Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council elections

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council elections are held every four years from 2023 onwards, having previously been held three years out of every four for a third of the council at a time. Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, generally known as Wirral Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England.^[1]

Summary of results

Only four parties have won seats to Council: Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat (and its predecessors). All other political representation has come via changes in affiliation.

Year	Con	Green	Lab	Lib Dem	Other	Ref
1973	29	0	24	13	0	[2]
1974	29	0	24	13	0
1975	36	0	21	9	0
	37	0	21	8	0
1976	42	0	18	6	0
1977	42	0	18	6	0
1978	45	0	16	5	0
1979	40	0	20	6	0
1980	37	0	23	6	0
1981	37	0	23	6	0
1982	35	0	25	6	0
1983	34	0	24	8	0
1984	34	0	24	8	0
1985	34	0	24	8	0
1986	30	0	26	10	0
1987	29	0	27	10	0
1988	24	0	32	10	0
	24	0	29	10	3
1989	24	0	29	10	3
1990	23	0	33	7	3
	23	0	33	8	2
1991	24	0	34	7	1
1992	29	0	31	6	0
1993	29	0	31	6	0
1994	30	0	30	6	0
	28	0	30	8	0
1995	22	0	36	8	0
1996	16	0	41	9	0
1997	16	0	41	9	0
1998	16	0	41	8	1
	16	0	42	8	0	[3]
1999	17	0	39	10	0	[2]
2000	20	0	34	12	0
2001	20	0	34	12	0
	20	0	33	12	1	[4]
2002	20	0	32	12	2
	20	0	31	14	1	[5]
2003	23	0	26	16	1	[6]
2004	21	0	26	19	0	[7]
	20	0	26	19	1	[8]
2005	21	0	26	18	1	[9]
2006	21	0	26	19	0	[10]
2007	21	0	25	20	0	[11]
	21	0	25	19	1	[12]
	20	0	25	19	2	[13]
2008	24	0	21	20	1	[14]
2009	25	0	20	20	1	[15]
2010	27	0	24	15	0	[16]
2011	27	0	29	10	0	[17]
	27	0	30	9	0	[18]
2012	22	0	37	7	0	[19]
2013	23	0	36	7	0	[20]
	22	0	37	7	0	[21]
	22	0	37	6	1	[22]
2014	21	1	38	6	0	[23]
2015	21	1	39	5	0	[24]
2016	21	1	38	5	1	[25]
	21	1	39	5	0	[26]
2017	21	1	39	5	0
2018	21	1	39	5	0	[27]
	21	1	38	5	1	[28]
	21	1	37	5	2	[29]
2019	21	1	36	5	3	[30]
	21	1	35	5	4	[31]
	21	1	34	5	5	[32]
	22	3	32	6	3	[33]
2020	22	2	32	6	4	[34]
2021	23	5	30	6	2	[35]
	23	5	29	6	3	[36]
2022	23	5	28	6	4	[37]
	23	6	28	6	3	[38]
	24	9	26	6	1	[39]
2023	23	9	26	6	2	[40]
	23	9	25	6	3	[41]
	23	9	24	6	4	[42]
	23	9	23	6	5	[43]
	17	13	30	6	0	[44]
2024	17	14	29	6	0	[45]
2025	14	14	29	6	3	[46]

Council elections

Since the first election in 1973, boundary changes have occurred in 1980 (where a third of the council were up for election) and in 2004 (where there was an all out election).^[47][1][48] Following changes in 2023, Wirral moved from a thirds system of election to an all-out system, with all councillors elected every four years.^[49]

• 1973 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1975 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1976 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1978 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1979 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1980 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1982 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1983 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1984 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1986 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1987 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1988 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1990 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1991 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1992 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1994 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1995 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1996 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 1999 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2000 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2002 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2003 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2004 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2006 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2007 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2008 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2010 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2011 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2012 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2014 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2015 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2016 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2018 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2019 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2021 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2022 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
• 2023 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

