Time for Southport Tories to come clean about Boris

Southport journalist Martin Hovden writes: Earlier this week I revealed the disgraceful attitude of Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore towards the residents of the town.

He deliberately refused to say whether he had confidence in Prime Minster Boris Johnson, preferring to tell us how hard he (Damien) is working on behalf of Southport.

And according to this week's Southport Champion newspaper, his reluctance to be honest with local residents is shared by Councillor Mike Prendergast, leader of Sefton Tory Group on the local authority.

Councillor Prendergast, who represents the Dukes ward in Southport town centre, also decided to keep quiet about the antics of the PM during Covid lockdown. He said he prefers to concentrate on local issues.

We are being conned by Southport Tories. Most people vote in local elections based on the performance of national government rather than whether your bins emptied on time. So who's in charge of the country is vitally important.

Monday's vote of confidence in Boris Johnson was all about his honesty, integrity and decency.

He and his Downing Street colleagues deliberately broke the lockdown rules, with reports of people being sick in Number 10 parties and drink being splashed on walls, plus numerous bottles of alcohol having to be removed by cleaning staff the next morning.

This at a time when people, including myself, were unable to visit sick relatives. And in my case, no more than 20 people were allowed at my mum's funeral after she died of Covid.

As a resident of Southport, I have every right to know whether our MP or local Tory councillors have confidence in Boris Johnson.

So I invite all Tory representatives in Southport, including MP Damien Moore, Councillors Mike Prendergast, Sir Ron Watson, Tony Brough, Mike Morris plus high profile Birkdale activist Lee Durkin, to answer this simple question: Do you have confidence in Boris Johnson?

Yes or no.

If you refuse to answer, shame on you.