THE general election is not the only vote taking place in St Helens, with one council seat also up for grabs today.

Voters in the Windle ward will be able to choose a new councillor on the same day as the general election.

This is after the resignation of former local authority leader David Baines as a councillor for the ward.

Mr Baines is standing as Labour candidate in the St Helens North parliamentary constituency in July's general election and has stepped down from his town hall seat.

Historically, Windle was a Conservative stronghold but more recently since the 2010s has elected Labour councillors. 

There will be four candidates contesting the by-election in Windle, including former cabinet member Lisa Preston for Labour and a long-running figure in the St Helens Green Party Andrew Donnelly.  

Meanwhile, Denise Gibney is standing for the Conservatives and Phil Cass for the Liberal Democrats.

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It is the first council seat to become up for grabs since the borough's 'all out' elections in May 2022, which saw Labour retain overall control of the local authority, albeit with a reduced total of 29 councillors.

There are seven independent councillors, six Greens, four Liberal Democrats and two Conservatives on the council.

Who are the candidates in Windle?
 

Denise Gibney - Conservative Party

Andrew Donnelly - Green Party

Phil Cass - Liberal Democrats

Lisa Preston - Labour