Wirral Council
Type
Type	Metropolitan district
Leadership
Civic Mayor of Wirral	George Davies, Labour since 19 May 2021
Leader of the Council	Paul Stuart[1], Labour since 24 May 2023
Deputy Leader	Jean Robinson[2], Labour since 24 May 2023
Leader of the Opposition	Jeff Green, Conservative since 5 May 2023[3]
Chief executive	Paul Satoor
Structure
Seats	66 councillors[4]
Political groups	Labour (30)   Conservative (17)   Green (13)   Liberal Democrat (6)
Joint committees	Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
First election	10 May 1973
Last election	5 May 2022
Next election	4 May 2023
Meeting place
Wallasey Town Hall, Wallasey Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton[n 1]
Website
wirral.gov.uk

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, or simply Wirral Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in Merseyside and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of local government services in Wirral. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.^[6]

History

The current local authority was first elected in 1973, a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral on 1 April 1974. The council gained borough status, entitling it to be known as Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.

Timeline

• 1973 First election.
• 1974 Metropolitan borough of Wirral established.
• 1975 Conservatives take control of council.
• 1986 Council falls under No Overall Control.
• 1991 Labour take control of the council for the first time.
• 1992 Council falls under No Overall Control.
• 1995 Labour take control of the council.
• 2002 Council falls under No Overall Control.
• 2005–06 Hilary Jones (Hoylake and Meols) becomes UKIP's first (and last) representation on the council. Elected as a Conservative (later resigning the whip in 2004).
• 2008 Last Liberal Democrat gain until 2019.
• 2011 Liberal Democrat leader, and then Deputy Leader of the council, Simon Holbrook loses his Prenton seat to Labour's Paul Doughty after 12 years as a councillor.
• 2012 Labour take control of the council.
• 2013 Last Conservative Gain in Leasowe and Moreton East by-election (lost in the following years election).
• 2014 Greens make first gain in Wirral with Pat Cleary ousting Labour's, then cabinet member for the environment, Brian Kenny in their traditionally safe seat of Birkenhead and Tranmere.
• 2015 Last Labour gain.
• 2019 Council falls under No Overall Control, first net gain for the Liberal Democrats since 2008.

Council leadership

Leader of the Council and Cabinet

Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Cabinet

Mayor of Wirral

The Mayor of Wirral (or Civic Mayor of Wirral) is a ceremonial post elected annually, along with a deputy, by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.^[21] The role of the mayor includes chairing council meetings, representing the Borough at civic functions, supporting local charities and conferring Honorary Freemen and Aldermen.

The incumbent mayor and deputy mayor are Cllr George Davies and Cllr Jeff Green.^[22]

Wards and councillors

Each ward is represented by three councillors.^[23]

Political makeup

Only four parties have won seats to Council: Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat (and its predecessors). All other political representation has come via changes in affiliation.

Leaders

Leaders and control

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:^[69]

Portrait		Name	Years	Control
		Bill Whitehurst	1973–1974		No Overall Control
		Malcolm Thornton	1974–1975
			1975–1977		Conservative
		Harry Deverill	1977–1980
		David Fletcher	1980–1985
		John Hale	1985–1986
			1986 (May – Oct)		No Overall Control
		Hung	1986–1990
		Yvonne Nolan	1990–1991
		George Clark	1991–1992		Labour
		Hung	1992–1995		No Overall Control
		Dave Jackson	1995–2000		Labour
		Steve Foulkes	2000–2002
			2002–2010		No Overall Control
		Jeff Green	2010–2011
		Steve Foulkes	2011–2012
		Jeff Green	2012 (Feb – May)
		Phil Davies	2012–2019		Labour
		Pat Hackett	2019–2020		No Overall Control
		Janette Williamson	2020 to present

Party leaders

By size of group, current Party leaders Williamson, Anderson, Gilchrist and Cleary