Council leader and Cabinet appointed for St Helens Borough Council
Councillor George Woodward has been appointed Leader of St Helens Borough Council alongside his newly selected Cabinet.
Article date: 20 May 2026
At Annual Council today, Wednesday 20th May, councillors formally approved the new political leadership for the council which sees Councillor Michael Gibson and Councillor Sharon Roughley appointed Deputy Leaders for the Council.
The full Cabinet line up is:
Councillor George Woodward - Leader of St Helens Borough Council
Councillor David Kent - Finance and Governance
Councillor Gary Edgerton - Business, Highways and Transport
Councillor Michael Gibson (Deputy Leader) - Environment and Waste
Councillor James Long - People, Performance and IT
Councillor Jack Benyon - Regeneration, Property and Planning
Councillor Sharon Roughley (Deputy Leader) - Safer Communities
Councillor Eileen Fleming - Adult Social Care and Health
Councillor Michael Chesworth - Children and Young People
Councillor Jennifer Gerrard - Culture, Leisure and Heritage
A number of additional appointments have been made including Chairs of Planning, Licensing and Scrutiny, and councillors have been identified to serve on wide range of public bodies and boards run by council partners. To see the full list of appointments visit: Appointments to St Helens Council Committees.