Labour MP for St Helens North. Find me more active on other social media.
Constituents please email questions/casework to david.baines.mp
@parliament
.uk
As Leader of St Helens Borough Council I would like to clarify we have *not* ‘agreed’ these measures - government have decided to do this and none of it was up for discussion. What we’ve been trying to do over the weekend is get the best package of financial support we can.
EXCL: Livepool City Region headed for TIER 3 lockdown.
Measures expected to include:
- pubs, gyms, casinos, bookies CLOSED
- restaurants OPEN
- could last 6 MONTHS, but with monthly reviews
Understand local leaders have agreed this in principle but await PM's official sign-off.
I can’t tell you how much anger there is about this. We haven’t been consulted. We haven’t been warned. The fact that government have leaked it to their friends in the Times without first telling businesses, local public health or council leaders and mayors is unforgivable.
My first day in Parliament. I’m here to serve the people of St Helens North & every part of the constituency.
I’m working on getting my office set up, & will share contact details & surgery information asap.
Thank you for all the kind messages of support. Let’s get to work! 🌹
I’ve been in love with
#rugbyleague
since I was 7 years old. But Huddersfield v Wigan in a seemingly empty stadium, both wearing unrecognisable kits, on a Thursday night, is in absolutely nobody’s interests.
Apologies to all my followers who don’t like rugby league, or even worse those who support a different club 😂 but I’ll be tweeting about the Fourmidable World Champions for a while yet so you might want to mute me 🤣🏆
@Saints1890
Just asked my first question in the House, asking for time and consideration to be given to the challenges faced by children with SEND in St Helens North and beyond.
We need to do all we can to make sure no child is left behind 🌹
I am honoured to be elected the Labour Member of Parliament for St Helens North.
It’s been a long 14 years, but I know our best days lie ahead.
Whether you voted for me or not, I will work day in, day out for you and our proud communities.
ST HELENS NORTH RESULT:
Baines, David Edward (LAB) – 21,284
Greenhalgh, Joe (ECP) – 274
Maloney, Pat (LDS) – 1,799
Rear, Jayne Louise (CON) – 4,507
Thomas, Daniel (GRN) – 3,495
Webster, Malcolm James (REF) – 9,115
David Baines (LAB) elected
This is, sadly, spot on from
@AndyBurnhamGM
.
#StHelens
was given no notice of the new lockdown measures announced last Sunday; suffered a decrease in the second round of extra funding; faces a £25m funding gap; and we have no clue from government whether they’ll help us or not.
Today I had the honour of being officially sworn in as the Member of Parliament for St Helens North.
It is a privilege and a responsibility I will never take for granted 🌹
Huge thanks to
@AndyBurnhamGM
for his support and kind words 🙌
St Helens North borders Greater Manchester, and we have so many shared priorities and opportunities. As our next MP I’ll continue to work with him to get the best possible outcomes for our whole region 🌹
I’m standing to be the next Labour parliamentary candidate for my home,
#StHelens
North.
I look forward to the contest ahead.
I’ll be campaigning and fighting for our communities, just like I always have and always will.
👇🌹
Delighted to confirm I’ll be taking up the role of Deputy Metro Mayor for
@LpoolCityRegion
, subject to agreement at next week’s AGM. Looking forward to supporting
@MetroMayorSteve
and the work of our Labour region across all 6 boroughs 🤝 🌹
We can all do the ‘don’t vote Tory’ thing another time. Right now what matters is getting through this crisis, suppressing
#COVID19
, and keeping the country together. Boris Johnson has risked all that just to protect his mate who admits breaking the rules. We won’t forget.
🗣 Gyms and leisure centres in
#StHelens
borough will be allowed to OPEN thanks to the fight put up by local councils, MPs, gym owners and users.
The change in the regulations will go to parliament today for approval. More details to follow ASAP.
#StHelensTogether
I am delighted to say that tonight I’ve been elected Leader of
#StHelens
Labour Group. Though we won 10 out of 16 seats, on the whole last week’s local elections were clearly not what we would have liked, & there is work to do. I’m looking forward to getting started.
#ForTheMany
Until I’m advised differently by our local Public Health officials - who I trust completely - my advice if asked remains the same:
#StayAtHome
It’s that simple.
To all nursery, school and college staff, all of you - from the cooks and teachers to the cleaners and headteachers - THANK YOU. What you’ve done this week is unbelievable. You are amazing.
#StHelensTogether
Devastated to hear that Bernard Hill has died. I remember watching Boys from the Blackstuff when I was a kid and it left a mark on me that’s there to this day. The whole thing is essential but his performance was exceptional, as it was in so many other roles. Rest in peace.
