2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election

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.

2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

← 2023 2 May 2024 (2024-05-02) 2026 →
22 out of 66 seats to Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council 34 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	61,801, 28.9%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Marion Atkinson John Pugh Mike Prendergast Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative Leader's seat Molyneux Dukes Dukes Last election 51 seats, 52.9% 9 seats, 16.4% 5 seats, 16.3% Seats before 48 9 5 Seats after 49 9 4 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 33,385 10,332 9,098 Percentage 54.0% 16.7% 14.7% Swing 1.1 pp 0.3 pp 1.6 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Neil Doolin N/A N/A Party Green Independent Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents Leader's seat Church N/A N/A Last election 0 seat, 6.8% 1 seat, 2.3% 1 seat, 2.5% Seats before 0 2 1 Seats after 1 2 0 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 5,445 272 1,245 Percentage 8.8% 0.4% 2.0% Swing 2.0 pp 1.9 pp 0.5 pp
Winner of each seat at the 2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Leader before election Marion Atkinson Labour Leader after election Marion Atkinson Labour

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 election			Before 2024 election[5]			After 2024 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Labour	51		Labour	48		Labour	49
	Liberal Democrats	9		Liberal Democrats	9		Liberal Democrats	9
	Conservative	5		Conservative	5		Conservative	4
	Green	0		Green	0		Green	1
	Independent	0		Independent	2		Independent	2
	Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	1		Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	1		Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	0
	Vacant	0		Vacant	1		Vacant	1

Changes:

• 7 March 2024: Labour councillor Trish Hardy resigns.^[6]
• 8 April 2024: Natasha Carlin and Sean Halsall leave Labour to sit as independents over protest of Labour's direction and stance on the Israel-Hamas war.^[2]

Election results

Sefton Council's composition following the 2024 election.

2024 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Party		This election			Full council			This election
		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Labour	17	1	77.3	32	49	74.2	33,385	54.0	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats	3		13.6	6	9	13.6	10,332	16.7	+0.3
	Conservative	1	1	4.5	3	4	6.1	9,098	14.7	-1.6
	Independent	0		0.0	2	2	3.0	272	0.4	-1.9
	Green	1	1	4.5	0	1	1.5	5,445	8.8	+2.0
	Formby Residents Action Group	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	1,292	2.1	+0.6
	Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	0	1	0.0	0	0	0.0	1,245	2.0	-0.5
	TUSC	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	232	0.4	±0.0
	Reform UK	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	122	0.2	±0.0
	Freedom Alliance	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	120	0.2	-0.5

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.^[1] 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]

Ainsdale

Ainsdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Lynne Thompson*	1,978	51.5	+16.3
	Labour	Frank Hanley	1,193	31.0	−4.5
	Conservative	Ryan Abbott	527	13.7	−11.1
	Green	Laurence Rankin	145	3.8	−0.6
Rejected ballots			27
Majority			785	21.4	+21.1
Turnout			3,843	38.2
Registered electors			10,061
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	10.4

Birkdale

Birkdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sonya Kelly*	1,435	41.6	+3.3
	Liberal Democrats	Erin Harvey	1,357	39.3	−1.2
	Conservative	Sam Harris	489	14.2	−0.1
	Green	Jeff Bee	168	4.9	+1.2
Rejected ballots			26
Majority			78
Turnout			3,449	34.4	−1.0
Registered electors			10,018
	Labour hold		Swing	2.3

Blundellsands

Blundellsands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Diane Roscoe*	2,249	68.3	+1.4
	Conservative	Katie Burgess	548	16.7	−1.9
	Green	Kieran Dams	270	8.2	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Dunning	224	6.8	−0.6
Rejected ballots			25
Majority			1,701	51.6
Turnout			3,291	35.9
Registered electors			9,159
	Labour hold		Swing	1.7

Cambridge

Cambridge

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Sammon	1,161	36.5	−6.2
	Conservative	Gary Haran Doyle	1,002	31.5	−2.6
	Labour	Callum Naylor	816	25.6	+6.5
	Green	Stephen Hesketh	204	6.4	+2.3
Rejected ballots			28
Majority			159
Turnout			3,441	32.8	−2.7
Registered electors			9,716
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	1.8

Church

Church

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Neil Doolin	1,412	50.6	+10.6
	Labour Co-op	Paul Cummins*	1,307	46.5	−7.1
	Conservative	Dorothy Brown	91	3.2	−1.0
Rejected ballots			18
Majority			105
Turnout			2,810	30.9	+0.9
Registered electors			9,091
	Green gain from Labour		Swing	8.9

