Post by admin on May 10, 2007 2:03:30 GMT 1
LABOUR bucked the national trend in Rossendale with the party gaining two seats.
Although the daytime count lost much of the atmosphere that exists as the wee small hours tick by, the tension was heightened when three wards went to recounts.
And one, Irwell in Bacup, was recounted four times before Tory mayor Councillor Peter Steen was eventually declared the winner, beating Labour’s Tina Durkin by just two votes.
Three by-elections were held concurrent with the 12 seats, but the balance of power remains firmly in the hands of the Conservative’s, who now have 22 councillors to Labour‘s 12.
There is one Independent member and the Liberal Democrats returned from the political wilderness, with Catherine Pilling gaining Greenfield ward from Tory Peter Starkey.
The British National Party fielded four candidates but failed to win a seat.
Labour group leader Councillor David Hanthingy put their success down to being a strong party in opposition.
He said: ‘We have been constructive, questioning the Conservatives when we feel they are doing something wrong and supporting them when it is right. We are buoyed by this result. It shows there is support for us.’
Council leader Duncan Rudthingy said he was sorry to lose two valued councillors in Peter Starkey and David Barnes, but added: ‘We have still got a huge majority and are still able to put through our reforms and improvements.
‘People are talking about the Conservative party not having a foothold in Lancashire, but we have one of the biggest majorities in the county.’
Next year, 11 Conservative and just one Labour seat will be contested.
Councillor Rudthingy admitting that would be a ‘challenge’ for his party, but said he felt if they continued to bring about improvements such as the redevelopment of Haslingden Sports Centre and the new Valley Centre, that would show people what the party was achieving.
Liberal Democrat’s victorious candidate Catherine Pilling said: ‘We have fielded candidates in every ward and I am delighted to have won Greenfield.’
And Kevin Bryan, Rossendale organiser for the BNP, said: ‘I am quite pleased with the results, we have no councillors but I didn’t think we would get elected.’
RESULTS
[/td]
[td]Labour[/td]
[td]528[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Farzana Quraishi[/td]
[td]Liberal Democrats[/td]
[td]147[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Anthony Swain[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]663[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Alison Tickner[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]586[/td][/tr][/table]
[/td]
[tr][td]Barbara Marriott[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]361[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tim Nuttall[/td]
[td]Liberal Democrats[/td]
[td]515[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Amanda Robertson[/td]
[td]Labour[/td]
[td]529[/td][/tr][/table]
Key: Con. STHC = Conservative Stop The Hospital Cuts
IT WAS a double celebration for the Tories as they retained both of the seats being contested in Ramsbottom in last night’s elections.
Sheila Magnall kept her Ramsbottom seat with 1,766 votes - a 759 majority over Val Robinson (Lab) with 1,007 votes, and Janet Turner (Lib Dem) 398.
And in North Manor ward, covering the Holcombe and Summerseat areas, Tory David Higgins was re-elected with 2,411 votes – a 1658 majority over Roy Hardy (Lab) with 753, Ewan Arthur (Lib Dem) 498, and Jonathan Barbour (BNP) 184.
Although the Conservatives failed to make the huge gains they had predicted in Bury, they are now the largest party for the first time in 21 years.
However, they did not gain enough seats to take overall majority, leaving the council ‘hung’. The Conservatives needed to take four seats for a majority but finished the night with 23 seats, Labour 20, and Lib Dems eight.
Labour lost three seats – two in the Prestwich wards of St Mary’s and Sedgley to the Lib Dems, and one to the Conservatives in Radcliffe North.
The BNP fielded eight candidates but failed to win a seat.
The overall turnout in Bury was 38.25 per cent, slightly up on last year’s 37 per cent.
Click here for the Bury results in full ...
Catherine Smyth and Lisa Kenyon
First published by the Rossendale Free Press
Although the daytime count lost much of the atmosphere that exists as the wee small hours tick by, the tension was heightened when three wards went to recounts.
And one, Irwell in Bacup, was recounted four times before Tory mayor Councillor Peter Steen was eventually declared the winner, beating Labour’s Tina Durkin by just two votes.
Three by-elections were held concurrent with the 12 seats, but the balance of power remains firmly in the hands of the Conservative’s, who now have 22 councillors to Labour‘s 12.
There is one Independent member and the Liberal Democrats returned from the political wilderness, with Catherine Pilling gaining Greenfield ward from Tory Peter Starkey.
The British National Party fielded four candidates but failed to win a seat.
Labour group leader Councillor David Hanthingy put their success down to being a strong party in opposition.
He said: ‘We have been constructive, questioning the Conservatives when we feel they are doing something wrong and supporting them when it is right. We are buoyed by this result. It shows there is support for us.’
Council leader Duncan Rudthingy said he was sorry to lose two valued councillors in Peter Starkey and David Barnes, but added: ‘We have still got a huge majority and are still able to put through our reforms and improvements.
‘People are talking about the Conservative party not having a foothold in Lancashire, but we have one of the biggest majorities in the county.’
Next year, 11 Conservative and just one Labour seat will be contested.
Councillor Rudthingy admitting that would be a ‘challenge’ for his party, but said he felt if they continued to bring about improvements such as the redevelopment of Haslingden Sports Centre and the new Valley Centre, that would show people what the party was achieving.