I’m extremely proud to today officially become Leader of
@sthelenscouncil
.
#StHelens
borough has so much to offer, and I believe our best days are ahead of us. Let’s get to work.
This government are the most shambolic, incompetent bunch of chancers ever to grace government. Roll on the next General Election so we can kick them out back on to the after dinner circuit where they belong.
St Helens is one of the few towns around lucky to have a canal right in the heart of the town centre. The current problem is that nobody can see it! Demolishing this car park will open up an area that should be a hub for independent food and drink, and families of all ages 🏗☀️
The first steps to making the historic Sankey Canal a key feature of St Helens Town Centre have been made as Cabinet has agreed plans to use £1m of funding from Central Government in advance of a Town Deal to demolish Chalon Way Car Park. Find out more:
Last week
@wembleystadium
put out a graphic of people/events celebrating 100yrs of the famous stadium - with not a single
#rugbyleague
image included. It was an insult to the icons who’ve helped the venue become what it is. I’d have picked these - what else could have featured?
Honoured to be able to host
@Saints1890
at the town hall for a small reception earlier today before Justin Holbrook departs for Australia. We presented Justin with a glass rugby ball as a token of our thanks for his terrific effort and success here in
#StHelens
.
#saintsandproud
Humbled and honoured to confirm that
@StHLabour
Group have tonight re-elected me as Leader. As a Sintelliner it’s a privilege to lead our great council and our fantastic borough.
I really feel for Brian Carney. Tough gig tonight and he’s doing a great job, but he shouldn’t be in this position.
@SuperLeague
athletes are elite. They’ve given everything all season, and now the comp give them a zoom call. Just not good enough.
A new flower bed has been completed today at
#StHelens
cemetery around the commemoration to those who lost their lives to Covid and giving thanks to the
#NHS
and all
#keyworkers
.
#StHelensTogether
🌈💙
Lots of talk about levelling up but very little about the elephant in the room: huge cuts to council funding for a decade.
In 2010
#StHelens
received a central government grant of £127m. This year it was just £13m.
You can’t level up if you don’t properly fund local services.
Due to phenomenal demand the website for our
#StHelens
town centre plans crashed last night 🙈 The site developers have purchased extra bandwidth, which they say they’ve never had to do before! Just shows the interest and passion for this to happen 🙌
👉
P.A. Has bet me that I can’t get to 30k followers before Christmas Day 🎄 if I do then she promised to finish writing my book before summer 2022 🤞
#AngelmanSyndrome
😇
#AmazingMelissaGrace
I’ve seen some of the usual right wing commentators and grifters calling this and similar events in other towns ‘protests’. Let’s be clear: this isn’t protest. It is mindless, racist violence and there is no excuse and can be no tolerance.
The police have my full support.
| This video features footage of the violent disorder on Tuesday evening in Southport, which our officers faced and was witnessed by many members of the public |
Tragic events should unite us, not divide us.
Following the violent disorder, we have made seven arrests and further
It was my honour to help officially welcome Kristian Woolf and his Tonga squad to
#StHelens
last night ahead of
@RLWC2021
.
Kristian is an outstanding coach and leader who means a lot to everyone in our borough, and he will always be welcome here!
Mate Ma'a Tonga 🇹🇴🏆
To
@jon_dutton72
and the entire
@RLWC2021
team of staff, volunteers and supporters - take a bow! Thank you so much for delivering the most inclusive
#RLWC
ever 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Our country is on the brink. For the sake of our public services and the millions who rely on them, for our schools, our NHS, for the millions of children growing up in poverty, for the thousands who spent last night sleeping rough and in danger:
#VoteLabour
#VoteTheToriesOut
If reports are correct that Gov have decided gyms & leisure can stay open in Lancashire but must close in Merseyside, it means their new Tier system - supposed to clarify things for people - hasn’t even lasted the week. And soft play must close in Lancashire but is open here?!
Today we welcomed
@MetroMayorSteve
and
@AndyBurnhamGM
to
#StHelens
to discuss the future of transport in our regions. Thank you to both Mayors for coming and for your leadership in helping us towards a London-style public transport system 👏
That’s one of the best
@Saints1890
wins. Totally written off and with a scratch squad. Backs against the wall. Against the top of the table fliers. Absolutely buzzing!!!!!
The thing I miss most about winter
#rugbyleague
is the Boxing Day clash v Wigan. So what better excuse than to watch this cracker today from 1992, one of the best ever!
