Despite everyone's best efforts and your tremendous support, Wirral Borough Council have, so far, refused to listen to the voice of its public and is showing no signs of doing so. Instead they have stifled debate in council, conducted a partial and unsatisfactory user consultation and they have failed to provide worried carers with any reasonable level of confidence in their vague, uncosted private sector alternatives. THE COUNCIL DOES NOT NEED TO CLOSE GIRTRELL COURT, THEY :- - are sitting on cash reserves of £108 MILLION which are still growing; - have lent several million pounds to other Labour controlled councils at negligible, non-commercial interest rates; - have levied the 2% council tax rise intended to pay for the very services they propose closing - still do not know the actual cost of replacement services and so any claim of financial savings is preposterous nonsense: They have been unable to sustain the spurious “savings” argument and have now changed tack to “user choice”. Our own research proves conclusively that Girtrell Court users are safe, happy, content and do not require “choice” The saddest aspect of Girtrell Closure is that it is being bulldozed through by the council's Labour leadership in a gross betrayal of true socialist principles. The leadership has applied the party whip to every vote and caring, visibly distressed councillors have been forced to vote against their conscience and true feelings by the party machine. They have even voted for the final closure decision to be taken by just one councillor and the council officer who proposed closure in the first place to minimise public scrutiny. It is beyond bizarre that a Labour administration should inflict this agony on the disabled and their carers whilst the local Conservatives, Liberals, Green party councillors and all trades unions are fighting tooth and nail to save Girtrell Court. This petition remains totally apolitical – it is about appropriate, life and sanity saving services but the process so far has, sadly and shamefully, been orchestrated by a Labour administration and we cannot avoid placing the blame where it truly lies. If you really care about respite services, please use your vote on Thursday to send a powerful message to Wirral Borough Council that they answer to the people who will not permit vital services to be lost The following seats are being contested on Thursday by Labour candidates whose party has consistently and without exception voted in both Cabinet and full council to close Girtrell Court respite and to deny full, open and democratic process. Only you can decide whether their shameful treatment of the disabled makes these listed Labour candidates worthy of your vote. If not, use this rare opportunity to register your disapproval in a concrete way. Candidate Forenames Council Ward MUSPRATT Christina Claire Bebington MCMANUS Julie Bidston & St James STAPLETON Jean Victoria Birkenhead & Tranmere WARD Warren Andrew Bromborough HOLLIDAY Jenny Clatterbridge DAVIES George Claughton ROBERTO Giuseppe Mark Eastham HARRISON Frank Greasby, Frankby & Irby JUDGE Jeff Anthony Heswall ROBINSON Jean Mary Hoylake & Meols LEECH Anita Leasowe & Moreton East USHER Tom Liscard WILLIAMSON Janette Liscard GREANEY Karl Gerard Moreton West & Saughall Massie JONES Tony New Brighton NOWAK Vicky Oxton SULLIVAN Mike Pensby & Thingwall NORBURY Tony Prenton DAVIES Bill Rock Ferry STUART Paul Charles Seacombe PATRICK Matthew John Upton MCGENITY Bill Wallasey LAING James Stewart West Kirby & Thurstaston PLEASE MAKE THE EFFORT TO GET TO A POLLING STATION ON THURSDAY AND CONSIDER THESE ISSUES CAREFULLY WHEN DECIDING WHO YOU VOTE FOR - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE DISABLED ON WIRRAL AND THEIR CARERS - THEY HAVE PROVED THEMSELVES WHOLLY UNWORTHY OF YOUR BALLOT