Southport Labour Party

Apology demanded from Southport MP for what councillor says is “clear discrimination” against Black Lives Matter protest

A banner at Saturday’s human rights protest in Southport

Southport’s Conservative MP has been told he should apologise after denouncing the Black Lives Matter protest held in the town at the weekend.

Posting on his Facebook page, Damien Moore made a lengthy criticism of the event, which he’d previously asked residents not to attend.

The MP stated he supported the aims behind it but his opposition was on the basis of Covid concerns, saying:

“The demonstration that took part on Saturday was unhelpful and went someway to undoing our town’s efforts to tackle this pandemic, protect our NHS, and save lives.”

But critics have pointed out that in the very same post he also stated that veterans who had staged their own gathering at the same time just a hundred metres or so away had his “full support”, seemingly unaware it completely undercut his own professed public health stance.

Southport MP accused of “Trump tactics” after censorship in funding row.

Cllr Myers’ questions seemed to rattle Southport Tory MP Damien Moore (on right).

Southport’s Tory MP has been accused of “brittle petulance” after a remarkable outburst against a local councillor in a row over funding.

Damien Moore reacted after one of the town’s Norwood councillors publicly quizzed him over cuts to the local authority’s emergency funding during the Covid crisis.

Some £2.4m has been cut already, with concern also expressed by the councillor over a potential £40m black hole facing Sefton and the effect on services to local residents it will have if the government doesn’t fulfil its promise to meet all costs caused by the pandemic.

Southport Tory MP quizzed over Sefton Covid cash.

Southport’s Conservative MP challenged to act

Sefton Council has had nearly a quarter of its emergency funding slashed by the government as it tries to tackle the Coronavirus Crisis, it’s been revealed.

The authority has been handed a cut of nearly £2,400,000 (24%) in its emergency funding from the government, despite the huge extra demands its meeting to combat Covid-19.

According to the cross-party Local Government Association, councils in England are facing a total financial black hole of between £10 and £13 billion because of the cost pressures of fighting Covid-19, such as the sourcing of Personal Protective Equipment, and from lost income and savings opportunities.