2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election explained

Election Name:2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Country:Merseyside
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:2023 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Previous Year:2023
Next Election:2026 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Next Year:2026
Seats For Election:22 out of 66 seats to Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Majority Seats:34
Turnout:61,801, 28.9%
Leader1:Marion Atkinson
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election1:51 seats, 52.9%
Seats Before1:48
Seats After1:49
Seat Change1: 1
Popular Vote1:33,385
Percentage1:54.0
Swing1: 1.1
Leader2:John Pugh
Party2:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election2:9 seats, 16.4%
Seats Before2:9
Seats After2:9
Popular Vote2:10,332
Percentage2:16.7
Swing2: 0.3
Leader3:Mike Prendergast
Party3:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election3:5 seats, 16.3%
Seats Before3:5
Seats After3:4
Seat Change3: 1
Popular Vote3:9,098
Percentage3:14.7
Swing3: 1.6
Leader4:Neil Doolin
Party4:Green Party of England and Wales
Last Election4:0 seat, 6.8%
Seats Before4:0
Seats After4:1
Seat Change4: 1
Popular Vote4:5,445
Percentage4:8.8
Swing4: 2.0
Leader5:N/A
Party5:Independent
Last Election5:1 seat, 2.3%
Seats Before5:2
Seats After5:2
Popular Vote5:272
Percentage5:0.4
Swing5:1.9
Leader6:N/A
Party6:Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents
Colour6:B4B4B4
Last Election6:1 seat, 2.5%
Seats Before6:1
Seats After6:0
Seat Change6:1
Popular Vote6:1,245
Percentage6:2.0
Swing6:0.5
Leader
Posttitle:Leader after election
Before Election:Marion Atkinson
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Marion Atkinson
After Party:Labour Party (UK)

The 2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2024 to elect members of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections across England, Liverpool's City Region mayoral election and Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner election.

As is typical for Sefton's local elections, twenty-two seats of the sixty-six total were contested. The Labour party have controlled the council since the 2012 elections, and prior to the election had a comfortable working majority of 13. Shortly before the election, this was reduced from their majority of 18 they had had following the previous year's election; in early March Labour Councillor Trish Hardy resigned from her Litherland ward seat leaving a vacancy, and less than a month before polling day Councillors Natasha Carlin and Sean Halsall left Labour in protest of the party's policy direction and stance on the war in Gaza.[2]

The majority of the seats contested were held by Labour, who defended fifteen of the twenty-two seats. The Liberal Democrats defended three seats, and the Conservatives defended two seats.[3] The then-vacant Litherland seat was also contested alongside two seats held by independent councillors.

Labour and the Conservatives contested all seats up for election, while the Green Party contested every seat except 1 (Linacre). As a result of administrative confusion some of the Green Party candidates had the description “Green Party” and the party's logo (16 candidates) next to their name on the voting ballots while others only had the logo (5 candidates). Additionally the Liberal Democrats contested close to all seats, with candidates representing Reform UK, TUSC, Freedom Alliance, localist groups, also stood a small number of candidates alongside 2 independents.

Labour retained their majority on the council. Amongst other results, the Green party gained their first seat ever on the council, narrowly winning in Church ward by just over a hundred votes.[4]

Council composition

After 2023 electionBefore 2024 election[5] After 2024 election
PartySeatsPartySeatsPartySeats
514849
999
554
001
022
1 10
011
Changes:

Ward Results

The Statements of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, were released by Sefton Council on 8 April 2024 following the close of nominations. Councillors that were standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*). The results for each ward were announced the day after the election.[7]

Victoria

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024 Elections in Sefton . 8 April 2024 . Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council.
  2. Web site: Councillors quit Labour Party in leadership protest and stance on war in Gaza . 8 April 2024. 10 April 2024. Liverpool Echo.
  3. Web site: CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 LOCAL ELECTIONS . 10 April 2024 . 11 April 2024. On the spot news.
  4. Web site: Green Party success but Labour holds Sefton and Knowsley . 4 May 2024. Angela. Ferguson. Jenny. Coleman. 3 May 2024 . BBC News.
  5. Web site: Your Councillors by Party . Sefton.gov . 10 April 2024 . en.
  6. Web site: Sefton Labour councillor quits and leaves politics with immediate effect . 10 April 2024. Elliot . Jessett . 7 March 2024 . Liverpool Echo.
  7. Web site: Sefton Council Elections - Thursday 2nd May, 2024 . 3 May 2024 . Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council.