‘It’s the issue not being talked about in this general election’: Merseyside beachgoers want to see more courage

“We don’t talk about climate change enough,” says Sarah Jensen, 24, as she sits next to a picnic on Crosby Beach.

Much of the coastline visible from the beach is within the Sefton Central constituency, which was created in 2010 and also includes the eastern parts of the borough, including Melling and Maghull.

The constituency has been represented by Labour’s Bill Esterson for the past 14 years and he will once again contest the seat in July’s general election. Labor has taken more than 50% of the vote in the last three elections, suggesting the seat has changed from a key marginal between the two major political parties to a safe Labor seat.

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However, the likely re-election of a Labor MP does not mean that voters are fully satisfied with the policies of the current leadership.

Earlier this month, more than 400 scientists wrote to all political parties contesting the 2024 general election. The open letter was published by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment Research and urged leaders to adopt ambitious policies or risk to make Britain and the world ‘more dangerous and unsafe’

The past five years have seen record heat and record flooding, and many voters were disappointed by how little climate issues were discussed on the campaign trail — voters like 23-year-old Ricky Powers.

We meet Ricky as he enjoys a day at Crosby Beach with his girlfriend Sarah. Asked to comment on the lack of dialogue between the main parties on climate change, Ricky said it’s not surprising and believes the lack of these conversations speaks to a wider issue for his generation: “Climate change is the issue none of these parties are talking about. and I don’t feel like I’m really speaking to young people and the concerns we have.”

Sarah agrees: “There is Rishi Sunak’s National Service policy which is so shocking to the public that it gets all the attention and means that the issue of climate change is simply ignored.

“The Greens’ policies are very popular with me and my friends, but because of the voting system, it’s hard to see them getting into power.”

“I look at the policies of the main parties and I don’t think there is anything of interest to young people. Jobs, housing and climate change are huge concerns and I don’t see solutions for us.”

Yet both remain hopeful and confident in their own agency. Ricky said: “It’s important to be hopeful and believe that things can change and it’s up to our generation to do something and bring about that change.”

Both Ricky and Sarah are attracted to some of the Green Party’s policies, but are skeptical about how beneficial it would be to vote for them. Sarah said: “The problems caused by this government are deep and some say Labor could be the best solution. It is a persuasive argument.

“The problem we have at the moment is that the Greens’ policies are very popular with me and my friends, but because of the voting system, it’s hard to see them getting into power.”

This issue points to another missing talking point – proportional representation. A poll published earlier this week found that Labor voters support replacing the one-way vote system (FPTP) with proportional representation (PR).

However, the Labor leadership is maintaining support for FPTP, despite Sir Keir Starmer appearing to back PR during the party’s 2020 leadership election. He told ITV on Wednesday that FPTP had delivered a “strong government in this country” and that he will not make any changes in the voting system.

At the other end of the age spectrum are Alan Burrows and Brian Bailey. Alan has always voted Tory and Brian has always voted Labour, and they chat amiably in the 26 degree heat as Alan waits for a bite on his fishing line.

Alan has voted Tory for most of his life but is completely disillusioned with what he has seen in recent years. He said: “I’m not voting anymore. Everyone is only out for themselves.”

Alan enjoys living on the coast and makes regular visits to Crosby Beach and said protecting the local environment is a priority for him. However, he is not hopeful of progress on this and cites privatization and the profiteering of water companies such as United Utilities.

In the past year, two popular events in Sefton have been postponed or canceled due to leaks, including an outfall on Crosby’s coastal path. The 2024 Waterloo Festival was due to celebrate its 10th anniversary, but was canceled after a sewer line burst at the venue. Earlier this month, the Picturesque 5K challenge was postponed after Sefton Council revealed that “unavoidable United Utilities works” would significantly disrupt the route.

Alan said: “These companies are paid by the government and the people. All they do is raise their bank balances.”

The conversation turns to the NHS and it’s a topic Brian and Alan agree on. Alan mentions the plight of his late grandfather who worked to create the NHS. He said: “When my grandfather was ill the hospital was full and they ended up putting him in the mental health hospital in Rainhill, which he wasn’t happy with and that’s a capacity issue.”

“Look at the number of poor people and children in poverty and it’s all down to the Tories.”

On July 5, the UK will have elected a new government, but it will also be the 76th anniversary of the creation of the NHS. Both Alan and Brian speak passionately about the ‘amazing achievement’ of the NHS, but seem saddened and frustrated by its falling standards.

We met the day after the Channel 4 documentary ‘Undercover A&E: NHS in Crisis: Dispatches’, which exposed the suffering and dangers patients face every day. Brian said: “I know all about it. I was one of those people lying on a gurney, sick and waiting for hours to be seen.”

Brian has been a socialist all his life and has nothing good to say about the Tories and believes they are “only in it for themselves”. For Brian, only a Labor government can provide solutions to the country’s problems and he has already sent his postal vote. He said: “Look at the amount of poor people and children in poverty and it’s down to the Tories. It’s what always happens when I’m in power.”

There is a growing body of evidence that seems to support Brian’s claim. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Cost of Living Tracker, 92% of households with a young person reported running out of basic goods between 2022 and 2023. During the austerity years, child poverty rose to its highest level since before World War II and infant mortality. increased for the first time in two generations.

Polls suggest Labor will win July’s general election in a landslide – although the party is quick to say they are taking nothing for granted. Whatever the government is in on July 5, the issues are complex and myriad, and there will be no easy solutions or quick fixes. Both young and older voters will be hoping they live up to it.

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