People have reacted to the news with anger but the event’s organisers said they understood the council’s position
A Wirral Remembrance poppy display in 2021(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Authorities have explained why a Remembrance service in Merseyside cannot go ahead next month following anger on Facebook after its cancellation. The popular event in Upton, which previously has seen around 1,000 people attend, will not happen this year.
A letter has been posted by the Upton branch in Wirral for the Royal British Legion telling people of the news which has now been circulated on social media. Wendy Meade, the branch secretary, said Wirral Council told her they could not take out insurance as it was not their event and a risk assessment was needed.
The council said: “If we sound a bit pedantic on this, following incidents like the one at the Liverpool Parade we need to keep everyone safe,” adding only the police had the power to introduce a road block. Mrs Meade said they did not have the funds to buy insurance, did not know how to complete a risk assessment, and Merseyside Police had not responded.
She told the ECHO a lot of people did not realise there were only four active members of the legion and the branch no longer had a building to operate out of. While she is disappointed the event is not going ahead, she said: “I do understand that the council are trying to keep people safe.
“Although people are disappointed and saying it shouldn’t be done this way, from the council’s point of view there is an alternative that you can go to Hamilton Square. There are several small ones and if people want to go to the memorial, they can do that but they just won’t have a service there.”
However Reform UK’s David Burgess-Joyce has criticised the decision, telling the ECHO: “These parades are incredibly significant to British people of all backgrounds who had friends and family lost to wars and conflict.
“We cannot stand by and allow bureaucracy and disinterest to cancel this most important national day, be it at the Whitehall cenotaph in London or the smallest local British Legion.
“If it stops now, it will stop again in the future. We must remember those who made our country safe.”
This year, Wirral Remembrance services are due to take place at the cenotaph in Hamilton Square, Christ Church on Kings Road in Bebington, St Barnabus Church in Bromborough, St Oswalds Church in Bidston, Grange Hill in West Kirby, St Peters in Heswall, the cenotaph in Moreton, at Vale Park in New Brighton, and at war memorials in Bromborough, Prenton, Port Sunlight, Eastham, and Thornton Hough.
A council spokesperson said: “Wirral Council recognises the importance of Remembrance events across the borough and has worked closely with organisers to support safe and respectful commemorations. After the council was made aware the police would no longer be facilitating road closures or providing police escorts for Remembrance events as in previous years, the council has worked with organisers across the borough to enable them to still take place.”
The local authority said it had successfully worked with seven out of eight independent services to allow them to go ahead, adding: “In this instance we were working with the local group in Upton and needed them to provide details of the road closures they required and confirm they had in place a risk assessment and public liability insurance.
“Due to the special circumstances the council had waived the costs normally charged for this type of closure. Unlike the police, the council is legally required to give a certain minimum period of notice for road closures and unfortunately the road closure cannot take place if the legally required notice is not given.
“Wirral Council remains committed to supporting community-led events and regrets that the Upton parade could not proceed this year. We are confident that had the necessary information been provided, we would have been able to assist in facilitating a safe and respectful event.”
Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Rob Budden said national changes to policing policy made it clear event organisations, not police, were responsible for the traffic management and escort of parades, adding the police did continue to do this for a number of years after.
However new guidance for police “stressed that policing should not take responsibility for closing roads or managing traffic, other than in an emergency.” Chief Inspector Budden said: “Merseyside Police attendance at Remembrance Day events has always been an important part of our civic duty, and representatives of the force will continue to take part in parades to honour the sacrifices made by our armed forces.”
