St Helens Council leader reflects on his time in office

In November, the politician was chosen as the party’s candidate for the seat at the General Election – although a date for when it will take place is yet to be confirmed.

Earlier this month, Cllr Baines confirmed he will step down as council leader next month.

He has taken the opportunity to reflect on his time as council leader since entering the role.

It has not been a period without its hurdles, with the Cllr Baines taking on the Labour reins in 2019 at a time when divisions existed within the local party.

He has had to guide the council through the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and face ongoing and spiralling cost pressures in social care.

The leader has also been heavily involved in putting in place vast regeneration plans for St Helens town centre - which are due to start this year in a bid to rejuvenate a retail area that has experienced decline.

His period in office has also witnessed a significant improvement in children's services.

However, he has also led a council through a period in which a number of libraries have closed to save on costs, much of the Gamble building has remained shut - albeit with ongoing plans to bring it into full use - and there has been frustration over the loss of some leisure facilities, such as Parr baths.

Children's services - a big turnaround

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Baines said: “I have been council leader for nearly five years now, leading us through the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and the economic challenges we’ve all felt and struggled with.

“In my time leading the council we’ve changed the senior leadership team and appointed a new generation to cabinet.

"We’ve taken children’s services from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’ with services for care leavers rated ‘outstanding’

"We set up St Helens Together to support the most vulnerable and improve the council’s links and support to voluntary, public and private sector organisations.

"We have signed a long-term regeneration deal with ECF and delivered plans and funding for the transformation of both town centres.

"We’ve agreed the Local Plan which is ambitious for local jobs, local homes, and better local infrastructure.

"We’ve begun the redevelopment of the former Parkside colliery and secured Freeport status for the site.

"We’ve supported the delivery of Glass Futures and six Town Deal projects including a medical glass manufacturing facility.

"We’ve rebuilt schools in Newton and Blackbrook with repairs and improvements at many others.

"We’re rebuilding Lea Green station and working as a leading member of the City Region we’re pushing plans to bring buses back under public control and bring Merseyrail to the borough.

“We’ve done all this in the context of government cuts of £117m a year compared to 2010, and ever-increasing demand and costs for children’s and adult social care.

“The Tories have decimated almost every part of our public life, ripping the backbone out of the services which we all depend on.”

Furthermore, Cllr Baines revealed what would be his “biggest priority” if he becomes MP.

He said: “If elected as Labour MP for St Helens North my biggest priority would be getting as much support as possible for residents with the cost of living and securing fair funding for essential services including the NHS, dentists, schools, police, and councils.

“The next Labour government will have the difficult job of rebuilding Britain and – as cliched as it sounds – I would work day in day out to help in that cause and make sure the communities of St Helens North get their fair share.”

In addition, Cllr Baines says council tax is an “unfair and inadequate way” to fund local services.

He added: “It will never raise enough to cover the demand and cost of statutory services like social care, never mind the hundreds of non-statutory services which are also important to our communities.

“The fact is that central government funding for St Helens borough has fallen from £127m a year in 2010 to just £10m this year. We have a £14m budget gap in the next three years, and councils nationally have a £4bn gap.

“And it’s not just councils – it’s the police, it’s schools, it’s the NHS, it’s our roads, it’s the justice system, it’s the voluntary sector, it’s everything. If you think public services are important and should be properly funded in a fair way, then vote the Tories out and vote Labour. It’s as simple as that.”

Cllr Baines also reflected on the Covid pandemic, which he says was a “once in a lifetime event for all of us”.

He said: “It meant wholesale changes almost overnight to the way the council worked and the way services could be delivered, but thanks to our amazing staff we were able to keep the most essential services running and support thousands of our most vulnerable residents day in, day out, through each of the lockdowns.

“Of course, the hardest part was hearing the updates on a daily basis of the lives lost, and my heart goes out to all those who were unable to say a proper goodbye. I personally know several people who suffered that, and it’s something nobody should have to experience.

'We worried about the impact on our children'

“For me personally, like everyone else I found it hard and worried about the situation – what it meant for my family and the loved ones I couldn’t see, my friends, our community.

"My wife and I have two young children and like thousands of other families in the same boat it was a difficult time for us all being home together for so long, and we worried about the impact on them, both in terms of their education and their happiness. It’s not good for kids to be isolated.

“But while it was tough, at the same time it brought out the best in people.

"The community response was incredible in every part of the borough, and I think the people of St Helens can look back with pride about the way we met the challenge head on and looked out for one another.

“It was such a difficult time for everyone. Businesses, especially our local pubs and hospitality venues, really felt it, and of course keyworkers like those in our schools, health services, police, fire and rescue, shops, delivery drivers, taxi drivers, council workers and more all had to keep working, and thank god they did.

“If anything good was to come out of that period, I hoped it would be that we’d all have a stronger appreciation for the strength of our community and the good people in it, and a new respect for the keyworkers that our society can’t do without.

"I don’t think it’s too late to learn that lesson, and I will keep banging the drum for our public services and the power of community and cooperation. We can do so much when we work together.”