Borough result maps

• 
  1973 results map
• 
  1975 results map
• 
  1976 results map
• 
  1978 results map
• 
  1979 results map
• 
  1980 results map
• 
  1982 results map
• 
  1983 results map
• 
  1984 results map
• 
  1986 results map
• 
  1987 results map
• 
  1988 results map
• 
  1990 results map
• 
  1991 results map
• 
  1992 results map
• 
  1994 results map
• 
  1995 results map
• 
  1996 results map
• 
  1998 results map
• 
  1999 results map
• 
  2000 results map
• 
  2002 results map
• 
  2003 results map
• 
  2004 results map
• 
  2006 results map
• 
  2007 results map
• 
  2008 results map
• 
  2010 results map
• 
  2011 results map
• 
  2012 results map
• 
  2014 results map
• 
  2015 results map
• 
  2016 results map
• 
  2018 results map
• 
  2019 results map
• 
  2021 results map
• 
  2022 results map
• 
  2023 results map

Changes between election

1973–1979 boundaries

1979–2004 boundaries

Wallasey by-election 1997

By-election, 13 March 1997: Wallasey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lesley Rennie	1,781	47.3	3.1
	Labour	Elizabeth McArdle	1,490	39.5	1.3
	Liberal Democrats	John Uriel	443	11.8	0.4
	Green	George Bowler	54	1.4	New
Majority			291	7.7	4.5
Turnout				32.2	8.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	2.2

^[50][51][52]

Prenton by-election 2003

By-election, 6 February 2003: Prenton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Francis Doyle	1,764	63.3	9.9
	Conservative	Ian McKellar	634	22.7	0.9
	Labour	Gerard Allen	389	14.0	10.8
Majority			1,130	40.6	12.0
Registered electors			11,596
Turnout				24.0	10.8
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	6.0

^[53]

2004–present boundaries

Moreton West and Saughall Massie by-election 2009

By-election, 26 November 2009: Moreton West and Saughall Massie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steve Williams	2,255	70.1	1.0
	Labour	Andrew Hollingworth	615	19.1	2.8
	Liberal Democrats	Steve Pitt	134	4.2	1.5
	Independent	Alec McFadden	121	3.8	New
	Green	Jim McGinley	92	2.9	0.4
Majority			1,640	51.0	3.8
Turnout				28.0	9.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	1.9

^[54][55]

Leasowe and Moreton East by-election 2013

By-election, 17 January 2013: Leasowe and Moreton East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ian Lewis	1,620	50.5	7.2
	Labour	Pauline Daniels	1,355	42.2	8.8
	UKIP	Susan Whitham	148	4.6	1.1
	TUSC	Mark Halligan	31	1.0	New
	Liberal Democrats	Daniel Clein	28	0.9	New
	Green	Jim McGinley	28	0.9	1.3
Majority			265	8.3	N/A
Registered electors			10,551
Turnout				30.5	8.8
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	8.0

^[56][57]

Heswall by-election 2013

By-election, 17 January 2013: Heswall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Kathryn Hodson	1,254	58.8	3.9
	UKIP	David Scott	460	21.6	12.2
	Labour	Mike Holliday	289	13.6	−4.2
	Green	Barbara Burton	110	5.2	0.7
	TUSC	Greg North	19	0.9	New
Majority			794	37.2	7.7
Registered electors			10,855
Turnout				19.7	20.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.9

^[58][59]

Pensby and Thingwall by-election 2013

By-election, 28 February 2013: Pensby and Thingwall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Phillip Brightmore	1,411	38.5	5.7
	Conservative	Sheila Clarke	868	23.7	4.7
	Liberal Democrats	Damien Cummins	834	22.7	2.5
	UKIP	Jan Davison	426	11.6	2.4
	Green	Allen Burton	74	2.0	2.4
	English Democrat	Neil Kenny	53	1.4	New
Majority			543	14.8	10.4
Registered electors			10,487
Turnout				35.0	6.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	5.2

^[60][61][62]

Upton by-election 2013

By-election, 24 October 2013: Upton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Matthew Patrick	1,954	65.4	5.8
	Conservative	Geoffrey Gubb	762	25.5	2.9
	Green	Jim McGinley	143	4.8	0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Davies	130	4.3	0.4
Majority			1,192	39.9	2.9
Registered electors			12,154
Turnout			3,031	24.9	9.7
Rejected ballots			21	0.7
	Labour hold		Swing	1.5

^[63][64]

