Polish couple running for council seats typify the town’s drift away from major parties that is now being mirrored across the country

Thirteen years ago, Mirka and Mariusz Balcer left behind their home city of Bydgoszcz, in northern Poland, and travelled across Europe. They considered laying roots in Germany and Italy, but after a visit to Lancashire they settled in Morecambe.

Now they are bidding to become first-time councillors and find themselves at the forefront of a new era in the seaside resort.

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The Guardian met the Balcers in the garden of a current councillor two days before the election. The couple seemed shy yet determined. The conversation was not about Brexit or national politics – in fact, the B word was not mentioned at all. Their main concern, like that of many independent councillors across the country, is hyper-local and very simple: how can they improve the communities directly around them?

“We fell in love with this place. Morecambe is quite unusual: those views, the tide coming out so far away – that is amazing. It is pretty stunning. It’s a beautiful town and people,” said Mirka. “You know the Eric Morecambe statue? Well he stands for sunshine and smiles. I want to see people smiling here again in Morecambe. They need to see that change is coming and will come.”

The couple have jettisoned the traditional parties to stand as Morecambe Bay Independents (MBI). Theirs is the perfect immigrant story. When they first arrived, with only a smattering of English between them, they spent long hours working on farms picking mushrooms and taking on menial labour jobs. Now they run their own joinery business and own their home, and they hope to show others they can achieve the same.

Both are standing in the Harbour ward. Described as one of the most deprived areas in northern England, with high levels of drug abuse and alcohol addiction, the area also has a large Polish community.

“There is lots of poverty in Harbour ward, with people not being able to support themselves and a lack of confidence in themselves,” Marius said. “I know from our own experience it is hard but you can do it. We started our business in the middle of the recession but it is trying to inject people with this fresh energy.”

Mirka added: “Since we chose Morecambe as the town where we are living, we want great things to happen to it. And we would like to contribute to it. This party fights for this town and we want to be part of it because we know that nothing comes easy. But we know that when you are together you have got the strength to change a lot and make this town thrive again.”

The MBI was formed in 1987 after a group of local residents were ignored by the town’s mainly Tory councillors when they asked to discuss a way forward for the resort following its steady decline since the 1970s.

After a few teething problems, the group went on to take control of Lancaster city council in 1999. They ran the council with a cabinet made up of MBIs, Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats. Labour refused to take their cabinet seats.

New sea defences were built, the books were balanced and art installations were approved, including the Eric Morecambe statue. However, the party took a big hit in 2015 with the general election being held on the same day. As a consequence they lost several council seats.

The MBI leader, Geoff Knight, said: “Unfortunately our fortunes depend heavily on whether national or regional elections are taking place on the same day – as local elections are often overshadowed, severely affecting the independent vote. As a consequence we were reduced to two councillors in 2015.”

This time it has fielded 20 candidates in the Lancaster council election and another 25 for Morecambe town council. Its aim is to loosen the grip of the current Labour administration. Labour leads with 31 seats against an opposition of 29 councillors, made up of 17 Conservatives, eight Greens, two MBIs and two non-aligned independents.

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A similar story is unfolding across the country, from Lincolnshire to Cheshire East, where unprecedented numbers of independent candidates are standing.

“Nationally, Morecambe Bay Independents are viewed as a model of how you can get into the council and make things happen. You get a lot more influence on the council,” Knight said.

“People have always belonged to a party – it’s very tribal. But a lot of time is taken up talking about issues which have nothing to do with Morecambe – it’s party politics. We have already shown what can be achieved when minority parties rule. During the four-year period we had control of the council, an awful lot was done. Politics was kept off the agenda.”