The UK goes to the polls on Thursday 4 July, with voters in West Kirby, Hoylake and Meols able to choose their preferred choice for Wirral West MP.
The electoral map has been redrawn since the last election in 2019, with the constituency also taking in parts of the now abolished Wirral South constituency including some of Heswall, Thornton Hough and Woodchurch.
The seat was previously held by Labour’s Margaret Greenwood, who stepped down at the end of the last parliament.
The five candidates standing, in alphabetical order by surname, are:
Ken Ferguson – Reform
Ken has lived in the constituency for more than 20 years and runs a small business. He is married with two children, one of whom also lives in the area.
He says he is standing for the seat to give the people of Wirral “a meaningful vote at the next general election” as a “series of mediocre politicians have allowed the Wirral to stagnate”.
He recently campaigned against the introduction of 20mph speed limits by Wirral Council.
Reform manifesto: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/reformuk/pages/253/attachments/original/1718625371/Reform_UK_Our_Contract_with_You.pdf?1718625371
Cllr Gail Jenkinson – Green
Cllr Jenkinson was elected for Labour to represent Greasby, Frankby and Irby last May, but defected to the Green Party in January.
She was raised in Wirral West and has pledged to “fight to protect the greenbelt”, as well as standing on party pledges including child benefit for all children and free school meals.
She argues that Green MP’s “will push the government to think better and do better”.
Green manifesto: https://greenparty.org.uk/about/our-manifesto/
Cllr Jenny Johnson – Conservative
Dr Jenny Johnson was elected to Wirral Council in her home ward of West Kirby and Thurstaston in 2019, and re-elected in 2023.
She was brought up in Pensby and educated at West Kirby Grammar School, and is an associate professor at the University of Liverpool.
She says she wants “Wirral back on the map and listened to”, and has pledged to campaign for more police, safeguarding greenbelt, reintroducing raking at Hoylake beach, and will establish a business forum in every town.
Conservative manifesto: https://manifesto.conservatives.com/
Matthew Patrick – Labour
A former Wirral councillor for Upton, Matthew was brought up in Birkenhead and has worked in financial services and energy regulation since stepping down in 2018.
He says his priorities are tackling the cost of living crisis, the NHS, protecting the environment and making sure local children get the best start in life.
He says politics can change lives as it “protects that which needs protecting, supports those that need supporting, and fights for everyone – without fear or favour”.
Labour manifesto: https://labour.org.uk/change/my-plan-for-change/
Peter Reisdorf – Liberal Democrat
Peter was born in Bromborough and grew up in Hoylake and has has lived in West Kirby since 1991, and works in IT.
He represented Newton, Greasby, Frankby and Irby on Wirral Council during an 11 year period.
He says his priorities are the NHS, stopping pollution, standing up for carers, the Human Rights act, introducing a fair voting system “so seats won match votes cast”, and restoring links with Europe.
Liberal Democrat manifesto: https://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto
- Polling stations are open from 7am – 10pm on Thursday 4 July – remember that you will need to take an accepted form of voter ID in order to be able to vote. More information is available at https://www.wirral.gov.uk/VoterID.
