Triple council by-elections announced

A triple council by-election will be held in Liverpool on the same day as the general election.

Three sitting Labour councillors announced their decision to step down from their roles last week.

Helen Avis, who represented Fazakerley North; Nick Crofts from Broadgreen; and Clubmoor East member Louise Ashton all left their posts with immediate effect.

The city council has confirmed their seats will be on the ballot on 4 July, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Avis was elected to the council to represent the Fazakerley ward in a by-election in 2022 following the resignation of ex-councillor Lindsay Melia.

She was subsequently returned in last year’s all-out elections for Fazakerley North under the new ward boundaries.

In joint statement from the Labour group announcing the resignations, Mrs Avis said her decision to stand down came after she and her family moved away from Liverpool.

Mr Crofts had been a fixture on the Labour benches for 12 years.

He held the Knotty Ash seat until last May when he fought for and won the new Broadgreen seat after a major shake-up of the council map.

Explaining his departure, he said: “Unfortunately, recent changes in my work mean that I am increasingly busy and I can no longer serve my residents with the full commitment that they deserve."

Ms Ashton was only elected to the local authority last May, but said she was stepping down following a bereavement.

She said: “This was a really tough decision, but it is the right one for my family as we have recently suffered a bereavement and I now need to focus on looking after my children at this difficult time."

Nominations close on 7 June.

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