Residents want change but can’t agree on how that should happen
Peter Blackmore by the new murals(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)
A town on the banks of the Mersey may be the home to the UK’s new “opposition party” but its residents appear more divided than ever on its future. Last week, Reform UK candidate and former magistrate Sarah Pochin overturned a huge Labour majority of nearly 15,000 votes to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes.
In the aftermath of the result, it was Reform’s leader Nigel Farage who claimed his party had surpassed the “waste of space” Conservatives and were now best placed to take on the current Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer.
We visited the Rucnorn Town centre in the wake of the election result to find out how people feel about the changing political landscape in their town. We spoke to Connor Morris, 22, who went to the ballot box for the first time to vote in this by-election. Due to his distrust of the bigger political parties, he’s not voted before but changed tack this time around.
When asked what he thought of his hometown, Connor said: “Look around you, it’s a s***hole. There’s a lot of closed down shops. Runcorn has lost its identity.”
Connor believes reducing immigration, a key Reform policy, is vital to improving the town’s prospects. There was relief when he saw the Nigel Farage-led party won with just a handful of votes more than Labour. He said: “I’ve never voted before but I did this time. The fact that it was so close made my vote feel worthwhile.”
Church Street in Runcorn town centre(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)
The latest Home Office figures suggest that just 345 asylum seekers are being housed in temporary accommodation in the two local authorities that span this constituency. This is around 0.37% of the population.
Based on UK census data from 2021 (2022 in Scotland), London is the most popular destination for migrants. Just over 8% of the population in the north west of England are not from the UK, less than the west Midlands, the east and south east of England and London.
However, tackling immigration was a priority for other Reform voters in the town centre that we spoke to but who did not want to be named. Others told the ECHO they did not vote in last week’s by-election due to a distrust of all political parties but were nevertheless happy that Reform won.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury, following his conviction for assaulting a constituent. But no-one the ECHO spoke to brought this up, believing there are far bigger issues the town faces.
Runcorn, run by Halton Borough Council, is also part of the Liverpool City Region due to its longstanding ties with Merseyside. Although the town was officially formed in 915 AD, it rose to prominence hundreds of years later when it was designated a new town in 1964.
A rapid expansion of house building and infrastructure saw its population double as it became an overspill area for many Scousers who were relocated from their homes in Liverpool city centre.
Plenty of people found jobs because Runcorn was then at the heart of Britain’s chemical and tanning industry, as well as being an important cargo port.
That started to change though as Runcorn, like many places across the UK, were hit by major job losses in manufacturing from the 1980s onwards.
As the tanneries closed and the chemical industry declined, Runcorn has struggled to adapt. George Bebbington, 25, despairs at the state of his hometown.
George has appeared on several reality TV shows, with the most notable being Ex on The Beach. He believes Reform’s focus on immigration and tackling ‘woke’ ideology is the last thing Runcorn needs.
George Bebbington believes Runcorn is divided(Image: George Bebbington)
He said: “In my opinion the biggest issue at the moment in Runcorn is the community. The town currently feels very divided. As a town Runcorn is rundown and depressing, it’s almost an insult to have to pay council tax when there’s so little to show for it.
“No high-street, no real town centre – nothing that would make you want to go out locally, aside from two or three independent businesses, especially when you have Widnes, Warrington and Liverpool nearby.”
Despite voting for Labour, George is equally angry at the party, who are floundering in the polls less than a year after winning a huge majority nationally.
He said: “I voted for Labour in this by-election. I have only ever voted for the Green party. The only reason Labour got my vote was purely as a tactical vote in hopes Reform wouldn’t get in.
“The Labour government is struggling because they haven’t done anything to yet support the people. I think people wanted change after years stuck under Conservatives and Labour promised that and still haven’t delivered.
He added: “The result is disheartening and concerning. It has become embarrassing to say I’m from Runcorn. While Reform may now represent the town they certainly don’t represent me or my values.”
This view is shared by Runcorn resident Amy Laraman, also a Green voter who voted for Labour. She would love to see the “shopping city and old town flourish” and adds that action is needed to tackle high rents and a lack of council homes.
Although surprised about how close the result was, Amy, like everyone we spoke to from Runcorn, expected Reform to win. She argues that “immigration is a huge problem and the UK is overcrowded” but insists showing “no compassion” towards people from different backgrounds and those in need “is not the correct way to go about it and it never will be”.
Amy said: “I do not believe Reform will be good for this country and I hope they prove me wrong. I was shocked by how close the results were.
“I expected Reform to win. Labour have disappointed a lot of people including myself. I hope this will be a wake-up call to Labour. I believe the results show a lack of faith in the current system. People want change.”
One man who refused to vote tactically is 65 year-old Peter Blackmore, who is chairman of the local historical society. We found Peter, a Green voter, with two street artists under the A533 flyover on Station Road.
Peter is overseeing a project to paint over the grey concrete pillars holding up the flyover into huge colourful murals of famous figures from Runcorn’s history.
There are several murals being painted on the concrete pillars(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)
When asked if he wished he had backed Labour given how close the result was, he responded: “No, I don’t regret it. People say you should vote tactically but politics is about voting for who you believe in and that’s what I did.
“I knew Reform was going to win anyway. They won because of immigration. Many people here blame immigration for its problems. But that won’t help.”
Peter believes the answer to the issues facing Runcorn and the UK is tackling high levels of inequality. He is optimistic about Zack Polanski, who has recently launched a bid to become co-leader of the Greens on a left-wing platform.
He said: “I voted Green. I could never vote Reform. I was a Lib Dem councillor (from 2007-10) but left when they went into a coalition with the Tories and sat as an independent. Labour – I wouldn’t say they are Tory lite because that was when Blair was in, but they’ve not been good at all.
“I’m on PIP and they’re taking that away. The Greens are the only party interested in taxing the rich.”