Short answers, pulled from the story.
West Lancashire was created on the 1st of April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It combined Ormskirk Urban District, Skelmersdale and Holland Urban District, most of West Lancashire Rural District, and the Dalton, Parbold and Wrightington parishes of Wigan Rural District.
West Lancashire sits in the south-west of Lancashire, England. It is bordered by Greater Manchester to the east, Merseyside to the south and west, and Fylde across the Ribble Estuary to the north, with South Ribble and Chorley to the east.
Ormskirk and Skelmersdale are the two main towns in West Lancashire. Skelmersdale was originally built as a New Town, and Ormskirk is where the borough council is based, along with other settlements such as Burscough, Up Holland and Tarleton.
David Whittington has led West Lancashire Borough Council since the 21st of May 2026. He followed Yvonne Gagen, who led from the 18th of May 2022 to the 20th of May 2026.
No party has held outright control of West Lancashire Borough Council since May 2025, although Labour holds more seats than any other party. Between 2025 and 2026 a coalition of Conservative and Our West Lancashire councillors ran the authority.
Ashley Dalton has represented the West Lancashire constituency for Labour since the 2023 West Lancashire by-election, covering Burscough, Skelmersdale and Ormskirk. The northern part of the borough falls under the South Ribble constituency, represented by Conservative MP Katherine Fletcher since the 2019 general election.