes are celebrating following the election of:- Thomas de Freitas to Lancashire County Council, in the West Lancashire North Division.

Thomas de Freitas, the newly elected Conservative Councillor, was elected with a 42.5% share of the vote, a huge increase in the party's fortunes following the General Election result in 2024. This is important as part of this area falls under the new Southport constituency, which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Labour's MP Patrick Hurley. This means Labour has failed to hold on to their votes from the General Election in 2024, with their share of the vote collapsing, from:- 38.3% in July 2024 to 10.58%, in May 2025.

The Conservatives say that local people have:- "firmly rejected Labour with many angry at the:- scrapping of the Winter Fuel Allowance for thousands of pensioners, the impending Family Farm Tax and huge tax increases for working people."

They added:- "It's clear from this result that the Conservatives in the Southport constituency pose the greatest threat to Labour, and are the best way of stopping Labour at the ballot box in Southport and the Northern Parishes."

Thomas de Freitas added:- "I'm honoured to have been elected to represent the area where I grew up, work and live and want to thank everyone who voted. The hard work starts now, and I'll be working to deliver for local people. My fellow Northern Parish Councillors and I will continue working hard for:- Banks, Mere Brow, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton. I will continue to stand up for all residents, businesses and local farmers, pushing back on Labour's plans to concrete over our agricultural land and put even more pressure on local infrastructure. At the General Election, it was a shockingly straight contest between:- Labour and the Conservatives, with the once dominant Lib Dems pushed aside. From our view, it's looking like the next General Election, within the Southport Constituency, will be the same."

Mike Prendergast, Spokesperson for Southport Conservatives, highlighted the significance of this win:- "Thomas de Freitas's election is a testament to the hard work locally, he and his fellow Councillors put in for their local communities. Where Conservatives win, this leads to better outcomes for local people. At a national level, we know we have a lot to do to win back the support of those who might have voted for another party for the 1st time in their lives. That work continues, and in Southport and the Northern Parishes, we will be carrying on with that work across the constituency. Only the Conservatives can beat Labour in Southport and the Northern Parishes."