LABOUR remain the largest party on Bolton Council despite being two councillors down today. They gained a seat in Bradshaw from the Tories and dramatically lost a councillor in Astley Bridge where Conservative candidate Toby Hewitt won by a single vote.
Labour also lost to an Independent, Ayyub Chota Patel in Rumworth and Bolton has it’s first ever Green Party councillor, Hanif Alli, who defeated Labour in Halliwell. Labour finished the night with 26 councillors, down two.
The Tories, who previously controlled the council until May 2023, maintained their overall position and still have 15 members of the 60 strong council.
At the count held at Bolton Arena, the Liberal Democrats lost a seat to Labour leave them with six councillors and Horwich and Blackrod Independent’s swept
the board in the wards they stood in, leaving them with six councillors at the Town Hall.
Farnworth and Kearsley First now have five members, gaining seats from Labour in both Farnworth South and Kearsley. Labour leader and current leader of the council Nick Peel, said that ‘two elections’ had taken place, with results in wards with high South Asian populations affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
He said: “We did very well taking a seats from the Conservatives in Bradshaw and the Lib Dems in Westhoughton and lost by the smallest magin of one vote in Astley Bridge. “I think the Palenstine issue dominating the headlines affected the Labour vote in some wards.
“It’s up to the Labour Party, both at national level and in Bolton to engage with communities.” Conservative leader Martyn Cox, said: “It’s relatively pleasing to maintain the same number of councillors given the current circumstances.
“We did well in Breighmet, coming close to winning in a seat that was a very difficult ask and I’m delighted to gain the seat from Labour in Astley Bridge.”
Leader of Farnworth and Kearsley First Tracey Wilkinson said the electorate in those two towns had ‘once again rejected national parties’.
She said: “We’re delighted to make gains. People were saying to us they did not want to vote for traditional parties and wanted people from the area to represent them. “They were voting for councillors who can affect the day to day things that matter to them, the state of the roads, missed bin collections and other local issues.”
In Astley Bridge after two recounts Tory Toby Hewitt won by the narrowest margin possible, defeating Labout incumbent Kate Taylor 1,560 votes to 1,559. In his acceptance speech, he said: “If nothing else, this proves that in local elections every single vote counts.”
As the council remains in no overall control informal discussions are expected to take place between the parties before the council elects a new leader at its annual general meeting at a date to be decided.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds tour the Royal Opera House in London