@Saints1890
41 Wigan 6 🙌 - free to watch on Saints TV 👍🏻
Visited
@TheWorldofGlass
today - what a fantastic place. I really don’t think
#StHelens
folk appreciate what a gem we’ve got on our doorstep. Great exhibitions, terrific gift shop, family activities, Central Library, & a canal-side cafe offering Pimbletts pies for dinner! 😄👏
🗣 The new
#StHelens
town centre library will open on 14th Sept at
@TheWorldofGlass
. I visited this week while preparations are still underway and it looks 👌. 18000+ brand new books, IT services, WiFi printing, a large space for children and more. Thank you
@STHLibraries
staff!
Awful, heartbreaking news. He’s become an inspiration to millions and his legacy will live on. My thoughts are with his family, his many friends, and his teammates. Rest in peace Rob.
The suggestion by
@BorisJohnson
that people should avoid pubs, restaurants and theatres is a potentially huge blow to those industries. If they aren’t forced to close, they can’t claim insurance. He’s hung vital parts of the national and
#StHelens
local economy out to dry.
The response of
#StHelens
residents, businesses, charities and groups to the challenge of
#COVID19
has been overwhelming.
@sthelenscouncil
has worked to coordinate the effort, and that ethos is here to stay. We are
#StHelensTogether
.
I'm delighted to confirm that at a special meeting this afternoon, my Cabinet and I have agreed a partnership with English Cities Fund to unlock regeneration across the whole of
#StHelens
borough, with our town centres a priority 👉
*PLEASE SHARE*
This Friday at the massive derby game
@Saints1890
v
@WiganWarriorsRL
there will be a collection for local foodbanks.
If everyone attending just brought one tin of food that’d be 16k+. Imagine! Every single donation will help 🙏❤️
#StHelensTogether
#RightToFood
The
@StevePrescott1
Bridge lit 🟡🔵 in
#StHelens
tonight. It’s a small gesture, but an important one. We’re ready to help any Ukrainians who need refuge and urge
@pritipatel
and the UK government to give every support possible to those who need us.
#WeStandWithUkraine
🇺🇦
🗣️
@Saints1890
head coach Paul Wellens:
💬 "This weekend, the governing body has failed in it's duty to protect it's players. On the weekend, we had four players injured by one player tackling in a reckless and dangerous manner."
#⃣
#SuperLeague
#BBCRL
Today we said goodbye to Paul, our friend and colleague at
@sthelenscouncil
. He had a huge impact on the council and our borough, and we will miss him dearly. Rest in peace Paul.
One of the best experiences I’ve had at a sporting event, ever. What a spectacle. Part of a world record crowd to see
@England_RL
become
#wheelchairrugbyleague
world champions!! 🏆🏉🦽🙌🌟
CONGRATULATIONS ENGLAND!!! 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Absolutely delighted for
@sthelenscouncil
staff, our partner agencies & all those involved in our fight to tackle health inequalities in
#StHelens
borough that our efforts have been recognised with a win at the
@themjcouk
Awards! 🏆
Onwards 👊
#MJAwards
Thank you to my
@StHLabour
colleagues tonight for re-electing me Leader of our group for the third time. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last two years but there’s lots more to do. Let’s get to work!
#StHelensTogether
🌈
Our brand new, publicly owned, hydrogen powered buses are now GO! 💚🚌
Running between
#StHelens
and
#Liverpool
every 10 minutes on the 10/10A route. This is our commitment to quality public transport and the fight against climate change.
@MetroMayorSteve
Nomination papers submitted and approved. I am officially the
@UKLabour
candidate for St Helens North.
Vote Labour on July 4th or earlier by postal vote, and let’s turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos and decline 🌹
Home Bargains are a terrific employer. They’ve made an application to build a new distribution unit in
#StHelens
borough, and they would be a very welcome addition to our local economy!
This is a fantastic thing they’re doing for their staff at this time 👇
In Liverpool for a meeting of
@LpoolCityRegion
. Stunning waterfront, UNESCO status or not!
Over £1m agreed today for
#StHelens
- £500k more towards Lea Green improvement scheme, & £600k+ for employment support through the successful Ways to Work programme 👏
@MetroMayorSteve
@LiamThorpECHO
Superb Liam. I have no doubt some will accuse you of political bias but facts are facts. I wish more local and national media would report what’s happened like this.
To remember those who have lost their lives to Covid & to pay tribute to the NHS, carers & keyworkers who helped fight the virus and provide support, we’re planting a cherry blossom tree in every ward in the borough.
Find out more:
💙
#StHelensTogether
🌈