Liberal Democrat’s victorious candidate Catherine Pilling said: ‘We have fielded candidates in every ward and I am delighted to have won Greenfield.’
And Kevin Bryan, Rossendale organiser for the BNP, said: ‘I am quite pleased with the results, we have no councillors but I didn’t think we would get elected.’
RESULTS
| CRIBDEN | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 38.62% | Maj 166 |
| Judy Bates | Con. STHC | 231 |
| Christine Gill | Labour | 456 |
| Rita O’Brien | British National Party | 120 |
| Robert Sheffield | Liberal Democrats | 290 |
| EDEN | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 39.32% | Maj 442 |
| Anne Cheetham | Conservative | 708 |
| Jim Pilling | Liberal Democrats | 127 |
| Margaret Stanley | Labour | 266 |
| FACIT AND SHAWFORTH | Turnout | |
| LAB GAIN | 39.61% | Maj 38 |
| Tom Aldred | Labour | 431 |
| Reginald Lane | Liberal Democrats | 393 |
| Hazel Steen | Con. STHC | 251 |
| GREENFIELD | Turnout | |
| LIB DEM GAIN | 37.03% | Maj 239 |
| Catherine Pilling | Liberal Democrats | 919 |
| Peter Starkey | Conservative | 680 |
| GREENSCLOUGH | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 38.18% | Maj 12 |
| Michael Carr | Liberal Democrats | 394 |
| Bill Challinor | Conservative | 469 |
| Bernadette O’Connor | Labour | 457 |
| Peter Salt | British National Party | 369 |
| HAREHOLME (2 seats) | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 34.96% | |
| Michael Christie | Con. STHC | 560 |
| Benjamin Dixon | Liberal Democrats | 206 |
| Amanda Hewlett | Labour | 693 |
| Mark Mills | Conservative | 626 |
| Trevor Unsworth | Labour | 713 |
| HEALEY AND WHITWORTH | Turnout | |
| LAB GAIN | 33.80% | Maj 26 |
| David Barnes | Conservative | 318 |
| Michael Crossley | British National Party | 220 |
| Joanne Karoo | Liberal Democrats | 98 |
| Roger Wilson | Labour | 344 |
| HELMSHORE | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 33.57% | Maj 425 |
| Marc Karoo | Liberal Democrats | 244 |
| Stuart Pawson | Conservative | 859 |
| Marilyn Proctor | Labour | 434 |
| IRWELL | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 31.91% | Maj 2 |
| Cliff Adamson | Liberal Democrats | 115 |
| Kevin Bryan | British National Party | 315 |
| Tina Durkin | Labour | 384 |
| Peter Steen | Con. STHC | 386 |
| LONGHOLME (2 seats) | Turnout | |
| CON HOLD & GAIN 1 SEAT | 34.13% | |
| Denise Hanthingy | Labour | 554 |
[td]Labour[/td]
[td]528[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Farzana Quraishi[/td]
[td]Liberal Democrats[/td]
[td]147[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Anthony Swain[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]663[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Alison Tickner[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]586[/td][/tr][/table]
| STACKSTEADS | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 30.61% | Maj 231 |
| Christine Lamb | Labour | 485 |
| Susan Popland | Conservative | 254 |
| Sue Workman | Liberal Democrats | 107 |
| WHITEWELL | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 32.49 |
[tr][td]Barbara Marriott[/td]
[td]Conservative[/td]
[td]361[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tim Nuttall[/td]
[td]Liberal Democrats[/td]
[td]515[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Amanda Robertson[/td]
[td]Labour[/td]
[td]529[/td][/tr][/table]
| WORSLEY | Turnout | |
| NO CHANGE | 31.90% | Maj 104 |
| Sadaqut Amin | Liberal Democrats | 301 |
| Ann Kenyon | Labour | 532 |
| Joyce Thorne | Conservative | 636 |
Key: Con. STHC = Conservative Stop The Hospital Cuts
IT WAS a double celebration for the Tories as they retained both of the seats being contested in Ramsbottom in last night’s elections.
Sheila Magnall kept her Ramsbottom seat with 1,766 votes - a 759 majority over Val Robinson (Lab) with 1,007 votes, and Janet Turner (Lib Dem) 398.
And in North Manor ward, covering the Holcombe and Summerseat areas, Tory David Higgins was re-elected with 2,411 votes – a 1658 majority over Roy Hardy (Lab) with 753, Ewan Arthur (Lib Dem) 498, and Jonathan Barbour (BNP) 184.
Although the Conservatives failed to make the huge gains they had predicted in Bury, they are now the largest party for the first time in 21 years.
However, they did not gain enough seats to take overall majority, leaving the council ‘hung’. The Conservatives needed to take four seats for a majority but finished the night with 23 seats, Labour 20, and Lib Dems eight.
Labour lost three seats – two in the Prestwich wards of St Mary’s and Sedgley to the Lib Dems, and one to the Conservatives in Radcliffe North.
The BNP fielded eight candidates but failed to win a seat.
The overall turnout in Bury was 38.25 per cent, slightly up on last year’s 37 per cent.
Click here for the Bury results in full ...
Catherine Smyth and Lisa Kenyon
First published by the Rossendale Free Press