MP Bill Esterson launches his annual Christmas card competition

Politician has written to all of the constituency's primary schools inviting pupils to send in their designs

Christmas is coming and Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson has this week launched his annual Christmas card competition. Each year the MP challenges budding young artists to submit their designs for the festive competition. Bill has already written to all of the constituency's primary schools, in areas including Formby , Crosby, Maghull and Aintree, inviting pupils to send in their designs. Winners will get to see their designs turned into Christmas cards which will be delivered to thousands of people throughout Sefton Central as well as other MPs in Westminster. Bill said for him the launch of the Christmas card competition is the start of the countdown to the festive period. Bill said: "The launch of my Christmas card competition is something I look forward to every year because the quality of entries we get from young artists in Sefton Central really is exceptional. "You can't help but get into the Christmas spirit going through the many hundreds of amazing entries. "The only downside is having to choose the winners. The standard of the entries and the artistic skills of young people in Sefton Central is something that never fails to astound me. "But what the Christmas card does do, is give me the opportunity to proudly show off the talents of our young people here with people throughout the country." The MP asked the young artists to design a card which illustrates what Christmas means to them. Bill said: "We all have images in our heads about what Christmas means to us. It could be the nativity, snowmen, Father Christmas, the Three Wise Men or a Christmas tree with all the presents beneath. "Just put your ideas on paper and hand them into your teacher or send your entries to my office. "It will then be the judging panel's difficult task to go through the entries and pick out a winner. "So get designing and best of luck. I can't wait to see all of the designs." Entries can be passed on to local schools or sent directly to Bill Esterson MP at: Space Solutions Business Centre, 39 Sefton Lane Industrial Estate, Maghull, L31 8BX. Deadline for entries is Friday, November 6.