Now it's Morrison v Berger for Wavertree MP seat

SO the gloves are off. In the Red corner stands Luciana Berger, backed by the Labour Party. In the other Red corner stands new kid on the political block, Jake Morrison, backed by scouse determination. 

The Wavertree councillor, suspended from the Labour Group at the request of Mayor Joe Anderson, has answered the question: How do you solve a problem like Jake Morrison? 

And the answer was not remotely in the constituency “script”. 

He’s not only resigned from the Labour Party, he’s announced he will be standing as an independent against MP Berger in the 2015 general election. 

Support

And, in an intriguing twist, his beaten opponent was one of the first to give Team Jake his blessing.

Today on twitter, former Lib Dem city council leader Mike Storey tweeted: “The @LibDems stand aside for a principled person and give @EiJake an uncluttered run in 2015.” 

He later told Liverpool Confidential the suggestion was made in a personal capacity but: "There are times in politics when a principled stand ought to be taken and supported and this is one of those occasions." 

On the political scale, Jake’s decision is seismic. He has generated a lot of support following his public fall-out with Ms Berger, which led to him writing a lengthy letter of complaint, alleging bullying, to Labour leader Ed Miliband.  

The Labour Party has released a loose cannon by failing to resolve differences between Jake M, Luciana B and the Wavertree Labour Party officials. And that cannon has now been turned on the Labour Party itself. 

Luciana Berger (Pic Copyright Stephanie De Leng)

Some will say, it serves yourselves right. Liverpool loves a maverick and Jake will hope to win support from his many followers as well as disillusioned Labour supporters who could easily turn away. 

Jake M plans to stay in the council chamber as an independent councillor until his term of office finishes in May 2015.

The fall-out is in sharp contrast to the way working class teenage hero, chosen as a candidate when he was just aged 17, dispatched that Goliath of a Lib Dem, Lord Mike Storey within his sling-shot. 

Lord Storey was beaten by a rookie. The win was such a media gift that Ed Miliband telephoned Cllr Morrison  to congratulate him. 

Back in the council chamber, Mayor Joe made the newcomer his lead on youth matters, giving him £6,000 on top of his basic allowance of just over £10,000. Jake keeps the basic allowance, but the plug has been pulled on the extra pay. 

'Happier times'

Too many people within and without the Labour Party put Jake Morrison’s war of words down to immaturity, silliness or his inexperience. But seemingly more cheerleaders rallied to his cause. 

On the other hand,  the Labour Party machine will be a much bigger “Goliath’”than Lord Storey.  Luciana Berger is already a rising star on the Labour benches and is destined for Cabinet office should Miliband or whoever grab the keys to Number 10. 

She won the seat in 2010 amid criticisms that she was parachuted in from London, by Millbank, in preference to a local candidate. 

Followers of Jake Morrison have already experienced his canny grasp of social media as a communication tool.  It seems the boxing ring is ready, and all it takes now is to see who else will join the battle for Wavertree.  

It would be foolish of the Labour party, not exactly riding high in the popularity stakes, to take an automatic win as a foregone conclusion. 

Read Jake Morrison's resignation letter in full here.

Read all the background here