Sign up to FREE email alerts from Liverpool Echo - Weekly Politics Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A campaigner against the possible sell off of land close to Sefton Park is to take on the area's MP in the next general election.

Martin Dobson has been at the forefront of the fight to save the Meadowlands close to the south Liverpool park which the council wants to sell.

Mr Dobson is to stand for the Green Party in the Riverside constituency and will take on Labour’s Louise Ellman.

He has been responsible for helping to gather more than 7,000 signatures against the plans to sell the land off to housing developers .

The constituency has been chosen as the main target for the party in the North West and campaigners are confident they can make strong inroads.

It will receive a considerable share of the party’s campaigning funds.

Mr Dobson, 58, a Labour Party member before resigning over the Iraq War in 2003, said: “I think we will do very well. It’s a low turnout constituency because people are fed up with Labour who take the constituency for granted.

“And the Liberal Democrat vote has collapsed, so I think we will take a lot of votes from them.

“I think we will certainly come in second place with a view to taking the seat in 2020 or 2025.”

The constituency includes the only ward the Greens hold on the authority, St Michaels.

But at the last council election the Greens finished second over all across the wards within the constituency with a total poll of 17%.

A spokesman for the Green Party said: “Liverpool Green Party is one of the two most successful branches in the North West with a large membership and activist base, two well-respected councillors and good prospects for getting more councillors elected in two target wards within the next couple of years.

"LGP has maintained a consistent track record over many years of regular door-knocking, campaigning, casework and producing high quality ward newsletters.”