Luciana Berger could quit Westminster to be Liverpool mayor

Shadow Minister for Mental Health Luciana Berger could follow fellow Labour MP Sadiq Khan’s example – by running for mayor of Liverpool.

Earlier this month Khan beat Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith to become the new mayor of London, leaving Westminster politics, and for London-born Berger, who represents Liverpool Wavertree, the lure of a city-wide remit is tempting.

“I’ve been flattered by people across the Liverpool city region approaching me in recent days, encouraging me to put my name forward as a candidate for the new position of metro mayor,” she said.
“This role… is vitally important for the future success of the region. I will be consulting with family, friends and members of my constituency Labour party in the coming days, before reaching a decision on whether to put my hat in the ring.”

The would-be mayor’s patch would include Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, as well as the city of Liverpool, and the position would carry newly-devolved powers in areas such as education, housing and housing.”

The city is known as a Labour stronghold, so the party’s candidate would stand a good chance of winning. Fellow Labour MP Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool-born son of a forklift truck driver, may also run.

Berger is one of a growing number of centrist Labour parliamentarians looking at mayoral positions around the country, with Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham thought to be considering running for mayor of Manchester.