Wirral Council (or Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in full) is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. Wirral is a metropolitan borough, one of five in Merseyside, and provides the majority of local government services in Wirral. The council is a constituent member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Wirral Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Paul Satoor since 2019[3] | |
Structure | |
Seats | 66 councillors[4] |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
Length of term | 4 years |
Elections | |
First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 2027 |
Motto | |
By Faith and Foresight | |
Meeting place | |
Birkenhead Town Hall, Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, CH41 5EU | |
Website | |
wirral |
The metropolitan district of Wirral was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[5][6]
The two county boroughs, Birkenhead and Wallasey, had provided all local government services in their areas. The other three districts had been lower-tier authorities with Cheshire County Council providing county-level services. The new Wirral district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[7]
Wirral was initially a district-level authority, with Merseyside County Council providing county-level services. However, the metropolitan county councils, including Merseyside County Council, were abolished in 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985. Since 1986 Wirral Council has therefore been responsible for most local government functions.[8]
The council has been a constituent member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority since 2014, which has been led by the directly-elected Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017.[9]
The council has been under no overall control since 2019, being led by a Labour minority administration.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[10][11]
Party in Control | Years | |
---|---|---|
No overall control | 1974–1975 | |
Conservative | 1975–1986 | |
No overall control | 1986–1991 | |
Labour | 1991–1992 | |
No overall control | 1992–1995 | |
Labour | 1995–2002 | |
No overall control | 2002–2012 | |
Labour | 2012–2019 | |
No overall control | 2019–present |
The role of Mayor of Wirral (also termed the "Civic Mayor" to distinguish it from the Metro Mayor) is largely ceremonial. They represent the borough at civic functions, support local charities and chair council meetings. They are expected to be politically impartial whilst they hold the post, although they do get a casting vote in the event of a tie.[12]
Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1973 have been:[13]
Councillor | Image | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bill Whitehurst | Conservative | 1973 | 1974 | ||
Malcolm Thornton | Conservative | 1974 | 1977 | ||
Harry Deverill | Conservative | 1977 | 1980 | ||
David Fletcher | Conservative | 1980 | 1985 | ||
John Hale | Conservative | 1985 | Oct 1986 | ||
No overall control | 1986 | 1990 | |||
Yvonne Nolan | Labour | 1990 | 1991 | ||
George Clark | Labour | 1991 | 1992 | ||
No overall control | 1992 | 1995 | |||
Dave Jackson | Labour | 1995 | 2000 | ||
Steve Foulkes | Labour | 2000 | 24 May 2010 | ||
Jeff Green | Conservative | 24 May 2010 | 23 May 2011 | ||
Steve Foulkes | Labour | 23 May 2011 | 13 Feb 2012 | ||
Jeff Green | Conservative | 13 Feb 2012 | 21 May 2012 | ||
Phil Davies | Labour | 21 May 2012 | 5 May 2019 | ||
Pat Hackett | Labour | 14 May 2019 | Sep 2020 | ||
Janette Williamson[14] | Labour | 28 Sep 2020 | 24 May 2023 | ||
Paul Stuart[15] | Labour | 24 May 2023 |
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[16]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 30 | |
Conservative | 17 | |
Green | 13 | |
Liberal Democrats | 6 | |
Total | 66 |
The next election is due in 2027.
The council is based at Birkenhead Town Hall, completed in 1887 for the former Birkenhead Borough Council.[17] The council had been based at Wallasey Town Hall until 2023.
