# 2008 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2008 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 23
* Liberal Democrats 19
* Conservative 6

## Background

At the last election in 2007, Labour remained the largest party with 21 seats, the Liberal Democrats has 20, Conservatives 6 and there was 1 independent. However soon after the election the independent councillor, Bessie Griffin, joined the Liberal Democrats. Since the 2006 election the Liberal Democrats and Conservative had run the council together, while Labour was in opposition.
16 seats were contested in 2008 and as well as candidates from Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, there were 10 candidates from the British National Party.

## Election result

Labour gained 2 seats to have 23 councillors, but fell 2 short of regaining a majority on the council, as the Liberal Democrats had 19 seats and the Conservatives 6. The Labour gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Billinge and Seneley Green and in West Park, while they held marginal seats in Haydock and Bold, with the result in Bold only coming after 3 recounts. The Labour gain in Billinge and Seneley Green meant the party regained the seat they had lost when councillor Bessie Griffin had left Labour to become an independent and then later joined the Liberal Democrats.
Following the election the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties continued to run the council together, with Liberal Democrat Brian Spencer remaining leader of the council.
St Helens local election result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 9 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 56.3 | 37.0 | 16,730 | -0.7% |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 31.3 | 37.7 | 17,052 | -3.7% |
| Conservative | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 19.7 | 8,908 | +2.7% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 | 2,528 | +3.8% |

## Ward results

Billinge and Seneley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Ward | 1,335 | 41.7 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Michael Hodgson | 1,292 | 40.4 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Gadsden | 574 | 17.9 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 1.3 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,201 | 35.5 | +1.5 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Blackbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Smith | 1,207 | 46.4 | −17.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ruth Smith | 1,016 | 39.0 | +24.0 |
| | Conservative | Judith Collins | 381 | 14.6 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 191 | 7.3 | −41.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,604 | 31.8 | +2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Bold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Hargreaves | 984 | 41.4 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marise Roberts | 974 | 41.0 | −2.9 |
| | BNP | Carl Telford | 218 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative | Charmian Pyke | 198 | 8.3 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.4 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,374 | 31.6 | +2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Earlestown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leon McGuire | 1,242 | 52.0 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Smith | 951 | 39.8 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Brian Honey | 196 | 8.2 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 | 12.2 | +8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,389 | 31.8 | +1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Eccleston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Teresa Sims | 2,606 | 69.1 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Barton | 549 | 14.6 | −0.6 |
| | Labour | Pat Ireland | 417 | 11.1 | −3.8 |
| | BNP | Harry Berridge | 197 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,057 | 54.6 | +0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,769 | 40.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Haydock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Caunce | 1,390 | 45.5 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Broughton | 1,087 | 35.6 | −24.0 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Rigby | 299 | 9.8 | +2.9 |
| | BNP | Karen Smith | 278 | 9.1 | +9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 303 | 9.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,054 | 33.7 | +0.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Moss Bank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Kavanagh | 1,911 | 62.5 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Fletcher | 864 | 28.2 | −9.5 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Black | 285 | 9.3 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,047 | 34.2 | +17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,060 | 35.3 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzanne Knight | 2,028 | 69.3 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Graham Barr | 605 | 20.7 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Harvey | 293 | 10.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,423 | 48.6 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,926 | 35.2 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Parr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ken Pinder | 1,251 | 63.5 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Ellison | 506 | 25.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Madeleine Wilcock | 212 | 10.8 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 745 | 37.8 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,969 | 23.0 | −0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Rainford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Betty Lowe | 1,938 | 67.2 | −4.5 |
| | Labour | David Wood | 562 | 19.5 | −2.2 |
| | BNP | Mathew Berridge-James | 202 | 7.0 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frederick Barrett | 184 | 6.4 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,376 | 47.7 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,886 | 43.1 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Rainhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Doyle | 1,740 | 51.6 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Helen Smith | 877 | 26.0 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christina Duncan | 455 | 13.5 | −5.6 |
| | BNP | Frances Chesney | 299 | 8.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 863 | 25.6 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,371 | 37.6 | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Sutton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer | 1,826 | 62.0 | |
| | Labour | Derek Maylor | 686 | 23.3 | |
| | BNP | John Chesney | 273 | 9.3 | |
| | Conservative | Pauline Wilcock | 158 | 5.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,140 | 38.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,943 | 31.8 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Thatto Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sheila Seddon | 1,328 | 53.2 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Pearl | 581 | 23.3 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Woodcock | 301 | 12.1 | +4.5 |
| | BNP | Paul Telford | 284 | 11.4 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 747 | 30.0 | +11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,494 | 28.1 | −1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Town Centre :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Beirne | 1,193 | 48.9 | +3.7 |
| | Labour | Geoff Almond | 876 | 35.9 | −3.5 |
| | BNP | Damian Smith | 237 | 9.7 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Jill Jones | 134 | 5.5 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 317 | 13.0 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,440 | 29.7 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
West Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robbie Ayres | 1,493 | 50.3 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Evans | 814 | 27.4 | −7.1 |
| | BNP | Eric Swindells | 331 | 11.2 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | Richard Barton | 329 | 11.1 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 679 | 22.9 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,967 | 33.2 | −3.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Windle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Wally Ashcroft | 1,466 | 52.9 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | Lynn Glover | 750 | 27.1 | −7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Noreen Knowles | 346 | 12.5 | −3.2 |
| | BNP | Keith Davies | 209 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 716 | 25.8 | +10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,771 | 34.9 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2008 and 2010
### Parr

A by-election took place in Parr on 12 March 2009 after the death of Labour councillor Ken Pinder. The seat was held for Labour by Andy Bowden with a majority of 340 votes over Liberal Democrat Barry Dodd.
Parr by-election 12 March 2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andy Bowden | 851 | 49.3 | −14.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Dodd | 511 | 29.6 | +3.9 |
| | BNP | Paul Telford | 183 | 10.6 | +10.6 |
| | Independent | Mark Arnold | 98 | 5.7 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Madeleine Wilcock | 55 | 3.2 | −7.6 |
| | Green | Andrea Pennington | 27 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 340 | 19.7 | −18.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,725 | 20.1 | −2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Rainhill

A by-election took place in Rainhill on 12 March 2009 after the death of Labour councillor Mike Doyle. The seat was held for Labour by Barrie Grunewald with a majority of 503 votes over Liberal Democrat Denise Aspinall.
Rainhill by-election 12 March 2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barrie Grunewald | 1,562 | 45.6 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Denise Aspinall | 1,059 | 30.9 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Bligh | 512 | 14.9 | −11.1 |
| | BNP | Eric Swindells | 215 | 6.3 | −2.6 |
| | Green | David Rothwell | 80 | 2.3 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 503 | 14.7 | −10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,428 | 38.2 | +0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Moss Bank

A by-election was held in Moss Bank on 16 July 2009 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Anna Heyes. The seat was held for Liberal Democrats by David Kent with a majority of 469 votes over Labour's Jeffrey Fletcher.
Moss Bank by-election 16 July 2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Kent | 1,480 | 53.9 | −8.6 |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Fletcher | 1,011 | 36.8 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | Madeleine Wilcock | 111 | 4.0 | −5.3 |
| | Green | David Rothwell | 73 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| | Independent | Christopher Hackett | 71 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 469 | 17.1 | −17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,746 | 31.8 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |