Get ready: the Aloft trials are coming

Dear readers — welcome to 2026! It’s Laurence here on a frosty Monday, pleased to be back from a generous paternity layoff. (Both mother and baby are doing brilliantly, although I am living off strong coffee and flagging willpower at the moment.)

I have the privilege of sharing with you some amazing news. After a long climb to the top throughout December, on Sunday The Post hit 2,000 paying members!

This is not just a testament to the exemplary work Abi, Dave, our editor Moya, Lanre and others have done in my absence, but also to you: our readers who have placed your faith in us. Ever since I joined The Post team in 2024, I’ve increasingly thought of the project as a collaborative one between us and you. Reaching this landmark enables us to do more, deeper and better investigations and analysis into the stories that matter to the people of Merseyside. 

We can’t thank you enough for your support. And we’re so excited to share with you a whole host of investigations, thoughtful long reads and features throughout the next year. Viva La Post!

The big story: Operation Aloft could dominate 2026

Top line: With the trials of those arrested as part of Operation Aloft set to take place in the coming months, 2026 is a big year for Liverpool politics.

Context: Last month, Derek Hatton cut a defiant figure in Manchester Crown Court. Charged with counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office, Mr Hatton entered a not guilty plea. His wife Sonjia, 50, accused of providing her husband with confidential council information over matters of commercial and business use, echoed the denial. Accused of one count of bribery, Mr Hatton has already pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing.

Hatton, a successful property developer whose youthful visage belies his 77 years, was once the firebrand deputy leader of Liverpool council, the Militant face of the city’s anti-Thatcher defiance. He seems so intricately woven into Liverpool’s recent history that his mere appearance in such a high profile trial is surreal. Aside from his political career, Hatton was, after all, an early collaborator with Bill Kenwright, a Century FM radio presenter, and the star of Sekonda watch commercials in the 1990s. He appears prominently in Howard’s Way, a recent documentary about Everton’s 1980s glory years. Mention his name to Liverpudlians of a certain age and you are guaranteed to hear strong opinions either way. 

Another Marmite but major figure in Liverpool’s recent political history is Joe Anderson. The former city mayor, 67, was one of the most recognisable politicians to ever grace Liverpool’s corridors of power, someone who even grabbed national media attention from time to time. Mr Anderson will go on trial – along with the Hattons – early next year. All were charged as part of Operation Aloft, Merseyside Police’s investigation into the awarding of commercial and business contracts from the council in the 2010s. Joe Anderson faces a count of bribery that he "requested, agreed to receive or accepted a bribe, financial or other advantage" in order to "perform improperly"; another charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office; and a third that he "sent or arranged the sending of threatening letters to himself", a charge of misconduct in a public office. Joe Anderson denies all three charges.

David Anderson, 38, also denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, while Mr Barr, 51, denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and accepting a bribe. The bribery charge against Mr Hatton pertains to an accusation he attempted to bribe Mr Barr, while the conspiracy charge against Mr Joe Anderson is that he "conspired with Andrew Barr and David Anderson to grant and arrange privileged special access" to himself. 

Six other defendants charged in connection with Operation Aloft are due to stand trial next month. This will see the appearance of a less high profile, but no less divisive figure in former city council regeneration boss Nick Kavanagh. Mr Kavanagh is accused of two counts of bribery, both alleging that he "requested, agreed to receive or accepted a bribe, financial or other advantage" in order to "perform improperly", and both of which he denies. 

Mr Kavanagh will stand trial alongside Julian and Paul Flanagan, who each face a charge that they "conspired together to bribe Nick Kavanagh and Philippa Cook"; they have pled not guilty. Cook has denied "requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting a bribe." James Shalliker and Adam McLean will also appear in court; both have pled not guilty to conspiring with Mark Doyle “to bribe Nicholas Kavanagh and Philippa Cook”.