Derby

Derby

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Maria Porter	1,580	78.9	−2.0
	Reform UK	Leighton Sealeaf	122	6.1	New
	Green	Kate Robinson	114	5.7	−1.6
	Conservative	Iain Beckett	91	4.5	−2.3
	TUSC	Dean Young	55	2.7	−2.3
	Liberal Democrats	Rowenna Gibson	41	2.0	New
Rejected ballots			20
Majority			1,458
Turnout			2,003	22.3
Registered electors			9,002
	Labour hold		Swing	4.1

Dukes

Dukes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mike Prendergast*	1,379	41.7	+7.5
	Liberal Democrats	Damian Bond	967	29.3	−12.8
	Labour	Helen Duerden	764	23.1	+4.1
	Green	David Newman	195	5.9	+1.3
Rejected ballots			29
Majority			412
Turnout			3,305	31.7
Registered electors			10,442
	Conservative hold		Swing	10.2

Ford

Ford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Paulette Lappin*	1,541	80.9	+0.1
	Green	Lyndsey Doolin	187	9.8	−0.3
	Conservative	Michael Shaw	120	6.3
	Liberal Democrats	Adarsh Makdani	56	2.9	+0.2
Rejected ballots			17
Majority			1,354	71.8
Turnout			1,904	20.6
Registered electors
	Labour hold		Swing	0.2

Harington

Harington

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Karen Cavanagh	1,613	45.7	−7.4
	Conservative	Joe Riley*	978	25.7	+0.1
	Formby Residents Action Group	Dave Irving	551	15.6	−10.0
	Green	Michael Walsh	244	6.9	+2.2
	Liberal Democrats	Annie Gorski	142	4.0	−2.8
Rejected ballots			17
Majority			635
Turnout			3,528	36.4
Registered electors			9,689
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	3.8

Kew

Kew

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jen Corcoran*	1,358	43.8	−8.7
	Liberal Democrats	Daniel Lewis	1,118	36.1	+15.7
	Conservative	Owen Phillips	440	14.2	−5.3
	Green	Rob Wesley	184	5.9	−1.6
Rejected ballots			33
Majority			240
Turnout			3,100	28.9	+0.1
Registered electors			10,720
	Labour hold		Swing	12.2

Linacre

Linacre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joanne Williams	1,402	85.5	+9.4
	Liberal Democrats	David Mellalieu	134	8.2	New
	Conservative	John Campbell	103	6.3	+0.4
Rejected ballots			26
Majority			1268
Turnout			1,639	18.1
Registered electors			9,073
	Labour hold		Swing	0.6

Litherland

Litherland

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Paula Murphy	1,526	74.0	−0.7
	Independent	Ian Smith	249	12.1	−0.5
	Green	Amber-Page Moss	142	6.9	−0.5
	Conservative	Colin Appleton	99	4.8	−0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Roy Connell	47	2.3	New
Rejected ballots			19
Majority			1,277
Turnout			2,063	22.8
Registered electors			9,055
	Labour hold		Swing	0.1

Manor

Manor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Dominic McNabb	1,800	62.8	+3.0
	Conservative	Martyn Barber	520	18.2	+0.4
	Green	James O’Keeffe	311	10.9	+2.0
	Liberal Democrats	John Gibson	233	8.1	−0.8
Rejected ballots			17
Majority			1,280
Turnout			2,864	29.1
Registered electors			9,845
	Labour hold		Swing	1.3

Meols

Meols

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Dodd*	1,452	46.3	+1.6
	Labour	Steve Jowett	863	27.5	+4.0
	Conservative	Bob Teesdale	613	19.5	−6.7
	Green	Pauline Anne Hesketh	208	6.6	+1.0
Rejected ballots			21
Majority			589
Turnout			3,136	31.3	−2.7
Registered electors			10,016
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	1.2

Molyneux

Molyneux

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sam Hinde	2,063	75.0	+1.3
	Conservative	Marcus Bleasdale	254	9.2	+1.1
	Green	David Collins	220	8.0	New
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Young	213	7.7	New
Rejected ballots			32
Majority			1,809
Turnout			2,750	27.0
Registered electors			10,187
	Labour hold		Swing	0.1

