Conservatives fighting every seat in Liverpool and Newcastle - unlike Lib Dems

Astonishing to look down the list of council candidates nominated for Liverpool City Council to see that in seven wards the Lib Dems have not managed to put up a candidate. The Conservatives have a full team of candidates standing across the city.

Is this a blip? In Newcastle we see from the nominated list of candidates that the Conservatives have managed to find candidates for every ward but the Lib Dems have not.

Remember that Liverpool and Newcastle are cities where there is not a single Conservative councillor. Until last year the Lib Dems were in control of Newcastle. Until two years ago they were in control of Liverpool.

In Rotherham there are only four Lib Dem candidates for 22 wards.

If the Lib Dems are struggling to even find candidates it does indicate that they face another drubbing.