Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Prescot is run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and St Helens Council. Labour has a majority on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Reform UK has a majority on St Helens Council. Prescot is split between 3 parliamentary constituencies.
£2,490
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Prescot’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council: 25 of its 46 seats as elected. The Greens hold 7, independents 6, the Liberal Democrats 4 and Reform UK 4. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Prescot’s wards, Reform UK took 26.4%, the Liberal Democrats took 23.3% and Rainhill Independents took 22.4% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Reform UK had 2.1%. How Prescot has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Prescot is £2,488 for 2026–27; Knowsley Metropolitan 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 on Prescot’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 24 of Knowsley’s 46 or 25 of St. Helens’s 48 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour25
- Green7
- Independent6
- Liberal Democrat4
- Reform UK4
Latest election: May 2026.
- Reform UK34+32
- Labour4−23
- Liberal Democrat3−1
- Newton-le-Willows Independents3+3
- Rainhill Independents3+3
- Conservative1−1
- Green0−6
- Independent0−7
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 Prescot
One council runs every main service here.
The parish council for the part of Prescot inside Prescot parish.
33% of Prescot’s residents · Band D precept £80
The parish council for the part of Prescot inside Whiston parish.
Who runs Prescot: same source as Who runs Prescot, above.
The parish council for the part of Prescot inside Rainhill parish.
Who runs Prescot: same source as Who runs Prescot, above.
The parish council for the part of Prescot inside Eccleston parish.
Who runs Prescot: same source as Who runs Prescot, above.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
65% of Prescot’s residents
Website ↗Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Who runs Prescot: same source as Who runs Prescot, above.
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.
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 parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Prescot, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish4 parish councilsPrescot parish councilWhiston parish councilRainhill parish councilEccleston parish council
- 2Council wards5 wards · 14 councillorsLiberal Democrat 5 · Green 4 · Rainhill Independents 3 · Labour 1 · Reform UK 1 · all 14
- 3Police and crime commissionerMerseyside Police · elected May 2024Emily Spurrell
- 4House of CommonsSplit between 3 constituencies
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.
14 councillors for 5 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 TaskerRainhill Independents · May 2026
- Donna GreavesRainhill Independents · May 2026
- James DunnRainhill Independents · May 2026
- Kai TaylorGreen · May 2026
- Graham WickensGreen · May 2024
- Joanne BurkeGreen · May 2023
- Frances WynnLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Ian SmithLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- David GilbertsonReform UK · May 2026
- Terry ByronLabour · May 2024
- Ron GaffneyGreen · May 2023
- Michael HawLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Philip Jonathan CassLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Geoff PearlLiberal Democrat · May 2026
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| RainhillSt. Helens · all in Prescot · 11,430 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | James TaskerDonna GreavesJames Dunn | May 2026 |
| Prescot SouthKnowsley · all in Prescot · 10,124 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Kai TaylorGraham WickensJoanne Burke | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Prescot NorthKnowsley · mostly in Prescot · 7,777 residents2 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 2 | Frances WynnIan Smith | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Whiston and CrontonKnowsley · mostly in Prescot · 7,525 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | David GilbertsonTerry ByronRon Gaffney | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| EcclestonSt. Helens · 23% in Prescot · 2,371 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Michael HawPhilip Jonathan CassGeoff Pearl | May 2026 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Knowsley Metropolitan 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).
Who led each council vote, 2021–2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Prescot’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 | 32.9% | 9.6% | 28.6% | 31.7% | 8.9% |
| Labour | 38.3% | 28.9% | 42.5% | 46.1% | 17% |
| Liberal Democrat | 22.4% | 30.8% | 27.4% | 17.2% | 23.3% |
| Independent | 0% | 26.9% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Conservative | 6.4% | 3.8% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 2.1% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.1% | 26.4% |
| Rainhill Independents | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 22.4% |
In 2026, the Liberal Democrats won 4, Rainhill Independents won 3, the Greens won 1 and Reform UK won 1 of the 9 seats up in Prescot’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.
St. Helens council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Prescot, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
5 wards voted. Not every seat in the town’s wards was up this time.
No election is scheduled yet for Prescot’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗11,047 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
2,400 votes for candidates
2,922 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (2 more)
2,537 votes for candidates
10,483 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Prescot is split between 3 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 7 May 2015
65% of Prescot’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 53% (England 60%).
Majority 11,945 of 38,035 votes (31.4%): wider than in 87% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024
20% of Prescot’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 50% (England 60%).
Majority 18,319 of 36,047 votes (50.8%): wider than in 99% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 1 May 1997
15% of Prescot’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 54% (England 60%).
Majority 16,425 of 38,116 votes (43.1%): wider than in 98% of England’s 543 constituencies.
38,035 votes for candidates · majority 11,945
Labour, MP since 7 May 2015.
turnout in July 2024: 38,035 votes from 71,569 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 11,945 of 38,035 votes (31.4%): wider than in 87% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Knowsley
36,047 votes for candidates · majority 18,319
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 36,047 votes from 71,964 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 18,319 of 36,047 votes (50.8%): wider than in 99% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Widnes and Halewood
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.
Prescot’s Band D council tax is £2,488 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council keeps £2,028.94 of a Band D bill (82%); the rest goes to the Parish councils, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Merseyside police and crime commissioner and the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,490 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Knowsley’s Band D bill has risen 59% in ten years, from £1,561.61 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £672.75 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Knowsley, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Merseyside’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Merseyside
| Knowsley | Prescot’s councils | Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £652 | £572 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £487 | £355 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £97 | £19 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £39 | £73 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £95 | £73 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £55 | £60 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £173 | £54 | £26 |
| Public health | £140 | £122 | £78 |
| Running the council | £49 | £59 | £59 |
| Other | £138 | £41 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,924 | £1,428 | £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. Merseyside 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 Prescot 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.
knowsley.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
knowsley.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Prescot is run
Does Prescot have a town council?
Parts of it do: Prescot parish council, Whiston parish council, Rainhill parish council and Eccleston parish council.
Who is the MP for Prescot?
Prescot is split between 3 constituencies: St Helens South and Whiston (Ms Marie Rimmer, Labour), Knowsley (Anneliese Midgley, Labour) and Widnes and Halewood (Derek Twigg, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Prescot have?
14 ward councillors represent Prescot’s 5 wards.
When are the next elections in Prescot?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Prescot’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Prescot?
Band D council tax in Prescot is £2,490 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 25 of 46 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls St Helens Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 34 of 48 seats as elected.
Who won the 2026 council election in Prescot?
In Prescot’s wards on 7 May 2026, Liberal Democrat 4 · Rainhill Independents 3 · Green 1 · Reform UK 1 of the 9 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 26.4%.
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.