Exclusive: Labour sources claim a senior Liverpool City Council cabinet member is planning a dramatic coup

‘Nothing stays secret in Liverpool Labour’

Dear readers — it’s been a little over a year since Liam Robinson was elected as leader of Liverpool City Council, and many have credited him for steadying the ship in that time. After a turbulent few years led to government intervention in 2021, the even-handed approach Robinson embodies is what seemed to be needed. 

However, this being Liverpool Council, drama is never too far around the corner. A few weeks ago we received an intriguing email. The anonymous correspondent claimed a coup was in the works, with a high-profile councillor eyeing Robinson’s position. We’ve since spoken to four more Labour sources who said the same thing. According to them, this councillor is plotting to challenge Robinson for his role at next year’s general meeting, and has already begun to enact a plan to take over the top job. 

The councillor’s name is Nick Small, once the city’s deputy mayor (a close ally of Joe Anderson before the pair fell out) and currently the cabinet member for growth and economy. If Small were to go ahead with the plan, it could have wide-reaching ramifications for Liverpool; a return to the in-fighting that dogged the council under previous leaders and, were he successful, yet another change of direction for the city.

That’s today’s story, which is a members-only affair. If you’re not a member already, why not hit the button below to join us? You’ll get access to all of our back catalogue of juicy investigations and scoops, as well as excellent cultural pieces like this interview with cannabis king Gary Youds and this piece on legendary nightclub Quadrant Park. It costs just £7 a month and helps us fund more important journalism like this across Merseyside. 

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Your Post briefing 

Liverpool Council have set out plans to tackle the city’s housing crisis, aiming to make homelessness “rare, brief, and non-recurring”. Rough sleeping has increased across Liverpool by 141% between 2017 and 2024, according to a recent  report. The council aims to focus on early intervention as well as preventative action in order to reduce costs, as in the last financial year they overspent on homelessness by more than £1.3m, despite a budget increase of £12.5m.

Two men have pleaded guilty to publishing written material to stir up racial hatred in the wake of the recent murders in Southport. Christopher Taggart, 36, and Rhys McDonald, 34, posted a number of messages on Facebook inciting racist violence. McDonald had encouraged rallying “with torches and pitchforks”, and when questioned about what the rally was about, Taggart responded “To get them gone. We don’t want them.”

And plans are now being drawn up on how to best celebrate Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s Olympic success. The 31-year-old Liverpudlian Heptathlete won silver in the recent Paris Olympics, following her previous World, European, and Commonwealth gold wins. Council leader Liam Robinson has said that he plans to commemorate the achievements of the “genuinely inspirational” local hero.

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By Abi Whistance

When Liam Robinson was elected as Liverpool Council leader in 2023, it had been a turbulent few years for the city’s politics. Joe Anderson, the mayor for nearly a decade, had been arrested three years prior as part of Operation Aloft, a police probe into council corruption (though he maintains his innocence and still hasn’t been charged). 

Joe Anderson’s replacement, Joanne Anderson, faced her own set of problems over the following two years. The city’s children’s services were deemed inadequate, with an excoriating report produced by OFSTED citing “serious weaknesses” that left children at risk of harm. After her tenure in office was over, she said it was "the most challenging period" of her life. 

So, when Liverpool ditched the mayoral system altogether, opting for a council leader chosen by the controlling party instead, it was seen as an attempt to turn over a new leaf. Liam Robinson was clear in his intentions from the get-go. This would be a case of "hard work, not fireworks" for Liverpool, he said, adding that his cabinet would be the "most professional" the city had ever seen. 

Or maybe not. According to four key Labour sources, Robinson shouldn’t get too comfortable. A challenge is on its way headed by Nick Small — a councillor in Liverpool who has been present through two decades of Liverpool politics and numerous changes of leadership. Small is said to have his own plans to become council leader and replace Robinson at the party’s annual general meeting in May next year, and it is claimed he is already working behind the scenes to get the support he needs to be elected.

An illustration by Jake Greenhalgh

The significance of such a move can’t be underestimated. Were Small to go ahead with his plans it would mean disrupting the newfound stability at the Cunard. While it currently seems unlikely that Small could get the numbers required to unseat Robinson, another bout of Labour infighting could prove seriously disruptive. 

If such a ploy was successful, it would mean taking the city in an entirely different direction. While Robinson is seen as the new broom in Liverpool politics, many of Small’s allies are councillors tied to past regimes. He was also a close ally of Joe Anderson before the pair fell out. To appoint him as leader would surely undermine Labour North West’s attempts at a rebrand for the party in Liverpool.

While Small vehemently denies he is plotting to challenge Robinson for his role, Labour insiders claim he has already conducted an early-stage experiment to gauge support, and has a small amount of backing from several other councillors. Not only this, but The Post has uncovered details about a previous plan orchestrated by Small back in 2018 to undermine former mayor Joe Anderson — one which led to him being sacked from the cabinet at the time.