Photo: Gary Rogers · CC BY-SA 2.0Reform UK holds a majority on St Helens Council
St Helens is run by St Helens Council. Reform UK has a majority on St Helens Council. Most of St Helens is in St Helens South and Whiston (MP Ms Marie Rimmer, Labour); 37% of residents are in St Helens North (MP David Baines, Labour).
£2,397
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How St Helens’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on St Helens Council
Reform UK holds a majority on St Helens Council: 34 of its 48 seats as elected (it held 2 before the May 2026 election). Labour holds 4, the Liberal Democrats 3, Newton-le-Willows Independents 3, Rainhill Independents 3 and the Conservatives 1. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across St Helens’s wards, Reform UK took 44.6%, Labour took 31% and the Greens took 12.7% of votes in June 2026. In 2022, Reform UK had 0%. How St Helens has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in St Helens is £2,395 for 2026–27; St Helens Council keeps 82% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 60% 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 25 of St. Helens’s 48 seats to run the council alone.
- 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 St Helens
One council runs every main service here.
The parish council for the part of St Helens inside Eccleston parish.
7% of St Helens’s residents · Band D precept £22
The parish council for the part of St Helens inside Bold parish.
Who runs St Helens: same source as Who runs St Helens, above.
The parish council for the part of St Helens inside Windle parish.
Who runs St Helens: same source as Who runs St Helens, above.
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.
87% of St Helens’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
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 St Helens, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish3 parish councilsEccleston parish councilBold parish councilWindle parish council
- 2St Helens Council12 wards · 31 councillorsReform UK 27 · Liberal Democrat 3 · Labour 1 · all 31
- 3Police and crime commissionerMerseyside Police · elected May 2024Emily Spurrell
- 4House of CommonsSplit between 2 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.
31 councillors for 12 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.
- Emma Victoria BeckReform UK · May 2026
- Jack Joseph BenyonReform UK · May 2026
- James William LongReform UK · May 2026
- Dan AxworthyReform UK · May 2026
- Janet RowlandsReform UK · May 2026
- Mal WebsterReform UK · May 2026
- Stephen LittleReform UK · May 2026
- Michael James GibsonReform UK · May 2026
- Mark Anthony KingReform UK · May 2026
- David Edward HawleyReform UK · May 2026
- Mark Joseph HitchenReform UK · May 2026
- Samson Chika EgbikeReform UK · May 2026
- Clayton EdeReform UK · May 2026
- Anthony Michael KeoghReform UK · May 2026
- Alex Callum TwistReform UK · May 2026
- Gary EdgertonReform UK · May 2026
- David KentReform UK · May 2026
- Jack Thomas StylesReform UK · May 2026
- Jeremy Peter AxworthyReform UK · June 2026
- Michael Angelo FisherLabour · June 2026
- Michael HawLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Philip Jonathan CassLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Geoff PearlLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Mark Barry JohnsonReform UK · May 2026
- Anthony Albert JohnsonReform UK · May 2026
- John Leonard PinningtonReform UK · May 2026
- Brendan MossReform UK · May 2026
- Nigel BrownReform UK · May 2026
- Eileen FlemingReform UK · May 2026
- Victor FloydReform UK · May 2026
- Sharon Louise RoughleyReform UK · May 2026
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thatto Heathall in St Helens · 13,247 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Emma Victoria BeckJack Joseph BenyonJames William Long | May 2026 |
| Parrmostly in St Helens · 12,117 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Dan AxworthyJanet RowlandsMal Webster | May 2026 |
| West Parkall in St Helens · 11,574 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Stephen LittleMichael James GibsonMark Anthony King | May 2026 |
| Bold & Lea Greenmostly in St Helens · 11,006 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | David Edward HawleyMark Joseph HitchenSamson Chika Egbike | May 2026 |
| Windleall in St Helens · 10,953 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Clayton EdeAnthony Michael KeoghAlex Callum Twist | May 2026 |
| Moss Bankall in St Helens · 10,420 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Gary EdgertonDavid KentJack Thomas Styles | May 2026 |
| St Helens Town Centreall in St Helens · 7,922 residents2 seats · June 2026 | 2 | Jeremy Peter AxworthyMichael Angelo Fisher | June 2026 |
| Ecclestonmostly in St Helens · 7,875 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Michael HawPhilip Jonathan CassGeoff Pearl | May 2026 |
| Sutton North Westall in St Helens · 7,049 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Mark Barry JohnsonAnthony Albert Johnson | May 2026 |
| Sutton South Eastall in St Helens · 6,599 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | John Leonard PinningtonBrendan Moss | May 2026 |
| Blackbrook50% in St Helens · 5,295 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Nigel BrownEileen FlemingVictor Floyd | May 2026 |
| Peasley Cross & Fingerpostall in St Helens · 3,334 residents1 seat · May 2026 | 1 | Sharon Louise Roughley | May 2026 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. St Helens 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 2022; Reform UK led in 2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in St Helens’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 | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| Labour | 60.9% | 31% |
| Liberal Democrat | 15.5% | 8.1% |
| Conservative | 8.9% | 2.9% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 44.6% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 27, the Liberal Democrats won 3 and Labour won 1 of the 31 seats up in St Helens’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, June 2026
Results in the wards that make up St Helens, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
1 ward voted. Not every seat in the town’s wards was up this time.
No election is scheduled yet for St Helens’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗2,076 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
St Helens is split between 2 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 7 May 2015
63% of St Helens’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
37% of St Helens’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 54% (England 60%).
Majority 12,169 of 40,474 votes (30.1%): wider than in 85% 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.
St Helens North
40,474 votes for candidates · majority 12,169
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 40,474 votes from 75,483 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 12,169 of 40,474 votes (30.1%): wider than in 85% 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.
St Helens’s Band D council tax is £2,395 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
St Helens Council keeps £1,975.65 of a Band D bill (82%); the rest goes to 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 £2,397 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
St. Helens’s Band D bill has risen 60% in ten years, from £1,503.59 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £615.38 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of St. Helens, 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
| St. Helens | St Helens’s councils | Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £495 | £572 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £383 | £355 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £37 | £19 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £32 | £73 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £87 | £73 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £39 | £60 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £28 | £54 | £26 |
| Public health | £111 | £122 | £78 |
| Running the council | £58 | £59 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £41 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,268 | £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 St Helens 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.
sthelens.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
sthelens.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how St Helens is run
Does St Helens have a town council?
Parts of it do: Eccleston parish council, Bold parish council and Windle parish council.
Who is the MP for St Helens?
St Helens is split between 2 constituencies: St Helens South and Whiston (Ms Marie Rimmer, Labour) and St Helens North (David Baines, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does St Helens have?
31 ward councillors represent St Helens’s 12 wards.
When are the next elections in St Helens?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for St Helens’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in St Helens?
Band D council tax in St Helens is £2,397 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls St Helens Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 34 of 48 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in St Helens?
In St Helens’s wards on 25 June 2026, Reform UK 27 · Liberal Democrat 3 · Labour 1 of the 31 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 44.6%.
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.