Voters will head to the polls next Thursday with 46 of the 48 council seats up for grabs. Labour has controlled the authority since 2010
A “winner takes all” local election is looming in St Helens – yet an air of indifference hangs over the town.
Voters will head to the polls next Thursday with 46 of the 48 council seats up for grabs. Labour has controlled the authority since 2010, most recently winning 29 seats in the 2022 election.
But this year it is predicted they face a tough test – with rival parties looking to take advantage of national difficulties. Nigel Farage has publicly identified St Helens as a target for Reform UK.
The Merseyside town is historically known as the birthplace of the modern glass industry, while dozens of coal mines provided thousands of jobs and fueled local industries.
But now a lot of the big industry is gone and the town centre looks tired. A large number of retail units are closed or boarded up. Vape shops, takeaways and charity shops have taken the place of traditional stores.
Shoppers have been dragged away to out-of-town retail parks with free parking while residents struggle with the rise in the cost of living.
There is a feeling the town has been left behind – and there is little optimism that any political party can wave a magic wand and reverse the decline.
Regeneration is underway with the demolition of the old Hardshaw shopping centre. A new market hall, hotel, homes, shops and a large transport interchange are planned. Council leaders said it marks a fresh start, but on the streets there is doubt over what can be achieved.
Some feel Labour have become complacent – taking people’s traditional support for granted. When asked this week most residents showed little interest in the upcoming election, saying they hadn’t thought about who they would vote for – or if they will even bother.
At the bus depot Frank Mills, 81, said he has voted Conservative all his life. He said: “St Helens has always been Labour. From the 1890s it used to be the most industrialised town in the world. We had the pits and the glass makers. My dad was a miner. But I think the town has been in decline, the whole country has been in decline. But I think St Helens will come back.
“We don’t make anything anymore. When I was a kid we didn’t buy anything made abroad, buses, cars, electrical items. I don’t like or dislike Keir Starmer. A lot of things are beyond his control. When times are globally bad no-one can make a difference.”
Carl Holden, from the St Helens Darts Shop, has recently relocated to the town centre. He said: “The town is struggling, I think the centre has to be made a bit smaller. You look at Duke Street, everything is empty, Westfield Street, they’re all shut now. It needs to be made smaller, more modern. Smaller but better, to bring people into the town.
“There should also be free parking. You have the retail parks nearby with two hours free parking, but you come into the centre and you get a ticket.”
Carl, who also ran the darts academy where Luke Littler honed his skills, added: “I’m bringing in 1,000 people in every week, 70% not from St Helens. But if shops keep shutting there’s less footfall.
“It’s a difficult job, I don’t know how the council can achieve it. It needs investment, but where does that come from? I don’t think they’ve always done a good job over the years. There’s jobs that have gone, people are disillusioned. It’s a tough job.”
Outside the former Burchills Bakers in the town centre Carl Fisher, 59, said: “There used to be queues down the road here, the pies were very popular. But now another bit of St Helens is gone, it’s a shame.
“Hopefully people will vote on local issues. I know Farage is trying to make it all about Starmer. But I was brought up to vote for the person who does the most good, or who you think will do the most good, not a political party.
“Everything is mixed up at the moment. There’s not a lot anyone can do about it. I’ve not got much faith in any of the parties. I will say one party leader in particular seems to be in it for themselves, that’s a sad fact.”
Andrea Smith, 39, said she was thinking about Reform – but isn’t certain: “I think Labour have been taking people for granted. I’ve looked at Reform, but I’m not sure they’re the answer, I doubt anyone is.
“Just look around, a lot needs to be done and I doubt any of them have the answers. If you want to go shopping you go to the Trafford Centre or Liverpool. I know there’s no money in the pot these days, so I think whoever wins faces a difficult job.”
With a week of campaigning left to go it appears that all parties face an uphill battle to convince the people of St Helens that they are the answer.