Labour has won a Merseyside council by-election, taking the Billinge and Seneley Green seat back from Reform UK less than four months after losing it. The result marks an upset for the party, which had been reduced to just two councillors in St Helens following May's local elections.
Reform's May dominance reversed
In May, Reform UK swept to power in St Helens, comfortably winning all three council seats in the Billinge and Seneley Green ward and securing a total of 34 seats in the borough. Labour, once dominant in the town, was left with only two seats.
The by-election was triggered after one of the newly elected Reform councillors, Jennifer Green, who had been promoted to a cabinet position in the new council administration, suddenly quit her post.
Prime Minister's backing helps Labour
Labour's campaign received a boost from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose Makerfield Parliamentary constituency lies next to the Billinge ward. In the days before the vote, Mr Burnham called on voters to back Labour's candidate Steve Owen.
In the build-up to the vote, the ECHO reported that Reform's candidate, Karen Hatch, had posted offensive, anti-Muslim comments on social media as well as sharing conspiracy theories.
Result and reaction
Labour's Steve Owen won the by-election with 1,158 votes. Ms Hatch finished second with 892 votes, while independent candidate Colin Betts came third with just under 500 votes.
Reacting to the win, St Helens North Labour MP David Baines told the ECHO: "First and foremost this is a great result for the people of Billinge and Seneley Green who have gained a decent. hardworking councillor. I want to thank all those who gave their vote to Steve, however you voted, I know he will do his best for each and every resident.
"It is also a good result for Labour, just a few months ago we lost this seat, so to gain it back is a huge boost, but we know there is a lot more to do.
"Lots of voters already feel let down by Reform who have appeared to be more interested in point scoring than problem solving. Labour will keep working hard to earn the trust of voters in every part of the borough, under Andy Burnham's leadership and with a strong local team that loves our community."
