Labour could lose overall control of Sefton Council in Merseyside. And with Reform eyeing up seats on the council, independent socialists in the metropolitan borough are emphasising the power of community.

The awfulness of Starmer’s Labour enabled Reform

The Canary spoke to current councillor for Kew ward Sean Halsall. He not only blamed Keir Starmer for fuelling Reform’s rise, but called out the cowardice of others in the Labour Party for their passivity in face of these threats.

Halsall, who co-founded Southport Community Independents, insisted that the way to resist Reform’s “textbook fascism” and the difficulties people across Sefton and the UK are facing is through community building and community action. He promised that independents will:

be here in the community to listen and be amongst you.

Adding that:

Community is what shapes and changes society.

Both Southport Community Independents and Lydiate and Maghull Independents have received the endorsement of Your Party.

Why has Reform been gaining ground in some parts of Sefton?

I think they’re the big issues of everywhere, of every seaside town, every deprived part of this country, and every part of this country now. We’ve got a state system that isn’t functioning because it’s not properly funded, because we’ve decided to not tax billionaires properly. So the rest of us can’t afford to eat or heat our homes.

I think it’s a fundamental change we need. The system is the problem. But we’ve got a bunch of parties in power that will not accept that, and can’t tell a different story. So we’re stuck in this death spiral of pretending nothing’s wrong, while the fascists come in and point the finger while the billionaires get wealthier and wealthier.

Reform are going to do well. But I think the actual fundamentals they’re gonna bring is this talk of concentration camps – let’s call them what they are, if you’re going to concentrate a group of people in an area, and an area which hasn’t voted your political persuasion.

I’m pretty confident it’s illegal. Punishing voters for voting how they vote is surely textbook fascism. And when fascists start telling you openly that they’re fascists, you should probably pay attention.

This isn’t just the rhetoric anymore. It’s looking at policy which has a direct impact on people, and leads to some very, very dark places in the wrong hands.

What kind of message have you been hearing on the doorstep?

To be honest, the resounding message is anti-Labour, anti-Keir Starmer. Our leaflets have used reds on the front and people sort of have their backs up instantly thinking we’re the Labour Party. Once you have the conversations, it’s fine, and once people have read the leaflets, it’s fine, because it’s very, very clear we’re not. But you can see that visceral reaction to people, and that’s what’s worrying.

We spoke before the 2024 general election, and I used a throwaway comment that Keir Starmer would be the midwife for fascism, but it’s here. We’re at the birth. It’s coming.

And to be honest, I did not think Keir Starmer would last this long. But I think that shows just how cowardly the rest of the Parliamentary Labour Party are, that they could not deal with this. And it’s on their hands. What is going to happen and could happen here is on their hands.

We’ve got to be ready in our communities now to defend ourselves against this threat, and to make sure that we’ve got resilience, because these people aren’t gonna come and help us. Politicians have shown time and time again that they are not on our side. And that includes the Reform ones, probably about 80% of which were Tories this time a year or two ago.

How will Greens do locally?

I think they’ll do well in some seats. They’ve already got one councillor, Neil Doolin, who I’ve helped since he got elected, and shown him the ropes, because no one else will do that as he’s the lone Green councillor. I’ve seconded some of his motions, as he has some of mine as an independent.

And I think, because of that to be honest, there are wards in Sefton where the Greens won’t stand against us as Southport Community Independents, and we haven’t stood against them. So I think we have shown what we can do when there is dialogue and people are working together.

But I don’t think, without that last year or two of relationship in the chamber, that that would have been possible. I think it’s only that personal relationship that’s meant Neil was able to put his foot down with the National Greens and broker that deal.

What can you tell us about Lydiate and Maghull Independents?

So they’re two small towns just in south and central. They’re standing candidates there, and we’ll support independents that share our mantra that socialists, community-based independents – rooted in the community, interested in doing things, not just talking about things — wherever they are, we’ll support them and hopefully build a coalition on Sefton over the next few years that is able to hold Labour to account and to push back any more reactionary forces.

What do you say to people to convince them to vote independent?

It’s pointing out the hypocrisies and the inconsistencies in the stories. Deporting people back to Syria or wherever is not gonna lower your bills, your energy bills. I’ll tell you what will – it’s nationalising the energy companies. These problems are held in ownership.

The economic issues in this country, you’re not going to deport your way out of those issues. We need to start taxing billionaires and nationalising these key services so the energy companies aren’t able to post record profits as we’re seeing them do at the moment, and that money is put back into our communities and into looking after the people who need it.

On the council, what will independents do?

We’ll be here in the community to listen and be amongst you. We will be successful when we have collective action and build community. We can’t expect individuals to come rescue us, we’ve got to build this collectively. Community is what shapes and changes society. And that’s why [Margaret] Thatcher knew she had to break it.

That’s why she knew she had to do her ‘no such thing as society’ thing. Because this is what wins, this is what beats neoliberalism. Community.

What final message would you like to send to voters?

Community spaces are a big thing for us. That’s come up across everywhere, across the assemblies and across the doorstep now. Community spaces being protected is massive for everyone.

People should, when they cast their vote, think about what they’re doing. If you’re in your hour of need, if you’re being made homeless, who is it you want answering the phone on the other end? Is it some rabid racist who can’t stay out of an issue on Facebook for more than a couple of weeks?

Or is it someone who actually cares? Is it a campaigner who’s worked in housing campaigns? Because that’s the time you’re going to be ringing your councillor and needing them. Make sure that you make a decision that doesn’t lead you to regret that at them darkest moments of your life.

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

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