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A third of the Labour councillors whose seats are up for election this May are standing down from the authority.

The situation has been labelled as ‘unprecedented’ by opposition members - but Labour says it is business as usual.

May’s elections will see 28 of Labour’s city council seats up for election - but nine of those involved have chosen not to seek another term in office.

This includes veteran councillor Dave Hanratty - who has claimed to be the victim of a deselection campaign by the new left wing members that have joined the party.

As well as the nine members leaving the council, Labour has also lost Cllr Frank Prendergast - who has resigned the Labour whip and decided to continue as an independent councillor for Everton .

The former council leader quit the group after a claiming he was not getting answers to questions regarding a car park on part of the site of the old Notre Dame college.

Another member quitting the council is Rosie Jolly, who defected to Labour from the Liberal Democrats in 2013.

Labour says councillors stand down for a whole host of different reasons - and at the last meeting of the full council, a varied range of leaving speeches were heard.

But opposition leader Cllr Richard Kemp , of the Liberal Democrats believes there is more to it than just personal choices.

He said: “There are 28 Labour seats up for re-election this coming May.

(Image: Handout)

“Nine of them feature Labour councillors who are not seeking re-election.

“There is always a turnover at election time but having a third of your number standing down is, in my 44 years as a Liverpool politician absolutely unprecedented.

“To pretend that all is normal when one of the Councillors who had been re selected stood up in council and told us basically that it was the Militant era all over again is like trying to keep the light out by hiding your head under the blankets.”

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He added: “The Labour Party is splitting into factions and that is before a new Momentum/Militant faction of 4 or 5 councillors arrives on the scene post elections.

“Labour are now facing a determined united and expanding Lib Dem Party who have no hesitation in reminding electors of the day to day disasters they are suffering under the rule of the Mayor few Liverpool and his yes-men.”

But Labour hit back - and insisted that whoever replaces its nine departing members will continue to “remind voters of the damage the Liberal Democrats have done” in Liverpool.

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A spokesman said: “Every year we have new candidates in place to fight our elections and for a number of reasons some sitting councillors stand down. The Labour Party thanks every single one for their work in representing the labour party, and more importantly the communities in their wards. Each and every one has made a huge contribution to the council and life in their wards and we will be sad to see them go, while welcoming our new candidates and their campaigns reminding the voters of the damage the Liberal Democrats have done to our city both locally and when they were in Government with the Tories.”

As well as Cllr Hanratty, the other retiring Labour Councillors include Ged Taylor (Knotty Ash), Jacqui Taylor (Knotty Ash), Tim Beaumont (Picton), Ian Francis (Anfield), Rachael O’Byrne (Allerton & Hunts Cross), Rosie Jolly (Wavertree), Andrew Foxley (Mossley Hill) and Richard Wenstone (Church).

The local council elections will take place on May 3 2018.