1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English The 1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

• Labour 42
• Liberal Democrats 10
• Conservative 2

Election result

Both the Labour and Liberal Democrat group leaders said that they were pleased with the election results. Labour held control of the council after winning 13 of the 19 seats contested, leaving the party with 42 councillors. However the Liberal Democrats gained a seat in Newton East from Labour to have 10 seats and there was a vote swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, the Conservatives gained 1 seat, after taking Rainford, to have 2 councillors.

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Ward results

Billinge and Seneley Green

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Bessie Griffin	1,184	65.4
		Joan Hall	335	18.5
		Richard Ferry	291	16.1
Majority			849	46.9
Turnout			1,810
	hold		Swing

Blackbrook

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Linda Maloney	658	71.0
		Stephen Broughton	187	20.2
		Margaret Harvey	82	8.8
Majority			471	50.8
Turnout			927
	hold		Swing

Broad Oak

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Pinder	914	71.5
		Pauline Partington	275	21.5
		Edna Ashby	50	3.9
		Ronald Waugh	40	3.1
Majority			639	50.0
Turnout			1,279
	hold		Swing

Eccleston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Teresa Sims	1,544	64.9
		John Goodacre	418	17.6
		Stephen Glover	416	17.5
Majority			1,126	47.4
Turnout			2,378
	hold		Swing

Grange Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Terence Hanley	667	59.3
		David Evans	271	24.1
		Catherine Lindon	187	16.6
Majority			396	35.2
Turnout			1,125
	hold		Swing

Haydock

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Swift	1,178	71.7
		Carole Worthington	205	12.5
		Judith Collins	169	10.3
		Andrew Rimaitis	90	5.5
Majority			973	59.3
Turnout			1,642
	hold		Swing

Marshalls Cross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Beirne	1,127	71.2
		Ronald Cooke	415	26.2
		Jill Jones	40	2.5
Majority			712	45.0
Turnout			1,582
	hold		Swing

Moss Bank

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Carole Kavanagh	1,329	54.4
		Michael McGough	1,025	42.0
		William Highcock	88	3.6
Majority			304	12.4
Turnout			2,442
	hold		Swing

Newton East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Neil Taylor	928	49.2
		Thomas Chisnall	799	42.4
		Brian Honey	158	8.4
Majority			129	6.8
Turnout			1,885
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Newton West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Keith Deakin	1,028	66.2
		David Crowther	403	25.9
		Stephen Holt	123	7.9
Majority			625	40.2
Turnout			1,554
	hold		Swing

Parr and Hardshaw

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Mark Arnold	743	79.9
		Michael Ellis	133	14.3
		Thomas Brooke	54	5.8
Majority			610	65.6
Turnout			930
	hold		Swing

Queens Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Patricia Ireland	782	65.2
		Vivienne Lavery	306	25.5
		Margaret Bolton	112	9.3
Majority			476	39.7
Turnout			1,200
	hold		Swing

Rainford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Brown	1,293	54.1
		John Appleton	933	39.1
		Sharon Birch	162	6.8
Majority			360	15.1
Turnout			2,388
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Rainhill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Phillip Speakman	1,054	63.8
		Richard Seddon	376	22.8
		Kenneth Knowles	222	13.4
Majority			678	41.0
Turnout			1,652
	hold		Swing

Sutton and Bold

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Brian Spencer	1,353	58.4
		Derek Maylor	912	39.4
		Herbert Williams	51	2.2
Majority			441	19.0
Turnout			2,316
	hold		Swing

Thatto Heath (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Patricia Robinson	862
		Sheila Hudson	722
		Carol Pearl	156
		John Brown	130
		Albert Pearson	108
		Michael Perry	52
Turnout			2,030
	hold		Swing
	hold		Swing

West Sutton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frank Robinson	671	73.3
		Darren Makin	185	20.2
		Charmian Pyke	60	6.6
Majority			486	53.1
Turnout			916
	hold		Swing

Windle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Graham Whiteside	893	52.3
		Anthony Rigby	593	34.7
		Audrey Ashall	223	13.0
Majority			300	17.6
Turnout			1,709
	hold		Swing

By-elections between 1998 and 1999

Marshalls Cross

Marshalls Cross by-election 21 January 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			848	69.0
			352	28.6
			16	1.3
			13	1.1
Majority			496	40.4
Turnout			1,229	19.9
	hold		Swing

Newton West

A by-election took place in Newton West on 21 January 1999 to replace Labour councillor Martin Schofield. The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Virginia Taylor with a majority of 145 votes over Labour's Thomas Chisnall after a 25% swing.

Newton West by-election 21 January 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Virginia Taylor	842	53.2
		Thomas Chisnall	697	44.0
		Brian Honey	44	2.8
Majority			145	9.2
Turnout			1,583	19.6
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Thatto Heath

Thatto Heath by-election 21 January 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			493	76.1
			61	9.4
			47	7.3
	Socialist Unity		47	7.3
Majority			432	66.7
Turnout			648	9
	hold		Swing