North West · England · 71,569Boundary · 2023

St Helens South & Whiston

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe Lab seat, won with 50% of the vote in 2024. Covers St Helens (St. Helens) and Prescot. Population 93,668. Median income £26K (below average).

One of the most striking things about Marie Rimmer right now is her willingness to break with Labour on welfare reform. In July 2025 she voted against the government's welfare bill at Third Reading -- one of the more consequential rebel acts a backbencher can take -- and backed three separate amendments that would have strengthened protections for Universal Credit and PIP claimants. More recently, in February 2026, she again voted against her party on two amendments to the Industry and Exports Bill, suggesting her dissent is not a one-off. She has also raised health inequality in St Helens directly in Parliament, warning that some residents face a healthy life expectancy of just 57 -- a striking statistic that generated local coverage.

At 93% party alignment overall, Rimmer is broadly loyal, but her rebel votes cluster meaningfully around welfare and industrial support -- areas with direct relevance to a post-industrial North West constituency. Her voting participation sits at 69%, below the Commons average, which warrants noting. She votes consistently with Labour on progressive taxation, workers' rights, and resisting Lords amendments, and scores 0% on anti-tax-increase and pro-business-interests metrics, placing her on the left of the parliamentary party. She deviates most sharply from Labour colleagues on assisted dying -- voting to restrict access far more consistently than the party average, a 62-percentage-point gap.

323
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
71.6k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab held for 5 consecutive elections.

Current Member of Parliament

Marie Rimmer

Marie Rimmer

Labour Party

Ms Marie Rimmer is the Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston, and has been an MP continually since 7 May 2015.

Notable Votes

Vote on opposition amendments to the Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill that would have restricted UK Export Finance support where goods might be re-exported to Russia or other sanctioned countries, and separately where exports involve modern slavery or human trafficking. The amendments sought to cap the Secretary of State's financial commitments to zero in such cases.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

Vote on whether to ban UK government export finance or insurance for goods where there is reason to believe they may be re-exported to Russia or other sanctioned countries, and separately to ban export finance where modern slavery or human trafficking is involved. This Opposition amendment would have set the financial assistance limit to zero in such cases.

MP voted YesAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

MPs voted on whether to pass the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill makes changes to welfare benefits, including a gradual increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance, and had been debated at length including proposed amendments to speed up or expand those increases.

MP voted NoAgainst party majorityLikely whipped

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Voting at a Glance

A safe Lab seat, won with 50% of the vote in 2024. Covers St Helens (St. Helens) and Prescot. Population 93,668. Median income £26K (below average).

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Rimmer’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.323 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Rimmer has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Economy
69
Taxation
59
Employment
33
Education
32
Crime & Policing
22
Housing
22
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: New Clause 223 Feb 2026
Aye
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: Amendment 123 Feb 2026
Aye
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Third Reading09 Jul 2025
No
§ 08The local picture.9 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Bold Lea GreenAllen John Makin1,176Green Pa
Bold Lea GreenDavid Edward Hawley1,209Green Pa
Bold Lea GreenGlen Roger Richards1,120Green Pa
EcclestonGeoff Pearl1,938Liberal
EcclestonMichael Haw2,252Liberal
EcclestonTeresa Veronica Sims2,178Liberal
Peasley Cross FingerpostDamien O'Connor325Labour P
Prescot SouthGraham Wickens1,029Green Pa
RainhillDonna Greaves2,133Independ
RainhillJames Tasker2,336Independ
RainhillKate Elizabeth Stevenson2,062Independ
St Helens Town CentreAnne Helen McCormack747Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
93,668
Electorate 71,569 · 2024 register
Median income
£25,600
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
17.7%
England average 20.0%
Schools
38
27 primary · 4 secondary
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