Sefton Council
Sefton Council is the governing body for the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in the historic county of Lancashire and the ceremonial county of Merseyside, north-western England. The council was under no overall control from the 1980s until 2012 when the Labour Party took control. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Wards. It consists of sixty-six councillors, three for each of the borough's twenty-two wards which are as listed: Political makeup. Elections are usually by thirds, in three of every four years. Since the 2017 General Election, Liberal Democrat councillor  Tony Dawson has been suspended by the party and two more Liberal Democrat councillors have defected to Labour, note change since last election. Elections since 2000. Since 2000 the borough has been divided into 22 wards, each returning 3 councillors. This necessitated an election of the whole council in 2000, returning to a system of elections by thirds thereafter. Elections 1973-1999. From 1973 to 2000 the borough was divided into 23 wards, returning 3 councillors each, giving a total of 69 councillors. One third of seats was elected in three out of every four years. Councillors had a four -year term of office, and there were elections to the Merseyside County Council were held in the years in which borough elections were not held until the county council's abolition in 1986. History. Sefton Council was created by the local government reorganisation of 1974, which created a two-tier system of government in the United Kingdom. It was a metropolitan district of the metropolitan county of Merseyside. Until 1986, the five metropolitan borough councils of Merseyside shared power with the central Merseyside County Council, but this was later abolished and its functions devolved solely to its districts. As a  result, the borough is effectively a unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Merseyside. Sefton Council is not directly responsible for transport, waste-disposal and emergency services - these are administered by joint-boards of the five boroughs of Merseyside.