THE DAILY POST today profiles the political leaders of the three main parties battling for control of the region's town halls at Thursday's local elections.
With cabinet systems now the norm for most councils, power has been vested in fewer and fewer people, making the leadership position even more vital.
Liverpool council leader Mike Storey is at the head of the city's cabinet but is no fan of the system.
He said: "I do think the modernised system is very undemocratic. With the exception of the budget, I and the cabinet can insist on anything happening in the city and the elected members can do nothing about it.
"That is bad for democracy, bad for the city and I would dread to think what might have happened if this system had been around in the Derek Hatton era."
Cabinet systems were chosen by most councils as the lesser of two evils at a time when the Government offered the option of a fully-elected mayor.
For some leaders of course, power remains a long way away, despite representing one of the three main parties.
In Liverpool and Knowsley for example, the Conservatives have been wiped out and even winning one seat appears a real battle.
The Militant era in Liverpool led many Conservative voters to support the Lib-Dems in order to keep Labour out, a fact acknowledged by the party's Merseyside organiser Geoff Brandwood.
"We know there are Conservative voters out there - we see it at general elections - but we need to persuade them not to vote Lib-Dem.
"We would like to mount a strong challenge for those votes at the all out elections next year," he said.
The personality of leaders can also enable some of the smaller political parties to make an impact.
In Liverpool, the Liberal Party has two seats and can confidently expect a third come Thursday.
Party leader Steve Radford's activism in the Tuebrook area, ably supported by colleague Hazel Williams, means the party dominates there and is likely to complete the clean sweep of ward seats this week.
It has led the party's political opponents to christen Coun Radford the "Lord of Tuebrook".
Profiles by Sam Lister, Deborah James, Ian Fannon and Andy Kelly.
Chester, Knowsley, Vale Royal, Liverpool, Sefton, Ellesmere Port & Neston, St Helens, Wirral, West Lancs >>>>
CHESTER
Labour
Leader: Coun John Price
Age: 63
Lives: Chester
Career: Retired BT engineer
Marital Status: Married with three grown up kids.
Council Service: Councillor for 33 years. Council leader in various forms for 12 years.
Main issues: "Our record - delivering new services for 10p a week extra. To extend doorstep recycling, invest in urban and rural areas and provide 24-hour CCTV.''
Lib Dem
Leader: Coun David Evans
Age: 56
Lives: Chester
Career: Lecturer in biology.
Marital status: Married, three children.
Council service: Councillor for 17 years, Lib-Dem leader for two, current deputy leader.
Main issues: "People have the chance to elect a Lib-Dem led council for the first time ever. We want to make sure local people get as much say as possible."
Conservative
Leader: Coun Margaret Parker
Age: 52
Lives: Mickle Trafford
Career: Runs ceramic tile studio.
Marital status: Married, a daughter.
Council service: Councillor since 1998, Tory leader for last five weeks.
Main issues: "Every candidiate is looking specifically at their part of the borough. For instance we are looking at the speed limit issues on some of our rural areas."
KNOWSLEY
Labour
Leader: Jim Keight
Age: 75
Lives: Huyton
Occupation: Former compositor
Council service: Elected 1974
Main issues: "We have one of the best councils in the country; six beacon awards are testimony to that. We have achieved the aim of all councils - quality services with low council tax.
"Our budget addresses the main concerns of residents."
Lib Dem
Leader: Ian Smith
Age: 51
Lives: Knowsley
Career: Retired teacher
Council service: Elected to Prescot town council in 1983 and to Knowsley council in 1999.
Main issues: "The Lib Dems want to see civic pride restored to our communities and more local involvement in decision making on matters that have a direct impact on the local community."
Conservative
Leader: Gary Robertson
Age: 41
Lives: Huyton with Roby
Career: Bus driver
Marital status: Married, two children
Council service: Roby councillor from 1992-96
Main Issues: "We hope Roby can give us a foothold back on the council. We want openness about council allowances and expenses, a vast improvement in education and more police on the streets."
VALE ROYAL
Labour
Acting Leader: Coun Brian Lloyd
Age: 62
Lives: Frodsham
Career: Worked for ICI, now retired.
Marital Status: Married, two children
Council Service: Standing for third four-year term
Main Issues: We are taking a strong lead on community safety by employing community wardens and if elected, we will give funding to areas so those people have some say on how that funding is spent."
Lib Dem
Leader: Coun Arthur Wood
Age: 62
Lives: Northwich
Career: Self-employed architect
Marital Status: Married, one child
Council Service: Elected 1976 (two years out)
Main Issues: "We are very concerned about planning issues, and their impact on the environment. Also the quality of life in our towns and villages, with the problem of reducing vandalism and the crime related to that."
Conservative
Leader: Coun Keith Musgrave
Age: 69
Lives: Northwich
Career: Computer systems analyst, retired
Marital Status: Married, two children
Council Service: Elected 1987.
Main Issues: "I am campaigning for local issues, with local action by local people.
"The key issues are preservation of green belt land, more visible policing and improving services by efficiencies rather than large increases in Council Tax."
LIVERPOOL
Labour
Leader: Coun Joe Anderson
Age: 45
Lives: Old Swan
Career: Heads a learning support unit
Marital Status: Married, four children
Council Service: Elected 1998.
Main Issues: "We will run an efficient council for all of the city, not just part of it. We will tackle the environmental and anti-social behaviour in our communities. We need to regenerate people and communities, not just buildings."
Lib Dem
Leader: Coun Mike Storey CBE
Age: 53
Lives: Childwall Career: School headteacher
Marital Status: Married, one child
Council Service: Elected 1973.
Main Issues: "Liverpool still has double the national rate of unemployment but we are seeing record levels of jobs and investment. Council services were the second worst but have improved considerably."
Conservative
Leader: Jeff Brandwood (Conservative Party chairman for Merseyside)
Age: 65
Lives: West Derby
Career: Retired insurance manager
Marital Status: Married, three children
Council Service: Served 1967-88
Main Issues: "To get Conservatives to vote Conservative rather than Lib Dem. The Lib Dems are failing on the outskirts, housing strategy is failing and people are concerned about law and order."
SEFTON
Labour
Leader: Coun Dave Martin
Age: 65
Lives: Bootle
Career: Retired engineer and union official.
Marital Status: Married with four children and nine grandchildren.
Council service: Elected in 1979
Main issues: "Both street cleansing and anti social behaviour. Labour wanted to put £1m extra into cleansing but this was rejected by the Tories and Lib-Dems.''
Lib Dem
Leader: Tony Robertson
Age: 44
Lives: Maghull
Career: Trade union officer for the Public and Commercial Services Union.
Marital status: Married, one daughter.
Main issues: "Clean streets and safer streets. It may well be we'll have to bring in litter wardens. Safer streets means neighbourhood wardens and partnership with Merseyside police. We propose a maximum 3pc council tax rise.''
Conservative
Leader: Les Byrom
Age: 47
Lives: Ainsdale
Career: Partner in chartered surveying firm.
Marital status: Married, two children.
Council history: Elected in 1985.
Main issues: "Quality services within well-managed budget. We promise a three-year freeze on council tax. Second, street cleansing, the current system is not working. Third, youth disorder.''
ELLESMERE PORT & NESTON
Labour
Leader: Fred Venables
Age: 79
Lives: Westminster
Career: Retired industrial chemist
Marital status: Single
Council service: Elected 1948.
Main issues: "The Labour group's priorities focus on the environment, crime and community safety, the state of towns and parks and redirecting inequalities in the area.
"We plan to regenerate Ellesmere Port and Neston town centres."
Lib Dem
Leader: Derek Gaskell
Age: 56
Lives: Ellesmere Port
Career: Retired supervisor at Lubzol in Bromborough.
Marital status: Separated, with two children.
Council service: Elected in 1999.
Main Issues: "We want a cleaner environment and good recycling programmes.
"A local tax would give councils more financial freedom."
Conservative
Leader: Graham Smith
Age: 62
Lives: Great Sutton
Career: Retired commercial services manager for Lever Brothers.
Marital Status: Married with two grown up children.
Council Service: 1976 to 1991. Re-elected in 2001.
Main Issues: "After 29 years it must now be time to admit that Labour have failed. Our council tax is the highest in Cheshire yet the Audit Commission rates many local services as poor."
ST HELENS
Labour
Leader: Marie Rimmer
Age: 56
Career: Former safety advisor at Pilkington Glass.
Council service: First elected in 1978, became leader for second time in 1999. Board member of the North West Development Agency.
Main issues: "The regeneration of St Helens is important to our group and the creation of more diverse employment. The modernisation of social services and social inclusion are also important."
Lib Dem
Leader: Brian Spencer
Age: 55
Career: Electrician for British Coal for 30 years, now employed as a training company administrator.
Council service: Elected 1980
Main issues: "Our vision is for a cleaner environment for people to enjoy with decent services accessable to all.
"We would change the way things are done in the Town Hall and give back the ownership of the town to its people."
Conservative
Leader: Betty Lowe MBE
Age: 59
Career: Housewife/carer
Council service: First elected to St Helens council in 1975. Leader of the Conservative group since 1998.
Main issues: "Our party's policies haven't changed - we are concerned with value for money and efficiency.
"The environment is very important, from protecting greenbelt to kerbside recycling collections."
WIRRAL
Labour
Leader: Coun Steve Foulkes
Age: 45
Lives: Claughton
Career: Research Associate at Unilever Research.
Maritral Status: Married to Lynn with two children.
Council service: Elected in 1990, Leader of Wirral Council since 1999.
Main Issues: "We believe in high quality services and have worked hard to attract outside investment and business to Wirral to help improve the area."
Lib Dem
Leader: Coun Stuart Kelly
Age: 37
Lives: Oxton
Career: Electrician at St Catherine's Hospital
Marital status: Single
Council service: Elected in 1991 and became leader of the group in 2001.
Main Issues: "We want to Improve local services, protect Wirral's environment, and address the problems of community safety."
Conservative
Leader: Coun Jeff Green
Age: 45 Lives: Irby
Career: Standards manager for the Vehicle Inspectorate Maritral Status:
Married with two children.
Council Service: Elected in 1986 and became leader in May 2001.
Main issues: "I am committed to the Council providing flexible, customerfocused, high quality and continually improving services."
WEST LANCS
Labour
Leader: Alan Bullen
Age: 65 Lives: Burscough
Career: Retired civil servant and high-ways engineer.
Marital Status: Married, four children.
Council service: First elected in 1971. Leader of the Labour group since 1985. Main Issues: "Since they took control the Tories have continued Labour's policies for recycling and street cleaning but not enough has been done."
Lib Dem
THERE is no Liberal Democrat candidate standing in West Lancashire.
Membership of the party is now down to fewer than 100 people.
Also standing in this year's West Lancashire District Council elections are four Greens and seven Independents, many of whom are former Labour councillors in the area.
They include Pat McElhinney, standing in Ashurst and John Fillis, standing in Scott.
Labour
Leader: Coun Geoff Roberts
Age: 67
Lives: Aughton
Career: Retired senior lecturer in chemistry and psychology.
Marital Status: Married, two children Council Service: First elected in 1984. Leader of Conservative group for six years.
Main Issues: "We will invest a further £100,000 in street cleansing. We will also be refurbishing Park Pool and Nye Bevan Pool in Skelmersdale."
