From May 2023, Liverpool Council will have a new leader.
The city council is set to move away from the mayoral model that has been in place in the city for the past decade and will revert back to a leader and cabinet model from May's elections. This means that rather than the people of the city directly electing a mayor at local elections, the new leader of the council will be elected by whichever political group or party has a majority of councillors elected.
As things stand, Labour hold a strong majority on Liverpool Council with 61 seats out of 90. The next largest group is the Liberal Democrats on 11 councillors.
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It is not a given that Labour will be the largest party after May's elections - and the party will expect to lose some seats over recent scandals and the problems that have landed the council with government commissioners - but the odds are still on the party running things after those votes next year.
This means that whoever is voted in as the new leader of Liverpool's Labour group stands a very good chance of being the next leader of the city council. The current city leader, Mayor Joanne Anderson, is stepping down from the council altogether when her role is abolished in May - meaning the party is preparing to elect a leader-in-waiting to replace her.
Nominations opened for this position last week and following a round of interviews, the party has produced a shortlist of three potential candidates. These three councillors are currently gathering support ahead of a crunch Labour group meeting on Monday evening, when councillors will vote for who they want to be their next leader.
So who are the names in the frame and what are their chances of being the new leader of Liverpool Labour and potentially the next council leader in the city? Here we take a quick look at those running for the job.]
Cllr Liam Robinson
Cllr Robinson has emerged as something of a front-runner in the bid to lead Liverpool's often fractured Labour group. The 40-year-old has been a Labour councillor since 2008, representing the Kensington and Fairfield ward. A former railway man, he is well known for his work chairing the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's Transport Committee since 2012.
His stock has grown further in recent months after he stepped in as the city council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods when Abdul Qadir had to step down because of a development investigation.
After years of divisions and factions within the Liverpool Labour group - not to mention scandals and crises surrounding the ruling party's management of the city council - he is seen by many as a safe pair of hands and someone who would work collegiately to try and bring the group together.
It is also thought that his trusted relationship with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and ability to work with government could be useful for a council that still finds itself under the watchful eyes of Whitehall commissioners.
Speaking about Cllr Robinson, a Labour source said: "Liam Robinson is the firm favourite and after Labour’s recent setbacks and scandals is seen as a safe pair of hands. He’s not exactly political Hollywood but is competent and has proven his ability as a good cabinet member and as chair of Merseytravel. He is popular and has never been embroiled in group infighting or part of any faction. He’s the unity candidate and many will turn to him to steady the ship. It is his to lose."
Cllr Ruth Bennett
Cllr Bennett has represented the Belle Vale ward for Labour since 2016. She stepped into the senior position of Chief Whip for the Labour group back in 2018. As Chief Whip she has been responsible for the discipline of the Labour group during a particularly difficult few years.
Despite the many challenges the position and the group have thrown up, Cllr Bennett has retained a decent profile within the group and should garner some decent support from fellow councillors.
Speaking of her chances, a Labour source said: "Ruth Bennett has served as a fair but firm chief whip and has done a largely decent job in maintaining group discipline during a turbulent few years." Despite this, the source suggested she may not quite have what's required for an effective challenge to the favourite Cllr Robinson.
Cllr Liz Parsons
First elected as a Labour councillor in Childwall, Cllr Parsons now represents the Norris Green ward. She has held previous cabinet positions on the council.
Seen as a strong campaigner, the feeling is she is more of an outside bet for the leadership position. A Labour source said: "Out of all of the candidates she’s got the common touch and connects well with the public. She’d be popular with the members but despite a stint as an effective cabinet member, she has not put in the groundwork to build the necessary relationships with colleagues on the Labour group."
They added: This leadership bid isn’t something she’s planned, it is a roll of the dice. Another cabinet job is on the horizon but she won’t be leader."
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