Liverpool City Region Local Election Results 2018

ON Thursday, 3 May 2018, the nation went to the polling Stations for the local elections. Labour kept control of Councils across Merseyside in the local elections.

This year's Local Authority Election results are as follows:-

► Liverpool...  Within Liverpool the Labour Party has kept control, winning 25 seats and taking 64.04% of the votes. Next came the Liberal Democrats, with 3 seats, taking 16.335 of the votes, followed by the Green Party with 9.22% of the votes, giving them 2 seats, and 1 seat went to the Liberal Party who secured 4.05% of the votes. Despite getting 5.74% of the overall votes, the Conservative Party did not win any seats, nor did the Trade Unionist and Socialists Coalition, the Old Wan Against the Cuts and Independent, all of whom took 1% of the total votes, each. The Liberal Democrats failed to land several targets, but did take crucial cabinet member seat, Childwall, from Labour. In total, Labour lost 3 seats to the Lib Dems. For full election results, ward by ward, visit Liverpool City Council's website.

► Sefton...  Sefton Council's 66 seats are currently made up of:- 41 Labour are Labour, 12 Lib Dem, 8 Conservative and 5 independents Councillors. This included a historic win for Labour, who took its 1st ever Southport seat, allowing the party to tightened its grip on Sefton Council. Also in Formby's Ravenmeols Ward, Labour won the seat that was formerly held by Formby Residents Action Group (FRAG). In Sefton, the Lib Dems remain the main opposition to Labour, despite losing 4 of the party's seats, to both Conservative and Labour candidates. Interestingly, across Sefton, United Kingdom Independence Party, UKIP only took 1% of the votes. The Labour Party took the biggest chunk of the votes with 52%, with the Conservative Party taking 22% and the Liberal Democrats on 16%. The Green Party did not win any seats, taking just 3%. They were closely followed by both the Independent, with 2%, who also did not win any seats, nor did the Independents Group, who also took 2% of the votes. For full results go to Sefton Council's website.

► Wirral...  Wirral Council has 66 Councillors in 22 electoral wards. This year, turn out on the Wirral was only 36% of the electorate. The control of the Council remains with Labour who won 12 seats, taking 45% of the votes, Conservatives took 8 Seats, with 36% of the votes, Lib Dems, took 2 seats, with 10% of the vote and the Green Party took 8% of the overall votes, winning 1 seat. Again UK Independence Party (UKIP) failed to get any seats. For full ward summary for the Wirral Local Elections visit the Council's website.

► St Helens...  The local election results for St Helens saw a resoundingly successful night for Labour, with the party holding 13 of the 16 seats contested and both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats holding 1 each, and 1 seat also went to an independent. In total, Labour took 50% of the total number of votes cast, with Conservatives taking 20% and the Lib Dem's taking 11%; 6% went to an Independent, the Green Party took 10% but surprisingly, the UK Independence Party, unlike in the rest of the Region took 3% of the total vote. The turnout in the election was just 28% of the electorate. For full information about the results in St Helens, visit the Council's website.

► Knowsley...  Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council election results showed a slight chink in Labour's armour on Merseyside, as they lost key seats. Both local areas are wards that are would be affected by plans to sell off part or all of 17 Knowsley parks. As a result the Green Party took its 1st ever seat at Knowsley Council, with Kai Taylor taking in Prescot South from Labour. Halewood South's was also lost to an independent, Allan Harvey. Interestingly, Kai Taylor is now the youngest Green Councillor, in England, aged just 20! The full results can be downloaded here (pdf) or by visiting the Council's website.

► Haulton...  Despite the many issues surrounding the Mersey Gateway tolls, which could have influenced the local vote, Labour have managed to hold onto all their seats in Halton. The full Halton Borough Council results are located on its Council website.

On Twitter you have until 6 May 2018 to take part in our Election Twitter Pole about voting... We are asking:- "Did you vote in the UK's Local elections, if you were registered to do so?" To take part in any of our Twitter poles go to:- Twitter.com/SouthportReport.

The next local elections are due to take place on Thursday, 2 May 2019.

If you are unsure still about how the results affect the Councils, most Wards are represented by 3 Councillors. 1 Councillor in each ward stands for election in 3 out of every 4 years, with an elected Councillor serving a term of 4 years, before being up for re-election.

Steve Rotheram Marks 1st Anniversary As Metro Mayor By Celebrating Combined Authority's Record of Delivery

STEVE Rotheram has marked the 1st Anniversary of his election as the areas 1st Metro Mayor and the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority by celebrating the achievements of the Combined Authority over the last year. Elections for the new role were held on 4 May 2017, with Steve officially taking up the role on Monday, 8 May 2017. The City Region has had a Combined Authority since 2014, bringing together the political leaders of the 6 local authorities:- Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral; along with the Local Enterprise Partnership.  With the election of a Metro Mayor, that body became a Mayoral Combined Authority with additional powers over key priorities including:- employment and skills, strategic housing and planning, transport and highways, economic and business growth, energy and environment, culture, finance, European funding, information sharing, constitutional and governance issues.

Commenting on the 1 year Anniversary, Steve Rotheram said:- "This has been a very exciting 1st year as Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and, working with the leaders of our 6 Local Authorities, we have already achieved so much. Devolution means that we can make our own decisions here, rather than having them taken for us in Whitehall. We're using that power to deliver an investment programme of over ₤1bn in transport, skills, economic development and housing. Whilst transformational change will inevitably take time, today is an opportunity to assess our progress to date. Some of the key achievements over the last year include: our ₤5m Households into Work programme, helping 800 families into new jobs; building a new Station at Maghull North; and securing ₤234m in additional government funding to modernise our transport network and connect the City Region to HS2. This is just the start. I stood as Metro Mayor because I believe that devolution can be a game changer for our Region. 1 year on I'm more convinced than ever that we are making real progress towards a brighter future."

The 15 Combined Authority achievements over the last year highlighted by the Metro Mayor are listed below:-

1. Launched our pioneering Households into Work initiative to support 800 families with 2 or more people in long term unemployment back into work.

2. Secured ₤5m to support the growth of digital and creative businesses through the LCR Activate programme.

3. Invested ₤3.4 million in Alstom, for a state of the art train maintenance and repair facility, creating hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships.

4. Started work on a City Region full fibre network, providing ultra fast digital connectivity across the whole of the Liverpool City Region.

5. Building a new ₤13m Station for Maghull North and a ₤19m interchange scheme, new Station building and park and ride facility, at Newton-le-Willows.

6. Constructing a new ₤19m Railway Line connecting our Region to North Wales, via the Halton Curve.

7. Established a Mersey Tidal Power commission to harness the power of the River Mersey.

8. Providing ₤12m funding for the Paddington Village development; an integral part of Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter.

9. Providing cleaner public transport where low emission buses make up 70% of bus fleet, with ⅕ of those powered by electricity.

10. Introducing a:- " 1% for culture"  programme to support cultural activities across our Region and naming St Helens as our inaugural:- " Borough of Culture."

11. Delivering ₤5m to support the Liverpool 2018 cultural programme; the celebration of the 10th Anniversary since it was European Capital of Culture.

12. Investing in initiatives to support the creation of 5,000 local jobs, 2,000 apprenticeships and 25,000 new homes by 2020.

13. Securing ₤234m in additional Government funding to modernise our transport network and connect the City Region to HS2.

14. Establishing FASJAB (the Fairness and Social Justice Advisory Board), the 1st of its kind in the country, to ensure fairness and social justice is at the heart of decision making across the Liverpool City Region.

15. Securing a share of ₤28m from government to deliver a 'Housing 1st' approach to homelessness.