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Merseyside County Council
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Merseyside County Council (MCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for Merseyside, a metropolitan county in North West England.
Key Information
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MCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. Along with the other five metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council, it was abolished on 31 March 1986 by the Thatcher government.
Premises
[edit]
The county council had its main administrative offices at Metropolitan House at 95 Old Hall Street in Liverpool, renting part of the building from its owners, the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post newspaper group. The county council held its meetings at Liverpool Town Hall.[1]
Political control
[edit]The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 1986 was as follows:[2]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1977 | |
| Conservative | 1977–1981 | |
| Labour | 1981–1986 | |
Leadership
[edit]Until 1980, the leader of the council also held the formal role of chairman of the council. In 1980 the two roles were separated, with the chairmanship becoming largely ceremonial whilst political leadership was provided by the leader of the council.[3] The first leader and chairman of the county council, Bill Sefton, had been the last leader of Liverpool City Council before the 1974 reforms took effect.[4] The leaders of Merseyside County Council were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Sefton[4][5] | Labour | 1 Apr 1974 | May 1977 | |
| Kenneth Thompson[5][3] | Conservative | May 1977 | Oct 1980 | |
| Neville Goldrein[3][6] | Conservative | Oct 1980 | May 1981 | |
| Jim Stuart-Cole[7][8] | Labour | May 1981 | Mar 1982 | |
| Keva Coombes[8][9] | Labour | Mar 1982 | 31 Mar 1986 | |
Abolition
[edit]The Conservative government abolished Merseyside County Council on 31 March 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985, along with the other five metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council.[10] Its powers devolved to the five metropolitan boroughs – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral – which thus became effectively unitary authorities.
Certain of the county council's powers were taken up by joint authorities consisting of members of each borough council; some of these bodies were mandated by the 1985 act and some by order of the secretary of state, while others were voluntary arrangements. The joint bodies included:[11]
- Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority (now Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service)
- Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority (now branded as Merseytravel)
- Merseyside Police Authority (replaced by the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner)
- Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (now Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority)
- Merseyside County Trading Standards Joint Committee
Council elections
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Evans, Andrew (13 August 1992). "End of the metropolitan line: County councils face an uncertain future". The Independent. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Merseyside" in search box to see specific results.)
- ^ a b c Craig, Ian (21 October 1980). "Early start for new council chief". Liverpool Echo. p. 3. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Lord Sefton of Garston". The Independent. 12 September 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ a b Cook, Norman (6 May 1977). "Night of the new faces..." Liverpool Echo. p. 1. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ Craig, Ian (5 May 1981). "Oh, what a lovely war on the street". Liverpool Echo. p. 6. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ Craig, Ian (8 May 1981). "New leader's blueprint for Merseyside". Liverpool Echo. p. 7. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ a b Phelps, Peter (8 March 1982). "County heads for clash over rates". Liverpool Echo. p. 3. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ "County leader's surprise defeat". Liverpool Daily Post. 4 April 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ Evans, Andrew (12 August 1992). "Public Service Management: End of the metropolitan line". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1985". www.legislation.gov.uk. 16 July 1985. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