Since the last boundary changes in 2004, the council has comprised 66 councillors representing 22 wards, with each ward electing three councillors.[18] The whole council is elected together every four years from 2023 onwards, having previously been elected a third of the council at a time.[19]
Each ward is represented by three councillors.[20]
Parliamentary constituency | Ward | Councillor | Party | Term of office | First elected (re-entered) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birkenhead | Bidston and St James | Liz Grey | Labour | 2023–27 | 2018 | |
Brian Kenny | Labour | 2023–27 | 2006 (2015) | |||
Julie McManus | Labour | 2023-27 | 2016 | |||
Birkenhead and Tranmere | Pat Cleary | Green | 2023–27 | 2014 | ||
Amanda Onwuemene | Green | 2023-27 | 2022 | |||
Ewan Tomeny | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Claughton | Gillian Wood | Labour | 2023–27 | 2017 | ||
Steve Foulkes | Labour | 2023–27 | 1990 | |||
George Davies | Labour | 2023-27 | 1988 | |||
Oxton | Allan Brame | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27 | 2018 | ||
Mike Redfern | Liberal Democrats | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Stuart Kelly | Liberal Democrats | 2023-27 | 1991 (1998, 2016) | |||
Prenton | Naomi Graham | Green | 2023–27 | 2022 | ||
Chris Cooke | Green | 2023–27 | 2019 | |||
Harry Gorman | Green | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Rock Ferry | Craig McDonald | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | ||
Paula Basnett | Labour | 2023-27 | 2022 | |||
Tony Murphy | Labour | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Wallasey | Leasowe and Moreton East | Angela Davies | Labour | 2023-27 | 2015 | |
Paul Jobson | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Louise Luxon-Kewley | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Liscard | Janette Williamson | Labour | 2023-27 | 2012 | ||
Daisy Kenny | Labour | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
James Laing | Labour | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Moreton West and Saughall Massie | Vida Wilson | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2022 | ||
Gary Bennett | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Colin Baldwin | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
New Brighton | Sue Powell-Wilde | Labour | 2023-27 | 2022 | ||
Paul Martin | Labour | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Tony Jones | Labour | 2023-27 | 2016 | |||
Seacombe | Tom Laing | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | ||
Kaitlin Stuart | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Paul Stuart | Labour | 2023-27 | 2016 | |||
Wallasey | Lesley Rennie | Conservative | 2023-27 | 1991 (1997) | ||
Brenda Hall | Labour | 2023-27 | 2007 | |||
Ian Lewis | Conservative | 2023-27 | 1999 (2008, 2013, 2016) | |||
Wirral South | Bebington | Judith Grier | Green | 2023-27 | 2022 | |
Ed Lamb | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Jason Walsh | Green | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Bromborough | Ruth Molyneux | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | ||
Kieran Murphy | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Jo Bird | Green [n 1] | 2023-27 | 2018 | |||
Clatterbridge | Mary Jordon | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2018 | ||
Helen Cameron | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2019 | |||
Cherry Povall JP | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2008 | |||
Eastham | Chris Carubia | Liberal Democrats | 2023-27 | 2014 | ||
Helen Raymond | Liberal Democrats | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Phil Gilchrist | Liberal Democrats | 2023-27 | 1977 (1992) | |||
Heswall | Graham Davies | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2023 | ||
Andrew Hodson | Conservative | 2023-27 | 1994 | |||
Kathy Hodson | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2013 | |||
Wirral West | Greasby, Frankby and Irby | Gail Jenkinson | Green | 2023-27 | 2023 | |
