# 2000 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2000 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 35
* Liberal Democrats 15
* Conservative 4

## Election result

Labour remained in control of the council with 35 seats, but suffered a net loss of 2 seats. The Liberal Democrats increased their share of the vote and gained Moss Bank and Sutton and Bold from Labour, but lost Newton West back to Labour, to leave the party on 15 seats. Meanwhile, the Conservatives also gained a seat from Labour in Windle, defeating the mayor Pat Jackson, while the leader of the Conservative group Betty Lowe held her seat in Rainford to leave the Conservatives with 4 councillors.
Turnout in 4 wards was at or below 16%, while the highest turnout was in Rainford at 35.7%. The turnout in St Helens was an increase from the last election, which was put down to a trial of early voting on the Friday and Saturday before the election in 6 wards.
St Helens local election result 2000 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Labour | 13 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 65.0 | 45.3 | 14,953 |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 25.0 | 33.0 | 10,891 |
| Conservative | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 10.0 | 21.3 | 7,040 |
| Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 152 |

## Ward results

Billinge and Seneley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Neville Bullock | 1,086 | 53.4 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Black | 672 | 33.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Broughton | 275 | 13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 414 | 20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,033 | 19.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Blackbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Andy Bowden | 662 | 64.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Brown | 228 | 22.1 |
| | Conservative | James Spanner | 141 | 13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 434 | 42.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,031 | 14.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Broad Oak :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Keith Roberts | 764 | 51.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gail Mills | 658 | 44.5 |
| | Conservative | Anne Spanner | 56 | 3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,478 | 22.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Eccleston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Pearl | 1,604 | 64.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Brooke | 496 | 20.1 |
| | Labour | Stephen Glover | 371 | 15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,108 | 44.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,471 | 29.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Grange Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Marlene Quinn | 610 | 50.7 |
| | Conservative | Catherine Lindon | 285 | 23.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Evans | 270 | 22.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Ronale Waugh | 38 | 3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 325 | 27.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,203 | 16.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Haydock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jim Caunce | 1,046 | 63.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Worthington | 331 | 20.2 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Harvey | 261 | 15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 715 | 43.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,638 | 18.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Marshalls Cross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Valerie Beirne | 932 | 68.3 |
| | Labour | Michael Glover | 387 | 28.4 |
| | Conservative | Jill Jones | 45 | 3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 545 | 40.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,364 | 22.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Moss Bank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Simpson | 1,292 | 53.9 |
| | Labour | Barbara Jakubiak | 912 | 38.0 |
| | Conservative | Judith Collins | 147 | 6.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | Kenneth Tilston | 48 | 2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 380 | 15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,399 | 29.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | |
Newton East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzanne Knight | 1,394 | 65.5 |
| | Labour | Thomas Chisnall | 591 | 27.8 |
| | Conservative | Keith Winstanley | 143 | 6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 803 | 37.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,128 | 27.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Newton West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Sandra Banawich | 876 | 50.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Virginia Taylor | 727 | 41.6 |
| | Conservative | Brian Honey | 145 | 8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 149 | 8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,748 | 21.7 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
Parr and Hardshaw :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Fletcher | 706 | 70.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Noreen Knowles | 190 | 19.0 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Bolton | 102 | 10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 516 | 51.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 998 | 16.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Queens Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Marlene Newman | 710 | 54.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lesley Ronan | 415 | 32.0 |
| | Conservative | Herbert Williams | 171 | 13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 22.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,296 | 18.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Rainford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Betty Lowe | 1,725 | 68.9 |
| | Labour | David Wood | 645 | 25.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frederick Barrett | 134 | 5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,080 | 43.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,504 | 35.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Rainhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mike Doyle | 1,133 | 58.6 |
| | Conservative | Richard Seddon | 577 | 29.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Knowles | 223 | 11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 556 | 28.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,933 | 19.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Sutton and Bold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julie Jones | 1,006 | 53.1 |
| | Labour | Richard McCauley | 804 | 42.4 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Woodcock | 85 | 4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 202 | 10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,895 | 26.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | |
Thatto Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Marie Rimmer | 861 | 65.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Pearl | 207 | 15.7 |
| | Conservative | Albert Pearson | 184 | 14.0 |
| | Socialist Labour | Michael Perry | 66 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 654 | 49.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,318 | 18.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
West Sutton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Thomas Hargreaves | 610 | |
| | Labour | William Noctor | 505 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Darren Makin | 315 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Topping | 265 | |
| | Conservative | Charmian Pyke | 101 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,796 | 15.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Windle (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Wallace Ashcroft | 903 | |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Almond | 857 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Jackson | 817 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Rigby | 801 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vivienne Lavery | 217 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janette Smith | 208 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,803 | 28.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |