GENERAL ELECTION: What the candidates are saying about the future of Morecambe Football Club

General election candidates have given their thoughts on how new laws could help with the future of Morecambe Football Club.

We recently held our Beyond the Ballot debate with the Morecambe and Lunesdale candidates at our studio.

We put your questions to Lizzi Collinge (Labour Party), Gina Dowding (Green Party), Peter Jackson (LIberal Democrats), David Morris (Conservative Party) and Barry Parsons (Reform UK) who will be standing in the general election on July 4.

LISTEN: Morecambe & Lunesdale 'Beyond the Ballot' debate - Beyond Radio

There were some questions we didn't have time to ask during the radio debate. We sent these questions to the candidates and asked for a written response, and they included a question on how new laws could help Morecambe FC.

We had replies from Gina Dowding, Barry Parsons and Peter Jackson (pictured below). This is what they said:

Q Do you support the Football Governance Bill which will bring in an independent regulator which could help with some of the ownership issues to affect Morecambe FC in recent years?

Gina Dowding said: "I fully support the Football Governance Bill and was pleased to meet representatives of Morecambe Football Club board, trustees and supporters with Natalie Bennett who is an existing Green Party member of the House of Lords. I will push for the Bill to progress through Parliament after the election. Natalie was noting how the Bill could be improved with amendments as it goes through the Parliamentary process."

Peter Jackson said: "I had a meeting at Morecambe FC as I think other candidates also have had. The co-chairmen and the supporters trust outlined the club's position on the Football Governance Bill, which is to back the EFL (English Football League) call for the strongest possible regulation and regulator. Football clubs are vital community assets, and while football is awash with money at the Premier League level, nowhere near enough of that trickles down to the lower levels of the football pyramid. I support the Bill and hope it will deliver greater financial security for smaller clubs, and provide a regulator with the power to address the ownership issues at Morecambe FC."

Barry Parsons said: "The Independent Financial Regulator objectives are:
"To protect and promote the financial soundness of regulated clubs;
"To protect and promote the financial resilience of English football; and
"To safeguard the heritage of English football.

"I have a strong, life-time interest in football. One of the worst things for a football fan (and, often so many within its local communities) is to see 'their club' in difficulty. Football can be hugely time-consuming, some might say akin to a religion!

"There is no doubt, though, that finances within football need reform in order, at least, to protect a club's familial support. The Football Governance Bill has only just come on board and is an attempt to support the teams in our country. Only time will tell if Morecambe FC and others might benefit from it.

"What I will say meantime is, "C'MON MORECAMBE!"

Morecambe FC has been up for sale since September 2022 and there have been repeated calls for owners Bond Group Investments to sell amid concerns over the long-term financial stability of the club.

The Football Governance Bill was introduced in Parliament in March, but time ran out before the general election for it to become law.

Labour candidate Lizzi Collinge spoke about the situation at Morecambe FC after a recent visit to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, accompanied by Shadow Cabinet member Lisa Nandy.

She said: “This is a really difficult time for everyone connected with the club. We are all very worried and are watching the situation carefully. I will work side-by-side with fans and club directors to make sure the club gets back on a firmer footing.

“I wanted to invite Lisa to the club, not only because she played such an important role in the resent rescue of Wigan Athletic, but also to make sure the Shadow Cabinet hear direct from Morecambe fans about what support they need from any future Government.”

David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale since 2010, spoke about the Football Governance Bill on GB News in May.

Mr Morris said the Bill contains "stricter tests (for prospective owners) and legislation in place to have good governance and good housekeeping so we're not in a position where we're at a stalemate where we're seeing financial irregularities going on with the club meaning players not being paid and management not being paid...and then we're in a position where we can't sell the club.

"We don't want to see this club go under, that's the last thing we want to see."

Mr Morris also said on his Facebook page: "Morecambe FC is a hugely important part of our local community and we need to find a buyer soon for the club, so our club can continue to operate."

*Here are the other extra questions we asked the Morecambe and Lunesdale candidates.

Q - One in four women suffers domestic abuse. When will this be addressed as successive governments appear to do nothing and it's left to charities to pick up the pieces.

Gina Dowding said: "As an NHS women’s health promotion officer back in the 90s, I worked on setting up a women’s refuge due to the appalling lack of refuge accommodation, and it is shocking that still today there is a need for more dedicated supported safe accommodation- that does not rely on grants to charities. Greens would prioritise funding housing need – provided by local authorities – for those most vulnerable including women and families leaving abusive relationships.

"Green MPs will push for greater support for dedicated domestic violence units within the police force with properly trained staff. But there is a huge need to tackling structural injustice and transform not just policing, but also the courts and justice systems."

Peter Jackson said: "A very serious offence, both physical abuse and coercive control, and your questioner is right that too little is being done. More specialist police teams are needed and widely publicised helplines for victims.

"There should be better funding for women's refuges. And, alongside official actions, we need communities, and especially male voices, saying loudly and clearly that domestic abuse is wrong and wrecks lives."

Barry Parsons said: "We certainly need prevention programmes at an earlier stage and tackle perpetrators at an early stage, ensuring too that relevant partnerships are fully operational.

"But, a big part of this and despite the passing of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is that the court system is overwhelmed with cases - unable to deal with current demands.

"We need to rebuild our capacity for magistrates countrywide, take tough, effective action against perpetrators and reduce demand on our wonderful, but, overwhelmed charitable organisations. In doing so we need to pay full regard to the currently, scant attention drawn to mental health and support, respectfully, the needs of survivors."

Q Why has there been no bridge built over the bay from Morecambe to Barrow and do you support this as a concept?

Gina Dowding said: "This idea has been promoted by some politicians as if that if enough to make this a realistic possibility. There is far more engineering assessment required before it is known whether this is financially,  technically and environmentally feasible either as a tidal barrage to produce energy, and to improve transport links.

"Right now, however,  investment in far cheaper on-shore and off-shore wind, plus improvements to existing rail links are our priority and Green MPs would push for that."

Peter Jackson said: "A bridge on its own would be poor value for money, but if it were combined with a large scale tidal stream or tidal barrage energy project I would be strongly in favour."

Barry Parsons said: "The first part of this question is easy. It takes courage to meet the challenges of an area which has been for so long neglected by successive governments. Our successive Labour and Conservative governments have had neither the courage nor the will to implement a system that could involve huge turbine development which would lead to massive social and financial benefits across our communities in and around Morecambe and Barrow.

"Yes, I do support such a healthy and wide-ranging project determination at the earliest opportunity. Implementation will re-invigorate our town and surrounding communities - which is long overdue!"

Q If ever there was a time that your party policy went against the interests of the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituents, which would you side with, the constituency or the party line?

Gina Dowding said: "MPs should always remember that they are voted in by their local population and therefore should be guided by local interests. That said – in nearly all areas of change -you can’t please all the people all the time – so I would be guided by principles which I try to underpin all decisions:  fairness, reducing inequalities, thinking of future generations."

Peter Jackson said: "My first course of action would be to put the case for the constituency to my party and seek a policy change. But if it came to the crunch I would always put the voters who elected me ahead of party loyalty."

Barry Parsons said: "Constituents decide who is their Member of Parliament. It is to them that an MP must always have first call."

You can read more on our Beyond the Ballot debate with the Morecambe and Lunesdale candidates below.

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GENERAL ELECTION: David Morris and Gina Dowding clash over housing in Morecambe & Lunesdale - Beyond Radio

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GENERAL ELECTION: Morecambe and Lunesdale candidates lay out their visions for the future - Beyond Radio

GENERAL ELECTION: David Morris challenged on 'falling child poverty' claims - Beyond Radio