St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council elections are held every four years. St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, which styles itself St Helens Borough Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of St Helens in Merseyside, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2022, 48 councillors have been elected from 18 wards. Prior to the 2022 boundary changes, elections were held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time.[1]
From 1889 to 1974 St Helens was a county borough, independent of any county council.[2] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with Merseyside County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Merseyside County Council was abolished in 1986 and St Helens became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[3][4]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1973–2004 | |
No overall control | 2004–2010 | |
Labour | 2010–present |
The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:[5]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Len Williams | Labour | 1974 | May 1978 | |
Gerald Baxter[6] | Labour | May 1978 | 1983 | |
Brian Green[7][8] | Labour | May 1983 | 1985 | |
Marie Rimmer[9][10] | Labour | 1985 | 21 Apr 1993 | |
Dave Watts[11][12] | Labour | May 1993 | May 1997 | |
Mike Doyle[13][14] | Labour | 1997 | 1999 | |
Marie Rimmer | Labour | 1999 | 2006 | |
Brian Spencer | Liberal Democrats | 2006 | 19 May 2010 | |
Marie Rimmer | Labour | 19 May 2010 | 15 May 2013 | |
Barrie Grunewald | Labour | 15 May 2013 | 18 Apr 2018 | |
Derek Long | Labour | 18 Apr 2018 | 22 May 2019 | |
David Baines | Labour | 22 May 2019 |
Summary of the council composition after each council election, click on the year for full details of each election.
Year | Labour | Liberal Democrats‡ | Conservative | Green Party | Independent | Others | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | 36 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1975 | 30 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1976 | 26 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1978 | 24 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1979 | 27 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1980 | 43 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries increased seats from 45 to 54.[15] | |
1982 | 41 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1983 | 41 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1984 | 41 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1986 | 45 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1987 | 44 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1988[16] | 40 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1990[17] | 38 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1991[18] | 34 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1992[19] | 33 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1994[20] | 33 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
1995[21] | 40 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Liberal (1989) | |
1996[22] | 44 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1998[23] | 42 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1999[24] | 37 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2000[25] | 35 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2002[26] | 33 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Socialist Labour | |
2003[27] | 33 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2004[28] | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries reduced seats from 54 to 48.[29] | |
2006[30] | 23 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2007[31] | 21 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
2008[32] | 23 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2010[33] | 28 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2011[34] | 35 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2012[35] | 40 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2014[36] | 42 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2015 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2016 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2018[37] | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
2019[37] | 37 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
2021 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
2022 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 0 | New ward boundaries and change to elections every four years.[1] | |
‡Includes Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party pre-1988.
By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of recent by-elections;[38] full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.
By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marshalls Cross by-election | 21 January 1999 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Newton West by-election | 21 January 1999 | Labour | Liberal Democrats | ||
Thatto Heath by-election | 21 January 1999 | Labour | Labour | ||
Marshalls Cross by-election | 19 September 2002 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Rainford by-election | 23 November 2006 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
Parr by-election | 12 March 2009 | Labour | Labour | ||
Rainhill by-election | 12 March 2009 | Labour | Labour | ||
Moss Bank by-election | 16 July 2009 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Billinge and Seneley Green by-election | 14 October 2010 | Labour | Labour | ||
Haydock by-election | 2 December 2010 | Labour | Labour | ||
Windle by-election | 2 May 2013 | Labour | Labour | ||
Billinge and Seneley Green by-election | 28 November 2013 | Labour | Labour |