St Helens South and Whiston (UK Parliament constituency)

St. Helens South and Whiston is a constituency created in 2010 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Marie Rimmer of the Labour Party.^{[n 1]}

St. Helens South and Whiston
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of St Helens South and Whiston in North West England
County	Merseyside
Electorate	70,937 (2023)[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 (part)

History

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 the neighbouring seat of Knowsley South (abolished).

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to minor boundary changes, with parts of Whiston and Cronton ward being included in the new constituency of Widnes and Halewood, first contested at the 2024 United Kingdom general election.^[2]

Results of the winning party

The predecessor seat of St Helens South was held by the Labour Party since the 1935 election.

This seat's first MP was Shaun Woodward who had been MP for St Helens South from 2001 to 2010. He had first been elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Conservative MP for Witney, defecting to Labour in 1999. He was succeeded by Marie Rimmer at the 2015 election. 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%.

The Liberal Democrats came second in 2010 with 22.2% of the vote; this has gradually declined and by the 2024 general election they came in sixth with 5.8%. Reform UK were runners-up in 2024, having increased its vote to 18.3% from 10.6% in 2019 (as the Brexit Party). The Conservatives were relegated to fourth place in 2024 by independent candidate James Tasker.^[4]

Turnout

Turnout has ranged from 53.3% (2024) to 66.9% (2017).

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

2010–2024

The following electoral wards:

• From Knowsley: Prescot East, Whiston North and Whiston South
• From St Helens: Bold, Eccleston, Rainhill, Sutton, Thatto Heath, Town Centre and West Park.

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as being composed of the following 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.^[5]

Following a local government boundary review in St Helens which came into effect in May 2022,^[6][7] the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 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.^[8]

The majority of the Whiston & Cronton ward - excluding the town centre of Whiston - was included in the new constituency of Widnes and Halewood.

Members of Parliament

St Helens South prior to 2010

Election		Member[9]	Party
	2010	Shaun Woodward	Labour
	2015	Marie Rimmer	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: St Helens South and Whiston^[10][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Marie Rimmer	18,919	49.7	−8.4
	Reform UK	Raymond Peters	6,974	18.3	+7.7
	Independent	James Tasker	4,244	11.2	New
	Conservative	Emma Ellison	3,057	8.0	−13.3
	Green	Terence Price	2,642	7.0	+2.6
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Spencer	2,199	5.8	+0.1
Majority			11,945	31.4	−6.6
Turnout			38,035	53.1	−10.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: St Helens South and Whiston^[12]

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

General election 2017: St Helens South and Whiston^[13]

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

General election 2015: St Helens South and Whiston^[14][15]

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

General election 2010: St Helens South and Whiston^[16][17]

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

• St Helens South parliamentary constituency
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Merseyside

Notes

1. 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.