West Lancashire

West Lancashire falls under the area of West Lancashire Borough Council which is controlled by the Labour Party and Lancashire County Council, which is controlled by the Conservative Party. These are both responsible for the administration of various services in the area. There are several parish and town councils in West Lancashire, although the main towns of Skelmersdale and Ormskirk are unparished. There is a movement to establish a town council in Skelmersdale.[2]

The prospect of dividing Lancashire into three unitary authorities is currently being discussed, which would see both Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council abolished.[3]

The south of West Lancashire, including the towns of Burscough, Skelmersdale and Ormskirk fall under the West Lancashire constituency in the House of Commons, which has been represented by Labour Party MP Rosie Cooper since the 2005 general election, whereas the north of West Lancashire falls under the South Ribble constituency, which has been represented by Conservative Party MP Katherine Fletcher since the 2019 general election.

West Lancashire Borough Council is composed of 54 councillors elected for four-year terms. Currently, the Labour Party forms the majority of two seats on the council, with 29 seats. There is a full council meeting and a cabinet meeting once every two months,[4] with various committees meeting in between.

The council employs around 600 people,[5] making it one of West Lancashire's largest employers. It is responsible for the administration of various services, such as leisure, waste collection, planning permission and pest control.

The council is ultimately led by the cabinet which is chaired by the leader of the council, who is currently Ian Moran of the Labour Party. The council is managed by various unelected officers. The chief operating officer of the council is currently Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey.[5]

West Lancashire Borough Council is led by the leader of the council, elected yearly at the annual meeting of the council. The leader of the council is currently Ian Moran.[6] The leader appoints the deputy leader of the council, currently Yvonne Gagen, and various portfolio holders.

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West Lancashire also has a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who hold a mostly ceremonial role. They are currently Councillor Terence Aldridge and Councillor Maureen Nixon, respectively.[7] The position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor alternates each year.

The current leader of the opposition is Conservative Party councillor David Westley, and the leader of the third and smallest party on the council, Our West Lancashire, is Councillor Adrian Owens.

There are various committees in West Lancashire Borough Council. All councillors are members of at least one committee.

There are two localist political parties operating in West Lancashire: Our West Lancashire, which holds six seats on West Lancashire Borough Council and has contested elections on Lancashire County Council, and Skelmersdale Independent Party, which does not hold any seats on West Lancashire but has contested elections.

The main towns of Ormskirk (including the village of Westhead) and Skelmersdale are unparished areas, although there are movements to establish a town council in both towns, particularly in Skelmersdale, where a political party and a movement have been established to promote this issue.[2]

There is a single parish meeting: