St Helens South and Whiston (UK Parliament constituency)
| St. Helens South and Whiston | |
|---|---|
| Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundary of St. Helens South and Whiston in Merseyside for the 2010 general election | |
 Location of Merseyside within England | |
| County | Merseyside |
| Electorate | 78,612 (December 2010)[1] |
| Major settlements | Eccleston, Lea Green, Prescot, Rainhill, St Helens, Sutton, Thatto Heath, Whiston |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2010 |
| Member of Parliament | Marie Rimmer (Labour) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | St Helens South, Knowsley South |
St. Helens South and Whiston is a constituency created in 2010 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Marie Rimmer of the Labour Party.[n 1]
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to minor boundary changes, with parts of Whiston and Cronton, being included in the new constituency of Widnes and Halewood, to be first contested at the next general election.[2]
History[edit]
- Creation
Following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies the Boundary Commission for England expanded and renamed the St Helens South seat, covering the south of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens and three wards of the Knowsley borough which were in a neighbouring seat.
- Results of the winning party
The area has been held by the Labour Party since the 1945 election (including predecessor seats), and part since 1935. The 2015 result made the seat the 24th safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[3]
- Results of other parties
The 2015 general election saw (with 11.3%) more than the national average swing (+9.5%) to UKIP (narrowly placed third). Labour's candidate won more than fivefold those votes, scoring 59.8%.
- Turnout
Turnout has risen from 59.1% to 62.3%
Boundaries[edit]
The boundaries have not changed to date.
Its electoral wards are:
- From Knowsley: Prescot East, Whiston North and Whiston South
- From St Helens: Bold, Eccleston, Rainhill, Sutton, Thatto Heath, Town Centre and West Park.
Proposed[edit]
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley wards of: Prescot South; Whiston & Cronton (polling district WC5).
- The Borough of St Helens wards of: Bold; Eccleston; Rainhill; Sutton; Thatto Heath; Town Centre; West Park.[4]
Following boundary changes in the Borough of Knowsley, the majority of the Whiston & Cronton ward - excluding the town centre of Whiston - will be included in the new constituency of Widnes and Halewood.
Following a local government boundary review in St Helens which came into effect in May 2022,[5][6] the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:
- The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley wards of: Prescot South; Whiston & Cronton (polling district WC5).
- The Borough of St Helens wards of: Bold & Lea Green; Eccleston; Rainhill; St Helens Town Centre; Peasley Cross & Fingerpost; Sutton North West; Sutton South East (nearly all); Thatto Heath; West Park.[7]
Members of Parliament[edit]
| Election | Member[8] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Shaun Woodward | Labour | |
| 2015 | Marie Rimmer | Labour | |
Elections[edit]
Elections in the 2020s[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer[9] | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
Elections in the 2010s[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Marie Rimmer | 29,457 | 58.5 | ―9.3 | |
| Conservative | Richard Short | 10,335 | 20.5 | ―1.3 | |
| Brexit Party | Daniel Oxley | 5,353 | 10.6 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer | 2,886 | 5.7 | +1.7 | |
| Green | Kai Taylor | 2,282 | 4.5 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 19,122 | 38.0 | ―8.0 | ||
| Turnout | 50,313 | 63.6 | ―3.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ―4.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Marie Rimmer | 35,879 | 67.8 | +8.0 | |
| Conservative | Ed McRandal | 11,536 | 21.8 | +5.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer | 2,101 | 4.0 | ―1.7 | |
| UKIP | Mark Hitchen | 1,953 | 3.7 | ―10.3 | |
| Green | Jess Northey | 1,417 | 2.7 | ―1.9 | |
| Majority | 24,343 | 46.0 | +2.1 | ||
| Turnout | 52,886 | 66.9 | +4.6 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Marie Rimmer | 28,950 | 59.8 | +6.9 | |
| Conservative | Gillian Keegan | 7,707 | 15.9 | ―1.9 | |
| UKIP | John Beirne | 6,766 | 14.0 | +11.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer | 2,737 | 5.7 | ―16.5 | |
| Green | James Chan | 2,237 | 4.6 | New | |
| Majority | 21,243 | 43.9 | +13.2 | ||
| Turnout | 48,397 | 62.3 | +3.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Shaun Woodward* | 24,364 | 52.9 | ―2.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Spencer | 10,242 | 22.2 | ―6.6 | |
| Conservative | Val Allen | 8,209 | 17.8 | +5.7 | |
| BNP | James Winstanley | 2,040 | 4.4 | New | |
| UKIP | John Sumner | 1,226 | 2.7 | +0.8 | |
| Majority | 14,122 | 30.7 | ―3.9 | ||
| Turnout | 46,081 | 59.1 | +5.9 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.9 | |||
- * Served as an MP in the 2005–2010 Parliament
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References[edit]
- ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "North West | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
- ^ LGBCE. "St Helens | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "The St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
- ^ "New Seat Details - St Helens South and Whiston". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)
- ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "Statement of persons nominated" (PDF).
- ^ "St Helens South & Whiston parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "St Helens South & Whiston". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | St Helens South & Whiston". news.bbc.co.uk.
