Steve Rotheram claims Liverpool is clean because he saw ONE piece of litter in a private shopping centre. Meanwhile, residents say the city is ‘minging,’ American tourists are horrified, and £12 million a year vanishes into thin air. Who’s living in a fantasy—the Mayor or the rest of us?
He stood in Liverpool One. He saw one piece of litter. And from that, Steve Rotheram concluded that Liverpool’s streets are clean.
The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region is living in a fantasy world.
While residents wade through rubbish on Bold Street, while broken benches rot on Lord Street, while American tourists recoil at the filth, Rotheram is strutting through a private shopping centre with private cleaning crews—and telling us everything is fine.
One piece of litter. That’s his evidence.
The Fantasy Walk
Rotheram was asked if litter and dirt were a problem, particularly when it came to tourism. His response was astonishing.
He said he did not “recognise the characterisation” of the city as dirty. He boasted that he had just walked through Liverpool One and seen “one piece of litter.” He added: “You hardly see any chewing gum.”
One piece of litter. In a shopping area that has its own private cleaning crews. That was his evidence that the city is clean.
One listener said: “It’s like judging the cleanliness of your entire house by the one room you just hoovered. The rest of the city is a mess, but the Mayor’s standing in the posh bit pointing at how shiny it is.”
The Reality—Filth Everywhere
Outside of Liverpool One—the private, privately-cleaned shopping area—the picture is very different.
Lord Street. Church Street. Bold Street. Hanover Street. Williamson Square. These are the streets that residents and tourists actually walk. And according to those who know them, they’re “minging.”
One commenter said: “Liverpool One is a private area. Lord Street and Church Street are minging and you know it.”
Another added: “The city centre is filthy and litter is only one element of that problem. It looks like the streets are cleaned once a year and everybody noticing it isn’t wrong.”
The American Tourists—A National Embarrassment
And it’s not just locals who have noticed. According to one commenter, American tourists recently commented on the state of the city.
“American tourists two weeks ago were saying how filthy our city is,” the commenter wrote.
Filthy. That’s what visitors to our great city are saying. And the Mayor’s response? “One piece of litter.”
It’s the kind of feedback that should worry a Mayor who claims to care about tourism. But Rotheram seems unmoved. He’s too busy enjoying his private shopping centre to notice the rest of us wading through rubbish.
The Bins Conspiracy
Part of the problem, according to critics, is the removal of bins. One commenter pointed out a suspicious pattern.
“Interesting to note that as soon as they brought back the litter monitors that fine people, they removed bins from Dale Street,” they wrote. “Question is, do they want a clean city or another revenue stream?”
It’s a question that cuts to the heart of the issue. If you remove bins and then fine people for dropping litter, are you trying to clean the streets—or just make money?
The Blame Game—It’s Never Their Fault
Rotheram’s defence was predictable. He blamed everyone except himself and the council.
“It’s people who are responsible for dropping litter,” he said. “Therefore we need more responsibility from individuals.”
Classic deflection. It’s never the council’s fault. Never the Mayor’s fault. Never the system’s fault. Always the individual.
One resident said: “He’s right that people shouldn’t drop litter. But when there are no bins, when the benches are broken, when the streets look abandoned, what does he expect? People are treating the city the way the council treats it—with contempt.”
The £12 Million Question
Last year, the city council announced it spent about £12 million each year on cleaning litter and fly-tipping across the city. They approved plans to bring in a firm to crack down on offenders and increase fines.
£12 million. A year.
And yet, according to residents, the streets are still filthy.
One commenter said: “£12 million a year and it looks like this? Where’s the money going? Because it’s not being spent on Bold Street.”
Another added: “Go to Williamson Square. Filthy. Benches on Lord Street are broken. Bins haven’t been replaced in years. And the Mayor’s talking about one piece of litter in Liverpool One. It’s insulting.”
The Labour Cover-Up
Let’s be honest about what’s really going on here. Steve Rotheram is a Labour Mayor. And like all Labour politicians, he can’t admit failure.
He can’t admit the city is a mess. He can’t admit the £12 million is being wasted. He can’t admit his policies have failed.
So instead, he pretends. He walks through a private shopping centre, sees one piece of litter, and declares victory.
It’s an insult to every resident, every tourist, and every taxpayer who is funding this fantasy.
The Verdict
For many residents, Rotheram’s comments are just the latest example of a Mayor who lives in a different city to the people he represents.
One listener said: “He should walk up Bold Street. He should stand in Williamson Square. He should see what we see every day. Then he can talk about one piece of litter.”
As one critic put it: “The Mayor thinks Liverpool is clean because he only walks in Liverpool One. The rest of us live in the real city—and it’s filthy.”
