2022 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2022 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council election is currently taking place as of 5 May 2022. One third of councillors—15 out of 45—on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council will be elected. The election will take place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

2022 Knowsley Council election
5 May 2022
15 of 45 seats on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Graham Morgan Kai Taylor
Party Labour Green
Last election 34 seats, 55.3% 5 seats, 23.1%
 
Party Independent Liberal Democrats
Last election 3 seats, 9.8% 3 seats, 5.9%
Incumbent council control


Labour


In the previous council election in 2021, Labour maintained its longstanding control of the council, holding 34 seats after the election. The Green Party formed the main opposition with five seats, while independent councillors and the Liberal Democrats held three seats each.

Background

History
Result of the council election when these seats were last contested in 2018
Result of the most recent council election in 2021

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Knowsley was a district of the Merseyside metropolitan county.[1] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority was created in 2014 and began electing the mayor of the Liverpool City Region from 2017. The body was given strategic powers covering a region that encompassed the former Merseyside metropolitan county with the addition of Halton Borough Council.[2]

Since its formation, Knowsley has continuously been under Labour control. The Liberal Democrats had become the main opposition party by the late 1990s, and continued to win seats on the council until the 2010 election, when Labour won every seat. Labour continued to win every seat in subsequent elections until the 2016 election, when three Liberal Democrats were elected. The first Green Party councillor was elected to the borough in the 2018 election, with the Green Party winning a further two seats in each of the 2019 election and 2021 election to become the council's main opposition. After the 2021 election, Labour held 34 seats, the Greens held five and independent councillors and the Liberal Democrats held three each.[3]

The positions up for election in 2021 were last elected in 2018. In that election, Labour won twelve seats on 66.2% of the vote while the Green Party, independents and Liberal Democrats won one seat each on 12.7%, 7.5% and 6.8% of the vote respectively. The Conservatives received 5.4% of the vote but didn't win any seats.

Council term

The Labour councillor John Morgan resigned from his party in March 2022. The council leader Graham Morgan said that John Morgan had already been suspended from the Labour Party.[4]

Electoral process

The council previously elected its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[5][6] However, following a boundary review, all forty-eight councillors will be elected at the same time. The election will take place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by up to three councillors. Electors will be able to vote for as many candidates as there are seats to fill, and the candidates with the most votes in each ward will be elected.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Knowsley aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Previous council composition
After 2021 election Before 2022 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 34 Labour 32
Green 5 Green 5
Independent 3 Independent 4
Liberal Democrats 3 Liberal Democrats 3

Ward results

Cherryfield
Cherryfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
TUSC Les Connor
Labour David Lonergan
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Halewood North
Halewood North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Suzanne Harvey
Labour Terry Powell
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Halewood South
Halewood South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Joanne Harvey
Labour Clare Rose
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Northwood
Northwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Bell
TUSC Neill Dunne
Green Matthew Kirwan
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Page Moss
Page Moss
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Austin
Green John Carine
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Prescot North
Prescot North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Grierson
Conservative Aaron Waters
Liberal Democrats Frances Wynn
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Prescot South
Prescot South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carl Cross
Labour Dena Fairclough
Green Kai Taylor
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Roby
Roby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Bannon
Green Paul Woodruff
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Shevington
Shevington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jen Bamber
Conservative David Davis
For Britain Christine Dillon
Labour Tommy Rowe
Majority
Turnout
Swing

St Gabriels
St Gabriels
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tracy Agger
Green Cath Golding
Majority
Turnout
Swing

St Michaels
St Michaels
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Ely
Green Thomas Large
Liberal Democrats James Madine
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Stockbridge
Stockbridge
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dennis Baum
Green James Taylor
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Swanside
Swanside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Dever
Conservative Will Finnan
Green Graham Golding
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Whiston and Cronton
Whiston and Cronton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Denise Allen
Green Sandra Gaffney
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Whitefield
Whitefield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Steve Guy
Labour Louise Harbour
Majority
Turnout
Swing

References
  1. Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  2. "Establishment of a Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region" (PDF). 21 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  3. Thorp, Liam; McKeon, Christopher (7 May 2021). "Knowsley Council 2021 election results as they happen". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  4. Rand, Lisa (17 March 2022). "Kirkby Labour councillor quits party". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  5. "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  6. "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
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