Bottom line: Last month marked half a decade since Hatton, Anderson and co. were first arrested as part of Merseyside Police’s investigation. Their prominence as political figures and general recognisability should not prejudice any verdict. But whatever the outcome of the trials, their very appearance will seem reminiscent of a previous era. Few residents of the city will have found the duration of this episode in Liverpool’s political history edifying, and whichever way the trial goes, many will doubtless be glad to have closure. 

Editor's note: A typo in an earlier edition stated the trials of Hatton and Anderson would begin in 2026, instead of 2027. We apologise for this error.

Photo of the week 📷

A light dusting of snow landed on Liverpool overnight. “Another year, another battle not to break our necks”, wrote one Reddit user this morning on their commute to work. Luckily Mondays are The Post’s work-from-home day…

We’re always keen to feature photos from our readers — if you have a snap you’d like to share please email it to editor@livpost.co.uk for a chance to be featured in our Monday editions.

Your Post briefing

❄️Snow might not have landed during the Christmas holidays, but it’s arrived just in time to cause havoc during everyone’s first week back at work. As of this morning, flights have been grounded at Liverpool John Lennon Airport after its runway had to be closed due to snow and ice. Additionally, Merseyrail is facing delays after its Chester and Ellesmere Port lines were disrupted due to poor weather conditions at Hooton. Ah, to rely on British transport…

📽️Some brilliant news for Woolton Picture House. Huge ticket sales for a series of events in December means the historic cinema is one step closer to reopening permanently. Woolton Picture House first opened its doors in 1927 but has been closed for the last five years, in desperate need of repairs and refurbishments. Woolton Cinema Community Interest Company (WCCIC) — the company that wants to revitalise the cinema — has been trying to raise £700,000 to buy the building and carry out the repairs over the past 12 months. Twelve Christmas films were shown at the end of last year during a temporary reopening in a bid to fundraise. Now, WCCIC’s directors say they are tantalisingly close to achieving their goal. "People have been coming in saying how much they remember the cinema and how excited they are to come back,” director Lynn Dockerty told the BBC. "It's just been a massive sense of community — and the ongoing fundraising will be a huge community effort."

🏥And a shortage of surgical instruments at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals has resulted in 1,300 surgeries being cancelled at the end of last year. Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it was still calculating the financial cost of the shortage, but the BBC says it is expected to run into the millions. The problem was caused by a mechanical failure in the department responsible for sterilising equipment, which "left residue" on surgical instruments rendering them unusable. While the problem was fixed in early November, the backlog is expected to significantly impact the trust's waiting lists in 2026. 

Post Picks

👩‍💼Is 2026 the year of the hustle? If you’re a business owner wanting to connect with likeminded entrepreneurs, get down to Botanico in Woolton on Wednesday for a relaxed business networking session. Details here.

🍲Also on Wednesday: head to Nettle in Birkenhead for a cosy winter supper club, where they’ll be serving a thoughtfully curated three-course seasonal menu inspired by winter produce and classic comfort dishes. Details here.

🎨On Thursday, artist and illustrator Lo Tierney heads to Bookbinder on Lark Lane for another drink and draw session. The event starts at 7pm, and all crafty materials will be provided. Take a look at the details here. 

Recommended reads 📖

Last week, The Echo published a useful summary of how the 79th group — a multi-million pound asset management firm based in Southport — went from a successful global empire to national controversy. The business, run by entrepreneur David Webster and his two sons Curtis and Jake Webster, has been the subject of a fraud probe for the past year, with City of London Police announcing the arrests of four people connected to the firm in February. Now, the 79th group is claiming the police misled a court in seeking the arrest warrants. Read the full story here. 

Letters to the editor ✉️

You asked, we answered. We’ve received a number of requests over the past year for a letters from readers section in our newsletters — where you can get in touch with us about ideas, thoughts, stories or gripes and we’ll publish them for the world to see.

We are considering bringing this into effect over the next fortnight, so please get in touch with us at editor@livpost.co.uk with the subject line ‘Letters to the editor’. 

We can’t wait to hear from you!