What you need to know about the Liverpool Labour Mayoral “fiasco”

Selection to find a successor to Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has been reopened by the Labour Party.

Councillors Wendy Simon, Ann O’Byrne and Anna Rothery, had been in the running to stand for Labour in the city’s mayoral elections on May 6.

Mr Anderson, who has been the elected mayor since the role was created in 2012, announced on New Year’s Eve he would not stand for re-election following his arrest as part of a Merseyside Police fraud investigation.

On Tuesday, with less than two months until nomination papers must be submitted to the council, Labour announced it was re-opening the selection for the post.

It is understood that previous candidates will not be invited to apply.

A Labour spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, Labour is re-opening the selection for Liverpool mayor.

“We are committed to ensuring members are able to choose the right candidate to stand up against the Conservatives, lead Liverpool out of the coronavirus crisis and fight for the resources that the city desperately needs.”

The current Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Anna Rothery who was one of the three Mayoral candidates has released the following statement in which she stays that she will consider legal action if the decision remains.

My statement following today's announcement. pic.twitter.com/Nlvq82EyBx

— Anna Rothery ? (@CllrAnnaRothery) February 23, 2021

Ann O’Byrne also released a statement on Twitter saying the following:

Thank you to everyone for your support during the campaign, here’s my statement following today’s announcement from The Labour Party pic.twitter.com/wf4wP1ldcd

— Ann O'Byrne (@ann_obyrne) February 23, 2021

The former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell said:

This fiasco leaves the Labour bureaucracy wide open to charges of sheer incompetence or a political stitch up or both. If there was a problem with any candidate it should have been dealt with earlier or is the problem the socialism of a possible winner? https://t.co/57y2wBQC3j

— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) February 23, 2021

New nominations must be in by midday on Thursday, with ballots to be distributed from March 8 and returned by March 29.

The council deadline to submit completed nomination papers is April 8.