LABOUR has held both seats in St Helens, although both MPs saw their large majorities take a hit.

In St Helens South and Whiston, Marie Rimmer secured 29,457 votes.

The former St Helens Council leader’s closest challenger was the Conservatives’ Richard Short, who secured 10,335 votes.

The Brexit Party’s Daniel Oxley got 5,353 votes, while another former leader of St Helens Council, Brian Spencer, received 2,886 votes.

The Green Party’s Kai Taylor receives the fewest votes, securing 2,282.

In St Helens North, Conor McGinn was re-elected, securing 24,870 votes, ahead of the Conservatives’ Joel Charles with 12,661 votes.

Brexit Party’s Malcolm Webster secured 5,396 votes, while the Lib Dems’ Pat Moloney got 2,668 votes.

The Greens again trailed last, with David van der Burg, who represents Haydock on St Helens Council, secured the fewest votes with 1,966.

While it was a comfortable victory for the two Labour MPs in the end, both saw their majorities shrink.

Ms Rimmer saw her majority from 2017 reduce from 24,343 to 19,122, while Mr McGinn’s majority was cut from 18,406 in 2017 to 12,209.

The evening was one of mixed emotions for Mr McGinn, who reflected on the heavy losses suffered by Labour across the country.

Mr McGinn said: “On a personal level I feel humbled people have put their trust in me again in St Helens North.

“I live here and am raising a family here, it’s a wonderful honour but also a responsibility to represent the community.

“But it is tempered very much by the national picture because the thing that can make a transformative difference for us here is a Labour government at Westminster, and we’re not going to have that.

“We’re going to have five more years of Tory austerity.”

During an emotional victory speech, Ms Rimmer she was “deeply concerned” about the massive Conservative majority.

St Helens Star: Marie Rimmer was downbeat following her victory Marie Rimmer was downbeat following her victory

Afterwards, she remained downbeat despite retaining the seat, expressing concerns the impact a Tory government with a sizeable majority could have on poor communities.

She said: “It is extremely disappointing for us nationally. I am concerned for the tragic impact on communities like this (St Helens).

“I am concerned for people who have suffered more than enough – families and communities.

“There are no luxuries in a lot of homes – there is a lot of poverty, it is very, very worrying.”

The voter turnout in St Helens North was 63.1 per cent and 63.8 per cent in St Helens South and Whiston.

Additionally, there were 167 ballot papers rejected in St Helens North and 129 rejected in St Helens South and Whiston.