Photo: Peter I. Vardy · Public domainLabour holds a majority on Halton Borough Council
Widnes is run by Halton Borough Council. Labour has a majority on Halton Borough Council. Its MP is Derek Twigg (Labour), member for Widnes and Halewood.
£2,358
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Widnes’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Halton Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Halton Borough Council: 35 of its 54 seats as elected (it held 50 before the May 2026 election). Reform UK holds 16, the Liberal Democrats 3. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Widnes’s wards, Reform UK took 42.9%, Labour took 35.7% and the Greens took 13.4% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Reform UK had 0%. How Widnes has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Widnes is £2,358 for 2026–27; Halton Borough Council keeps 82% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 59% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 28 of Halton’s 54 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour35−15
- Reform UK16+16
- Liberal Democrat3no change
- Conservative0−1
Change against the council before the 7 May 2026 election.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Widnes
One council runs every main service here.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas.
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
All of Widnes is unparished: there is no parish or town council, so the council runs local matters itself and no parish precept is added to the bill.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the council to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Widnes, from the most recent elections.
- 1Halton Borough Council9 wards · 27 councillorsLabour 20 · Reform UK 7 · all 27
- 2Police and crime commissionerCheshire Constabulary · elected May 2024Dan Price
- 3House of CommonsWidnes and Halewood
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
27 councillors for 9 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- James Michael CoopersmithReform UK · May 2026
- Angela Heather BallLabour · May 2024
- Bill WoolfallLabour · May 2023
- Louise Elizabeth NolanLabour · June 2026 · by-election
- Luke WilliamsLabour · May 2026
- Angela McInerneyLabour · May 2024
- Damian James CurzonReform UK · May 2026
- Rob PolhillLabour · May 2024
- Tom McInerneyLabour · May 2023
- Jonathan David MacKieReform UK · May 2026
- Pamela WallaceLabour · May 2024
- Stan HillLabour · May 2023
- Thomas AthertonReform UK · May 2026
- Sandra Marie BakerLabour · May 2024
- Kevan Peter WainwrightLabour · May 2023
- Paul David MuskerReform UK · May 2026
- Eddie JonesLabour · May 2024
- Ged PhilbinLabour · May 2023
- Claire Louise AberdeenReform UK · May 2026
- Tony McDermottLabour · May 2024
- Louise Margaret GoodallLabour · May 2023
- Bob GilliganLabour · May 2026
- Andrea WallLabour · May 2024
- Paul NolanLabour · May 2023
- John AndertonReform UK · May 2026
- Mike WhartonLabour · May 2024
- Eddie DourleyLabour · May 2023
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birchfieldall in Widnes · 8,029 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | James Michael CoopersmithAngela Heather BallBill Woolfall | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Farnworthmostly in Widnes · 7,427 residents3 seats · June 2026, May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Louise Elizabeth Nolanby-electionLuke WilliamsAngela McInerney | June 2026, May 2026, May 2024 |
| Halton Viewall in Widnes · 7,226 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Damian James CurzonRob PolhillTom McInerney | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Central & West Bankall in Widnes · 7,073 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Jonathan David MacKiePamela WallaceStan Hill | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Hough Greenall in Widnes · 6,735 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Thomas AthertonSandra Marie BakerKevan Peter Wainwright | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Appletonall in Widnes · 6,666 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Paul David MuskerEddie JonesGed Philbin | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Bankfieldall in Widnes · 6,490 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Claire Louise AberdeenTony McDermottLouise Margaret Goodall | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Highfieldall in Widnes · 6,394 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Bob GilliganAndrea WallPaul Nolan | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Ditton, Hale Village & Halebankmostly in Widnes · 3,898 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | John AndertonMike WhartonEddie Dourley | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Halton Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Labour led each vote to 2024; Reform UK led in 2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Widnes’s wards at each scheduled council election since 2021. A gap is a year with no election here.
Seats won at each election
Show as a table
| Party | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 0.7% | 2.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 13.4% |
| Labour | 75.5% | 73.1% | 72.4% | 77% | 35.7% |
| Conservative | 20.7% | 21.7% | 17.5% | 16.8% | 7.9% |
| Reform UK | 1.9% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 42.9% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 7 and Labour won 2 of the 9 seats up in Widnes’s wards.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Where a ward elects several councillors at once, each voter has that many votes; all of them count here.
Halton council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Widnes, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
9 wards voted. Halton elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Widnes’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗2,351 votes for candidates
2,296 votes for candidates
1,878 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (6 more)
1,284 votes for candidates
1,768 votes for candidates
1,635 votes for candidates
1,610 votes for candidates
1,963 votes for candidates
1,742 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Widnes is in Widnes and Halewood constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Widnes).
38,116 votes for candidates · majority 16,425
Labour, MP since 1 May 1997.
turnout in July 2024: 38,116 votes from 70,161 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 16,425 of 38,116 votes (43.1%): wider than in 98% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Widnes’s Band D council tax is £2,358 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Halton Borough Council keeps £1,938.81 of a Band D bill (82%); the rest goes to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Cheshire police and crime commissioner and the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
Halton’s Band D bill has risen 59% in ten years, from £1,486.60 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £645.75 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Halton, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Cheshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,200.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Cheshire
| Halton | Widnes’s councils | Cheshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £678 | £579 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £563 | £302 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £163 | £69 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £26 | £35 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £103 | £101 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £96 | £55 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £18 | £27 | £26 |
| Public health | £114 | £64 | £78 |
| Running the council | £58 | £47 | £59 |
| Other | £40 | £6 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,858 | £1,284 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Cheshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Widnes is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
www3.halton.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
www3.halton.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Widnes is run
Does Widnes have a town council?
No. Widnes is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Widnes?
Derek Twigg (Labour) is the MP for Widnes and Halewood, which covers Widnes.
How many councillors does Widnes have?
27 ward councillors represent Widnes’s 9 wards.
When are the next elections in Widnes?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Widnes’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Widnes?
Band D council tax in Widnes is £2,358 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Halton Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 35 of 54 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Widnes?
In Widnes’s wards on 7 May 2026, Reform UK 7 · Labour 2 of the 9 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 42.9%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.