Thank you to every resident who voted Labour.
Labour will continue to stand up for communities across our borough and hold the new administration to account. We will be watching closely to ensure promises are delivered, public money is spent responsibly, and the progress made in recent years is protected.
Our residents deserve serious leadership, responsible decision-making, and continued investment in the future of our borough — not politics built on protest or division.
We will continue to stand for unity over division, love over hate, and inclusivity over exclusion. We remain proud supporters of the #LoveStHelens campaign, alongside partners from across the borough who stand together in positive defiance against the hate-filled politics of populism.
Statement from Anthony Burns
“Firstly, I want to thank every resident who supported Labour in this election, every candidate who stood for our party, and every member and volunteer who worked tirelessly on behalf of our communities across St Helens Borough.
While this result is clearly disappointing for Labour, I remain immensely proud of what we have achieved together over recent years for the people of our borough.
Under Labour leadership, St Helens Council has delivered one of the most ambitious regeneration programmes in the borough’s history. We rebuilt capacity within the council, strengthened leadership, developed a clear long-term vision through our Local Plan, and secured more than £230 million in external funding to support regeneration, jobs, infrastructure and housing across the borough.
Most importantly, we moved from plans to delivery.
Across St Helens, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows and our wider communities, residents can now see real progress taking shape. New homes are being built, including hundreds of affordable homes. Major town centre regeneration is underway. The Parkside Link Road has opened. Lea Green Station has been upgraded. Investment is transforming public spaces, transport and local infrastructure.
At the same time, Labour protected and improved the frontline services residents rely on every day.
Children’s Services improved dramatically and achieved Good and Outstanding Ofsted ratings. SEND provision and Family Hubs were strengthened to better support young people and families. Adult Social Care achieved a Good CQC rating and became nationally recognised for innovation and quality. Environmental services improved, with investment in highways, parks and neighbourhood cleanliness, alongside six Green Flag awards for our green spaces.
We also delivered balanced budgets that protected vital services while investing more than £150 million into our communities — moving away from years defined only by cuts and decline.
Importantly, this progress has been recognised independently.
The recent Local Government Association Peer Review highlighted the significant improvements made by the council, recognising strong political and officer leadership, a clear strategic direction, ambitious regeneration plans, and a council that had regained confidence, stability and the ability to deliver for residents. They commented that this was the best review they had ever written.
None of this happened by accident. It happened because people worked hard, made difficult decisions, and always put St Helens first.
I want to place on record my thanks to every member of the Labour Group, my brilliant cabinet, council officers led by our Chief Executive, our MPs David Baines MP and Marie Rimmer MP, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, and most importantly the staff and residents who care deeply about our borough and its future.
To the incoming administration, you are taking over the running of a council with strong foundations that have been put in place. The council is now financially stable, with major regeneration projects already underway, significant external investment secured, and improvement plans delivering real results for residents.
But let me also be clear: Labour will continue to stand up for our communities across the borough and hold the new administration to account. We will be watching closely how their promises are delivered, how public money is spent, and whether the progress made over recent years is protected. Our residents deserve serious leadership, responsible decision-making, and continued investment in the future of our borough — not politics of protest or division. We will continue to fight for Unity over Division, for Love over Hate, for Inclusivity over exclusion, we will continue to be a part of the #LoveStHelens campaign along with proud partners across the borough that stand together in positive defiance against the hate filled politics of populism.
Labour may no longer lead the council, but we remain deeply proud of our record, proud of the transformation already underway across St Helens Borough, and absolutely committed to continuing to fight for the communities we love.
The transformation of our borough has already begun — and our residents must not be let down now.”