Netherton and Orrell

Netherton and Orrell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Spring*	1,637	77.9	+6.8
	Green	Simon Baron	127	6.0	New
	Freedom Alliance	Maria Walsh	120	5.7	−0.7
	Conservative	Adam Marsden	113	5.4	−3.5
	Liberal Democrats	Vic Foulds	55	2.6	New
	TUSC	Owen Croft	50	2.4	New
Rejected ballots			12
Majority			1,510
Turnout			2,102	21.9
Registered electors			9,616
	Labour hold		Swing	0.4

Norwood

Norwood

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Dave Neary	1,487	55.3	−4.0
	Conservative	Margaret Middleton	461	17.2	+1.5
	Liberal Democrats	Lesley Delves	433	16.1	−2.6
	Green	David McIntosh	306	11.4	+5.0
Rejected ballots			40
Majority			1,026
Turnout			2,687	26.3	−2.7
Registered electors			10,232
	Labour hold		Swing	2.8

Park

Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Chloe Parker	1,621	58.1	+13.7
	Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	Paul McCord	641	23.0	−17.9
	Conservative	Craig Titherington	274	9.8	−1.6
	Green	Roy Greason	180	6.4	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Cawdron	76	2.7
Rejected ballots			14
Majority			980
Turnout			2,792	28.9
Registered electors			9,646
	Labour hold		Swing	15.8

Ravenmeols

Ravenmeols

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Catie Page*	1,759	56.8	+9.3
	Formby Residents Action Group	Maria Bennett	741	23.9	−7.5
	Conservative	Angelica Sadrieva	307	9.9	+0.1
	Green	Alison Gibbon	201	6.5	+0.7
	Liberal Democrats	Lisa Nicolson-Smith	89	2.9	−2.5
Rejected ballots			12
Majority			1,018
Turnout			3,097	31.6
Registered electors			9,793
	Labour hold		Swing	8.4

St. Oswald

St. Oswald

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joe Johnson	1,270	78.6	−3.5
	TUSC	Conor O’Neill	127	7.9	−1.2
	Green	Rupert Shoebridge	119	7.4	New
	Conservative	Henry Bliss	100	6.2	−2.9
Rejected ballots			11
Majority			1,143
Turnout			1,616	20.1	−0.4
Registered electors			8,028
	Labour hold		Swing	2.3

Sudell

Sudell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	James Hansen*	1,715	58.9	+6.1
	Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents	Joanne McCall	604	20.8	−15.4
	Conservative	Daniel Kirk	336	11.5	+2.4
	Green	Paul Dunbar	128	4.4	New
	Liberal Democrats	James Tattersall	104	3.6	New
	Independent	Marie Blease	23	0.8	New
Rejected ballots			15
Majority			1,111
Turnout			2,910	28.0
Registered electors			10,383
	Labour hold		Swing

Victoria

Victoria

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Michael Roche*	2,386	68.7	+7.3
	Liberal Democrats	Hannah Gee	452	13.0	−7.2
	Green	Samantha Cook	380	10.9	+1.0
	Conservative	Paul Barber	253	7.3	−1.3
Rejected ballots			25
Majority			1,934	55.7
Turnout			3,471	33.0
Registered electors			10,505
	Labour hold		Swing	7.25

Changes 2024-2026

Affiliation changes

By-elections

Litherland

Litherland by-election: 21 November 2024

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Julia Garner	495	43.7	–30.3
	Green	Jack Colbert	385	34.0	+27.1
	Reform UK	Darcy Iveson-Berkeley	141	12.4	N/A
	Conservative	Katie Burgess	48	4.2	–0.6
	Workers Party	Ian Smith	40	3.5	N/A
	TUSC	Conor O'Neill	25	2.2	N/A
Majority			110	9.7	–52.2
Turnout			1,135	12.4	–10.4
Registered electors			9,159
	Labour hold		Swing	28.7

Blundellsands

Blundellsands by-election: 19 June 2025

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Roscoe	1,190	43.8	–24.5
	Green	Kieran Dams	420	15.5	+7.3
	Reform UK	Irene Davidson	386	14.2	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Cowdron	370	13.6	+6.8
	Conservative	Martyn Barber	287	10.6	–6.1
	TUSC	Conor O'Neill	35	1.3	N/A
	Independent	Ian Smith	27	1.0	N/A
Majority			770	28.3	–23.3
Turnout			2,720	30.0	–5.9
Registered electors			9,071
	Labour hold		Swing	15.9