Claughton by-election 2017

By-election, 4 May 2017: Claughton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gillian Wood	1,761	52.4	14.2
	Liberal Democrats	David Evans	740	22.0	15.3
	Conservative	Barbara Sinclair	567	16.9	1.0
	Green	Liz Heydon	136	4.1	2.2
	UK_Independence_Party	Beryl Jones	130	3.9	New
	TUSC	Leon Wheddon	27	0.8	1.7
Majority			976	30.4	18.3
Registered electors			11,336
Turnout			3,372	29.7	1.9
Rejected ballots			11	0.3	0.3
	Labour hold		Swing	20.4

^[65][66]

Bromborough by-election 2018

By-election, 23 August 2018: Bromborough

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Jo Bird	1,253	47.1	14.0
	Conservative	Des Drury	749	28.1	6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Vicky Downie	454	17.1	6.0
	Independent	Steve Niblock	147	5.5	New
	Green	Susan Braddock	59	2.2	3.5
Majority			504	19.0	20.0
Registered electors			11,760
Turnout			2664	22.7	6.9
Rejected ballots			2	0.1	0.2
	Labour hold		Swing	10.0

^[67][68]

Upton by-election 2018

By-election, 22 November 2018: Upton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jean Robinson	1,490	61.3	3.1
	Conservative	Emma Sellman	705	29.0	0.4
	Green	Lily Clough	151	6.2	0.5
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Davies	83	3.4	0.8
Majority			785	32.3	2.7
Registered electors			12,040
Turnout			2,434	20.2	11.4
Rejected ballots			5	0.2	0.1
	Labour hold		Swing	1.4

^[69][70]

Liscard by-election 2021

By-election, 22 July 2021: Liscard

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Daisy Kenny	1,137	53.6	3.3
	Conservative	Jane Owens	582	27.4	1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Sue Arrowsmith	201	9.5	2.9
	Green	Edward Lamb	109	5.1	3.0
	Independent	Lynda Williams	68	3.2	New
	For Britain	Gary Bergin	26	1.2	New
Majority			555	26.1	4.6
Registered electors			11,399
Turnout			2,128	18.7	10.9
Rejected ballots			5	0.2	1.0
	Labour hold		Swing	2.3

^[71]

Oxton by-election 2021

By-election, 25 November 2021: Oxton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Orod Osanlou	1,666	68.3	11.3
	Labour Co-op	Sue Mahoney[72]	460	18.8	7.1
	Conservative	Philip Merry	168	6.9	1.2
	Green	Mary Heydon	147	6.0	1.5
Majority			1,206	49.4	18.3
Registered electors			10,795
Turnout			22.7	2,447	14.5
Rejected ballots			6	0.2	0.9
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	9.2

^[73]

Liscard by-election 2022

By-election, 14 July 2022: Liscard

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	James Laing	1,304	64.8
	Conservative	Jane Owens	370	18.4	1.4
	Green	Nadia Parson	172	8.5	1.8
	Liberal Democrats	Sue Arrowsmith	167	8.3	3.2
Majority			934	46.4	1.4
Registered electors			10,795
Turnout			2,027	18.8	10.8
Rejected ballots			14	0.7	0.1
	Labour hold		Swing	0.7

^[74]

Liscard by-election 2024

By-election, 4 July 2024: Liscard^[75]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Graeme Cooper	3,630	59.6
	Green	Oliver Reeves	909	14.9
	Conservative	Stephen Dobson	751	12.3
	Liberal Democrats	Chase Newton	321	5.3
	Workers Party	Philip Bimpson	300	4.9
	Freedom Alliance	Kieran Folkard	178	2.9
Majority			2,721	44.7
Turnout			6,089
	Labour hold		Swing

