Liverpool mayoral election: Labour reveals new candidates

Labour has revealed a second list of potential candidates for the election of the next Liverpool mayor in May.

Councillors Anthony Lavelle and Joanne Anderson will take part in a fresh selection process.

Last week the national Labour party scrapped a shortlist to replace Joe Anderson without explanation.

It prompted a row within the party and on Saturday a group of Labour councillors tried to have the role of elected mayor scrapped.

Mr Anderson was suspended from Labour and said he would not stand following his arrest in December on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.

Yet another surprise in this election.

Nobody could have predicted two relatively new councillors would be shortlisted for one of the biggest jobs in local government, in a town hall which is facing a potentially turbulent future.

Joanne Anderson was only elected to the council in 2019, Anthony Lavelle hasn't been there much longer and is one of the youngest councillors in the city.

Neither of them has held cabinet positions in the current administration.

They are essentially back-benchers, which makes them fresh blood but will also raise questions about their level of experience.

Some Labour members are already tweeting their support and have expressed excitement at the fact that the duo are new.

Others are still extremely angry about the way the first selection process was handled, and believe the original candidates were badly treated.

Ms Anderson, who is not related to the former mayor, has represented Princes Park ward since 2019 while Mr Lavelle was elected to represent Croxteth in 2016.

Ballots will be sent to Labour members in the city next week.

The founder of a children's charity Stephen Yip announced he is standing as an independent candidate as well as Roger Bannister (TUSC), Tom Crone (Green) and Richard Kemp (Liberal Democrat).

Mr Anderson became Liverpool's first directly elected mayor in 2012 after serving as council leader and was re-elected in 2016.

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