Grahame McManus | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Mark Skillicorn | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Hoylake and Meols | Tony Cox | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2011 (2018) | ||
Max Booth | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Andrew Gardner | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2018 | |||
Pensby and Thingwall | Ann Ainsworth | Labour | 2023-27 | 2003 | ||
Richie Pitt | Labour | 2023-27 | 2019 | |||
Mike Sullivan | Labour | 2023-27 | 2021 | |||
Upton | Stephen Bennett | Labour | 2023-27 | 2022 | ||
Jerry Williams | Labour | 2023-27 | 2023 | |||
Jean Robinson | Labour | 2023-27 | 2018 | |||
West Kirby and Thurstaston | Jeff Green | Conservative | 2023-27 | 1986 | ||
Jenny Johnson | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2019 | |||
Simon Mountney | Conservative | 2023-27 | 2004 (2021) |
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 | [23] |
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 | [24] | |
1999 | 17 | 0 | 39 | 10 | 0 | [23] |
2000 | 20 | 0 | 34 | 12 | 0 | |
2001 | 20 | 0 | 34 | 12 | 0 | |
20 | 0 | 33 | 12 | 1 | [25] | |
2002 | 20 | 0 | 32 | 12 | 2 | |
20 | 0 | 31 | 14 | 1 | [26] | |
2003 | 23 | 0 | 26 | 16 | 1 | [27] |
2004 | 21 | 0 | 26 | 19 | 0 | [28] |
20 | 0 | 26 | 19 | 1 | [29] | |
2005 | 21 | 0 | 26 | 18 | 1 | [30] |
2006 | 21 | 0 | 26 | 19 | 0 | [31] |
2007 | 21 | 0 | 25 | 20 | 0 | [32] |
21 | 0 | 25 | 19 | 1 | [33] | |
20 | 0 | 25 | 19 | 2 | [34] | |
2008 | 24 | 0 | 21 | 20 | 1 | [35] |
2009 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 1 | [36] |
2010 | 27 | 0 | 24 | 15 | 0 | [37] |
2011 | 27 | 0 | 29 | 10 | 0 | [38] |
27 | 0 | 30 | 9 | 0 | [39] | |
2012 | 22 | 0 | 37 | 7 | 0 | [40] |
2013 | 23 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 0 | [41] |
22 | 0 | 37 | 7 | 0 | [42] | |
22 | 0 | 37 | 6 | 1 | [43] | |
2014 | 21 | 1 | 38 | 6 | 0 | [44] |
2015 | 21 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 0 | [45] |
2016 | 21 | 1 | 38 | 5 | 1 | [46] |
21 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 0 | [47] | |
2017 | 21 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 0 | |
2018 | 21 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 0 | [48] |
21 | 1 | 38 | 5 | 1 | [49] | |
21 | 1 | 37 | 5 | 2 | [50] | |
2019 | 21 | 1 | 36 | 5 | 3 | [51] |
21 | 1 | 35 | 5 | 4 | [52] | |
21 | 1 | 34 | 5 | 5 | [53] | |
22 | 3 | 32 | 6 | 3 | [54] | |
2020 | 22 | 2 | 32 | 6 | 4 | [55] |
2021 | 23 | 5 | 30 | 6 | 2 | [56] |
23 | 5 | 29 | 6 | 3 | [57] | |
2022 | 23 | 5 | 28 | 6 | 4 | [58] |
23 | 6 | 28 | 6 | 3 | [22] | |
24 | 9 | 26 | 6 | 1 | [59] | |
2023 | 23 | 9 | 26 | 6 | 2 | [60] |
23 | 9 | 25 | 6 | 3 | [61] | |
23 | 9 | 24 | 6 | 4 | [62] | |
23 | 9 | 23 | 6 | 5 | [63] | |
17 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 0 | [64] |
Year | Con | Green | Lab | Lib Dem | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | Bill Whitehurst | Not Represented | Bill Wells | Gruff Evans | ||||
1974 | ||||||||
Malcolm Thornton | ||||||||
1977 | ||||||||
Harry Deverill | Gordon Lindsay | |||||||
1978 | ||||||||
Richard Kimberley | ||||||||
1979 | ||||||||
Roy Perkins | ||||||||
1980 | ||||||||
David Fletcher | Andrew Smith | |||||||
1983 | ||||||||
George Clark | ||||||||
1985 | ||||||||
John Hale | ||||||||
1986 | ||||||||
Peter Corcoran | ||||||||
1988 | ||||||||
Ed Cunniffe | ||||||||
1990 | ||||||||
Gordon Lindsay | ||||||||
Yvonne Nolan | ||||||||
1991 | ||||||||
George Clark | ||||||||
1992 | ||||||||
Dave Jackson | ||||||||
1993 | ||||||||
Phil Gilchrist | ||||||||
2000 | ||||||||
Steve Foulkes | ||||||||
2001 | ||||||||
Stuart Kelly | ||||||||
2002 | ||||||||
Jeff Green | ||||||||
2007 | ||||||||
Simon Holbrook | ||||||||
2011 | ||||||||
Tom Harney | ||||||||
2012 | ||||||||
Phil Davies | ||||||||
2013 | ||||||||
Phil Gilchrist | ||||||||
2014 | ||||||||
Pat Cleary | Position not established | |||||||
2017 | ||||||||
Ian Lewis | ||||||||
2019 | ||||||||
Pat Hackett | ||||||||
2020 | ||||||||
Janette Williamson | ||||||||
Jeff Green | ||||||||
2021 | ||||||||
Tom Anderson | ||||||||
2023 | ||||||||
Jeff Green | Jo Bird | Paul Stuart |