Changes in affiliation

Previous election	Date	Ward	Name	Previous affiliation		New affiliation		Circumstance
1975	September 1975	New Brighton-Wallasey-Warren	Kate Wood		Liberal		Conservative	Defected.[76]
1988	October 1988	Egerton	Alec Dunn		Labour		Independent Labour	Expelled.[77]
	October 1988	Leasowe	Jim Edwards		Labour		Independent Labour	Expelled.[77]
	October 1988	Leasowe	Ken Fox		Labour		Independent Labour	Expelled.[77]
1990	?	Egerton	Alec Dunn		Independent Labour		Liberal Democrats	Defected.[78]
1992	March 1994	Eastham	Vera Ruck		Labour		Conservative	Defected.
1996	?	Prenton	Ed Cunniffe		Liberal Democrats		Ind. Lib Dem	Resigned.[79]
1998	June 1998	Prenton	Ed Cunniffe		Ind. Lib Dem		Labour	Defected.[79]
2000	December 2001	Egerton	Colin Dow		Labour		Independent [n 1]	Whip removed.[4]
	February 2002	Bebington	Kath Shaughnessy		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[4]
2004	November 2004	Hoylake and Meols	Hilary Jones		Conservative		Independent	Resigned.[81]
	April 2005	Pensby and Thingwall	Oliver Adam		Liberal Democrats		Conservative	Defected.[82]
	?	Hoylake and Meols	Hilary Jones		Independent		UKIP	Defected.[83]
2007	May 2007	Clatterbridge	Isabel Moon		Liberal Democrats		Ind. Lib Dem	Resigned.[84]
	June 2007	Hoylake and Meols	David Kirwan		Conservative		Ind. Conservative	Resigned.[85]
2008	18 May 2009	Seacombe	Denis Knowles		Labour		Conservative	Defected.[86]
2011	16 May 2011	Bromborough	Steve Niblock		Liberal Democrats		Labour	Defected.[87]
2012	30 April 2013	Pensby and Thingwall	Mark Johnston		Liberal Democrats		Independent	Resigned.[88]
2015	?	Bromborough	Steve Niblock		Labour		Independent	Deselected.[89]
2018	28 August 2018	Pensby and Thingwall	Mike Suillvan		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[90]
	25 October 2018	Rock Ferry	Moira McLaughlin		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[91]
	January 2019	Rock Ferry	Chris Meaden		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[92]
	4 March 2019	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Labour Co-op		Independent	Suspended.[93]
	14 March 2019	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Independent		Labour Co-op	Reinstated.[94]
	18 March 2019	Rock Ferry	Bill Davies		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[95]
	April 2019	Oxton	Paul Doughty		Labour		Independent	Suspended.[96]
2019	17 July 2019	Greasby, Frankby and Irby	David Burgess-Joyce		Conservative		Independent	Suspended.[97]
	6 February 2020	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Labour Co-op		Independent	Suspended.[98]
	15 February 2020	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Independent		Labour Co-op	Reinstated.[99]
	9 August 2020	Birkenhead and Tranmere	Steve Hayes		Green		Independent	Resigned.[100]
	After 20 July 2020	Greasby, Frankby and Irby	David Burgess-Joyce		Independent		Conservative	Reinstated.[101][102]
	14 November 2020	Hoylake and Meols	Tony Cox		Conservative		Independent	Suspended.[103]
	December 2020	Prenton	Tony Norbury		Labour		Independent	Suspended.[104]
	February 2021	Prenton	Tony Norbury		Independent		Labour	Reinstated.[105]
	After November 2020	Hoylake and Meols	Tony Cox		Independent		Conservative	Reinstated.[106]
2021	19 November 2021	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Labour Co-op		Independent	Expelled.[107]
	February 2022	Leasowe and Moreton East	Karl Greaney		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[108]
	22 March 2022	Bromborough	Jo Bird		Independent		Green	Defected.[109]
2022	12 April 2023	Greasby, Frankby and Irby	David Burgess-Joyce		Conservative		Independent	Deselected and resigned to stand as an Independent.[110][111]
	17 April 2023	Rock Ferry	Yvonne Nolan		Labour		Independent	Deselected and resigned to stand as an Independent.[112]
	20 April 2023	Rock Ferry	Clare O'Hagan		Labour		Independent	Resigned.[113][114]
	3 May 2023	Rock Ferry	Chris Davies		Labour		Independent	Deselected and resigned.[115]
2023	January 2024	Greasby, Frankby and Irby	Gail Jenkinson		Labour		Green	Defected.[116]
	9 May 2025	Heswall	Graham Davies		Conservative		Ind. Conservative	Resigned.[117]
			Andrew Hodson		Conservative		Ind. Conservative
			Kathy Hodson		Conservative		Ind. Conservative

Notes

1. Later forming the Wirral Independent Network.^[80]