COUNCIL leader Mike Doyle has welcomed the results of the local elections as an endorsement of government and council policies.

He said: "It is a clear mandate to continue with our current strategy, in particular on education and the regeneration of the local economy.

"The low turnout was a disappointment and, of course, was reflected nationally. I intend to examine in detail the reasons and, if possible, look for some radical change of the process for the future. It will become part of our wider consultation with the community.

"I look forward to continuing closer links with national government and will continue to argue the case for a fairer distribution of resources for St Helens." However, Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Brian Spencer described the results as "tremendous" for his party. The party held all the seats they were defending, including Councillor Spencer's own seat of Sutton and Bold. Also returned were Councillors Teresa Sims in Eccleston, Carole Kavanagh in Moss Bank and John Beirne in Marshalls Cross. The Lib Dems also gained a seat from Labour in Newton East with Neil Taylor beating former Mayor Tom Chisnall by 129 votes giving them two of the three seats in the ward.

Councillor Spencer said: "The results were tremendous for us. The Labour vote collapsed from 26,000 in 1996 to 15,000 this year but ours actually increased, giving us more than 32 per cent of the vote. This represents a swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats of 10 per cent. Labour's domination in the town is clearly coming to an end."

RESULTS

Blackbrook:Stephen Broughton (Lib Dem) 187; Margaret Hilda Ethel Harvey (Con) 82; Linda Lovina Maloney (Lab) 658.

Broad Oak: Edna Marion Ashby (Con) 50; Pauline Partington (Lib Dem) 275; John Kenneth Pinder (Lab) 914; Ronald Waugh (Soc Lab) 40.

Billinge & Seneley Green: Richard Ferry (Lib Dem) 291; Bessie Griffin (Lab) 1,184; Joan Hall (Con) 335.

Eccleston: John Parker Goodacre (Con) 418; Stephen Paul Glover (Lab) 416; Teresa Veronica Sims (Lib Dem Focus Team) 1,544.

Grange Park: David Evans (Lib Dem) 271; Terence Darin Hanley (Lab) 667; Catherine Ann Lindon (Con) 187. Haydock: Judith Margaret Collins (Con) 169; Andrew John Rimaitis (Soc Lab) 90; William Swift (Lab) 1,178; Carole Worthington (Lib Dem) 205.

Marshalls Cross: John Beirne (Lib Dem) 1,127; Ronald Joseph Cooke (Lab) 415; Jill Eldred Jones (Con) 40.

Moss Bank: William Highcock (Con) 88; Carole Ann Kavanagh (Lib Dem) 1,329; Michael Thomas McGough (Lab) 1,025.

Newton East: Thomas Chisnall (Lab) 799; Brian Honey (Con) 158; Neil Taylor (Lib Dem) 928.

Newton West: David Crowther (Lib Dem) 403; Keith Deakin (Lab) 1,028; Stephen Gerard Holt (Con) 123.

Parr and Hardshaw: Mark Stanley Arnold (Lab) 743; Thomas Andrew Brooke (Con) 54; Michael Ellis (Lib Dem) 133.

Queens Park: Margaret Elizabeth Bolton (Con) 112; Patricia Irene Ireland (Lab) 782; Vivienne Ann Lavery (Lib Dem) 306.

Rainford: John Appleton (Lab) 933; Sharon Louise Birch (Lib Dem) 162; John Anthony Brown (Con) 1,293.

Rainhill: Kenneth Thomas Knowles (Lib Dem) 222; Richard Anthony Seddon (Con) 376; Phillip Lee Speakman (Lab) 1,054.

Sutton and Bold: Derek Maylor (Lab) 912; Brian Thomas Spencer (Lib Dem) 1,353; Herbert Williams (Con) 51.

Thatto Heath (two seats): John Brown (Lib Dem) 130; Sheila Hudson (Lab) 722; Carol Pearl (Lib Dem) 156; Albert Edward Pearson (Con) 108; Michael Roy Perry (Soc Lab) 52; Patricia Anne Robinson (Lab) 862.

West Sutton: Darren James Makin (Lib Dem) 185; Charmian Pyke (Con) 60; Frank Robinson (Lab) 671.

Windle: Audrey Ashall (Lib Dem) 223; Anthony Frederick Rigby (Con) 593; Graham Austin Whiteside (Lab) 893.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.