# 2011 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2011 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 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 9
* Conservative 4

## Background

At the last election in 2010 Labour took control of the council with 28 seats after gaining 5 seats, while the Liberal Democrats dropped to 15 seats and the Conservatives were reduced to 5 seats. Labour were expected to make more gains in 2011, with the Liberal Democrats in particular expected to suffer from being in a coalition government with the Conservatives nationally.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats were defending 7 seats in 2011, while the Conservatives defended 2 seats. Other candidates at the election included 4 from the Green Party, who had not put candidates up in previous elections.

## Election result

Labour increased its majority on the council after gaining 7 seats, including 6 from the Liberal Democrats. This took Labour to 35 councillors, while reducing the Liberal Democrats to 9 seats on the council, with the only Liberal Democrat to be elected being Michael Haw in Eccleston. Meanwhile, the wife of the Conservative group leader, Nancy Ashcroft, lost her seat on the council in Windle to Labour, reducing the Conservatives to 4 seats on the council.
St Helens local election result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 14 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 87.5 | 60.1 | 31,165 | +11.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 6.3 | 17.5 | 9,085 | -12.9% |
| Conservative | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 6.3 | 17.1 | 8,836 | -1.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1,061 | +2.0% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 | 901 | +1.5% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 524 | -1.9% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 247 | +0.5% |

## Ward results

Billinge and Seneley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joseph Pearson | 1,896 | 52.9 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Michael Hodgson | 964 | 26.9 | −3.1 |
| | Independent | Peter Peers | 556 | 15.5 | +15.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Knowles | 170 | 4.7 | −15.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 932 | 26.0 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,586 | 40.1 | −27.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Blackbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Linda Maloney | 2,354 | 77.0 | +19.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Bonney | 353 | 11.5 | −14.1 |
| | Conservative | Judith Collins | 350 | 11.4 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,001 | 65.5 | +23.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,057 | 36.4 | −22.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Bold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anthony Johnson | 1,939 | 70.3 | +22.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marise Roberts | 413 | 15.0 | −20.0 |
| | Conservative | Charmian Pyke | 228 | 8.3 | −1.6 |
| | BNP | James Winstanley | 179 | 6.5 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,526 | 55.3 | +42.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,759 | 36.5 | −20.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Earlestown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keith Deakin | 1,845 | 69.3 | +11.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Smith | 422 | 15.9 | −10.1 |
| | Conservative | David Skeech | 394 | 14.8 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,423 | 53.5 | +22.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,661 | 32.9 | −21.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Eccleston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Haw | 1,540 | 36.8 | −8.5 |
| | Labour | Sophie Robinson | 1,401 | 33.5 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Barton | 904 | 21.6 | −0.1 |
| | Green | Francis Williams | 336 | 8.0 | +8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 139 | 3.3 | −12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,181 | 45.1 | −24.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Haydock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jeanette Banks | 2,010 | 62.0 | +10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Sheldon | 765 | 23.6 | −13.4 |
| | UKIP | Gary Robinson | 247 | 7.6 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Reynolds | 221 | 6.8 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,245 | 38.4 | +23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,243 | 35.6 | −24.5 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Moss Bank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Fulham | 2,031 | 54.0 | +7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Kent | 1,199 | 31.9 | −8.6 |
| | Independent | David Lawrenson | 345 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Rigby | 183 | 4.9 | −8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 832 | 22.1 | +16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,758 | 43.9 | −17.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sandra Dyer | 1,432 | 46.0 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Astbury | 1,311 | 42.1 | −6.2 |
| | Conservative | Brian Honey | 369 | 11.9 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 3.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,112 | 36.6 | −23.1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Parr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keith Roberts | 2,026 | 83.9 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Brown | 221 | 9.2 | −9.9 |
| | Conservative | Madeleine Wilcock | 168 | 7.0 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,805 | 74.7 | +22.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,415 | 27.9 | −17.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Rainford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Jones | 1,792 | 53.8 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Keith Aspinall | 1,184 | 35.5 | +1.3 |
| | Green | Carla Hay | 255 | 7.7 | +7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frederick Barrett | 102 | 3.1 | −13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 608 | 18.2 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,333 | 49.9 | −21.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Rainhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joseph De Asha | 2,569 | 64.7 | +18.4 |
| | Conservative | John Cunliffe | 853 | 21.5 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Denise Aspinall | 549 | 13.8 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,716 | 43.2 | +26.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,971 | 44.3 | −22.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Sutton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Johnson | 2,151 | 63.5 | +23.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Knowles | 836 | 24.7 | −20.2 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Woodcock | 218 | 6.4 | −2.2 |
| | BNP | Peter Clayton | 184 | 5.4 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,315 | 38.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,389 | 37.3 | −19.7 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Thatto Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patricia Ireland | 2,409 | 78.1 | +19.4 |
| | Conservative | Henry Spriggs | 395 | 12.8 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Pearl | 282 | 9.1 | −11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,014 | 65.3 | +27.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,086 | 32.7 | −22.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Town Centre :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Almond | 1,962 | 73.0 | +19.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lynn Turton | 562 | 20.9 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Richard Barton | 163 | 6.1 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,400 | 52.1 | +27.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,687 | 32.7 | −16.2 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
West Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Marlene Quinn | 2,293 | 69.3 | +10.6 |
| | Conservative | David Foster | 386 | 11.7 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ruth Watmough | 245 | 7.4 | −13.1 |
| | Green | William Fitzpatrick | 224 | 6.8 | +6.8 |
| | BNP | Leila Bentham | 161 | 4.9 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,907 | 57.6 | +19.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,309 | 37.1 | −21.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Windle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patricia Martinez-Williams | 1,663 | 50.8 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | Nancy Ashcroft | 1,248 | 38.1 | +2.3 |
| | Green | Andrew Donnelly | 246 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Noreen Knowles | 115 | 3.5 | −16.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 415 | 12.7 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,272 | 40.6 | −21.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |