'Forgotten' town on the banks of the Mersey will be centre of attention this week People in the town will have a chance to make their voices heard on Thursday A woman walks down Runcorn High Street (Image: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images ) Runcorn will be at the centre of attention this week as voters go to the polls in a key by-election. The town, which is in the Liverpool City Region, makes up a large part of the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary constituency, where people will vote for a new MP on Thursday, May 1. Runcorn and Helsby was represented by Mike Amesbury, who was elected as its Labour MP at last year's general election. Amesbury, who had previously represented the now-abolished constituency of Weaver Vale, had the Labour whip suspended in October 2024 after videos emerged of him punching a constituent to the ground following a night out in Frodsham. ‌ Amesbury stepped down in March after he was handed a 10-week suspended sentence. He had pleaded guilty to common assault and was initially jailed, but he had his sentence suspended on appeal in February. Article continues below The MP's resignation triggered May's by-election. Voters in the constituency will elect their new MP on May 1 - the same day as many local elections around the country. Amesbury was elected with a majority of almost 15,000 votes last year, making the seat a perceived Labour stronghold. However, bookmakers have Nigel Farage's Reform UK as the favourites to win in what is expected to be a race against Labour. It is the first parliamentary by-election since Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party took power at last year's general election - making it a key test of public opinion of the government. All eyes from British politics will be trained on the town this week, analysing what the result means for Labour and Reform's growing challenge to the government. ‌ Here, we take you through all you need to know about the constituency and the by-election. Where is Runcorn and Helsby? A map showing the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary constituency (Image: Google / Parliament UK ) Runcorn, an industrial town found on the south bank of the River Mersey and 15 miles from the Port of Liverpool, has a population of around 61,000 people. It expanded and became a key port during the industrial revolution and was later dominated by the chemical industries. ‌ However, that industry declined in the second half of the 20th century. Runcorn was designated a new town in the 1960s as it expanded eastwards and doubled its population. Its current constituency, Runcorn and Helsby, was established for the general election in 2024. It took parts of the former parliamentary constituencies of Halton, Weaver Vale, Ellesmere Port & Neston and the City of Chester. Runcorn and Helsby covers a large part of Cheshire. It includes the towns of Runcorn and Frodsham, as well as the villages of Daresbury, Stanlow, Helsby (around nine miles from Chester), Elton (near Ellesmere Port) and Guilden Sutton (around three miles east of Chester). ‌ It means the constituency falls into two different council boroughs - Cheshire West & Chester and Halton. This means some of the constituency is in the Liverpool City Region - as Halton is one of the six boroughs which makes up the combined authority. A constituency map shows that it stretches from the north east of Chester to Runcorn, pushing west to Kingsley and east to the River Mersey, touching the border of Ellesmere Port. What have voters said? The ECHO has covered the campaign so far, interviewing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and senior Labour cabinet members Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting as they have visited the region to make the case for their parties. ‌ We have also spoken to voters in Runcorn before they vote, asking what they want from their new MP. In September, following Amesbury's guilty plea, the ECHO's Liam Thorp asked residents what they wanted to be done in the town. Chris Jones, 68, who runs Hot Frog Records in Regent Street, said Runcorn needs concrete regeneration. He told the ECHO: "I would like to see something done in our little old town, that we were promised when I opened a shop here 25 years ago." "We were promised regeneration in Runcorn so I left the job I was in - I was a graphic designer - and opened up a picture framing business here because I saw they were regenerating the old town. ‌ "I've been here for 25 years and if anything it has gone down." He said any regeneration plans need to focus on the High Street area, adding: "We feel totally forgotten down here." Phil Phair was another who would like to see new life breathed into the town centre. "Regeneration is the big thing I think," he said. "It feels like Runcorn gets nothing. This is a great area and there is loads they could do with it to make it smarter and get people in, it feels a bit forgotten about here." ‌ In April, returning to Runcorn to speak to voters before the election, the ECHO heard from many people who said they wanted to vote for Reform. Among them was a taxi driver who did not wish to be named. He said: "I'm not bothered about immigration, it is illegal immigration I am bothered about. There are people here living on the streets who get nothing." He said Reform's hard-lined stance on immigration is one reason he will back them on May 1. On Regent Street, once the bustling heart of Runcorn's old town, David Moors said he was depressed by the current state of the town. He did not reveal his voting intentions. ‌ The 64-year-old said: "I have lived here all my life, look at the state of the place. I used to love it, it used to be busy, it is a ghost town now. We get nothing here." Referring to Regent Street specifically, he added: "This street used to be bustling. This town used to have all kinds going on. It's dead now, there is nothing for youths, which is why they cause havoc in the town - they have got nowhere to go." Despite the frustration and sadness, David still has deep feeling for his home town. He added: "This is my home. I still love Runcorn. I am just sad at what has happened to it. I don't think the politicians are doing anything for Runcorn. ‌ "I would be open to listening to someone who would do something." Who are the candidates in Runcorn and Helsby? The full list of candidates for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election on May 1 is as follows: Catherine Anne Blaiklock (English Democrats) Dan Clarke (Liberal Party) Chris Copeman (Green Party) Paul Duffy (Liberal Democrats) Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party) Peter Ford (Workers Party) Sean Houlston (Conservatives) Jason Philip Hughes (Volt UK) Alan McKie (Independent) Graham Harry Moore (English Constitution Party) Paul Andrew Murphy (Social Democratic Party) Sarah Pochin (Reform) Karen Shore (Labour) John Stevens (Rejoin EU)