Local Election: Labour take 16 out of 20 seats

Labour leader Councillor Richard Farnell (centre) who retained his Balderstone & Kirkholt seat with Labour MP for Heywood & Middleton Liz McInnes and Labour Councillor Billy Sheerin who retained his seat in Castleton

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A good night for the Labour party, an average night for the Conservatives and a bad night for the Liberal Democrats.

Having won 16 out of 20 seats being contested, the Labour party retained its significant majority on Rochdale Borough Council with 48 councillors.

Labour's one setback was the loss of Milnrow and Newhey to the Liberal Democrats but Spotland and Falinge was gained back from the Conservatives.

Leader of the Labour Party, Councillor Richard Farnell: “I am really pleased to be able to say that Labour has once again done me proud in Rochdale. We have won 16 out of 20 seats, which just goes to show the hard work and determination of the Labour party, which is defending our services and fighting against central government cuts to protect the people of Rochdale.”

The Conservatives held seats in Wardle and West Littleborough, Bamford and Norden, but lost Spotland and Falinge ward (though they only gained this seat when former councillor Shefali Ahmed defected from Labour to the Conservatives via Rochdale First), and will be disappointed in their poor showing in Littlebrough Lakeside where Labour's John Hartley retained his seat quite comfortably.

Jane Gartside, who stood down after 33 years as a Conservative councillor for Bamford, said: “Tonight I finally stood down, but I did so with great faith in Jane Howard, who I met when she was a young girl. I have every confidence that she will do an excellent job in the Bamford ward and I am so very proud of her.”

Jane Howard said: “I am over the moon that this has really happened. If I can do half the job that Jane did then I will be doing a good job. I’m very pleased to be able to have such an opportunity and I am looking forward to representing the Bamford ward."

For all their pre-election bravado about the election being the start of rebuilding the Liberal Democrats locally, and their (over confident) predictions of winning a number of seats, they won only in Milnrow and Newhey, and though former council leader Irene Davidson was understandably pleased with the result having regained her former seat, there can be little doubt the vote was more a personal vote than a Lib Dem vote given the Lib Dem's poor showing in the rest of the borough.

Irene Davidson said: “I am so overwhelmed by the result, I had a wonderful team around me which made a great difference to the campaign. I had faith all the time and the residents of Milnrow and Newhey have done me a great honour allowing me to represent them again.”

Of the other parties, UKIP polled the most votes, coming second in eight wards but not getting close to first in any of those eight.

The make-up of the council is now:

• Labour – 48 
• Conservative - 10
• Liberal Democrat - 2

Overall turnout was 35.6%.

The highest turnout was in Bamford ward where 45.5% voted, closely followed by Central Ward with a turnout of 44.2%

The lowest turnout was in West Middleton with just 27.9% voting. North Heywood (28.1%), West Heywood (29.1%) and North Middleton (29.9%) also had very low turnouts.

Percentage of votes: 

• Labour 52%
• Conservative 19%
• UKIP 16%
• Liberal Democrats 8%
• Green Party 3%
• Independent 2%
• Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts < 1%

The full set of results and turnouts can be seen at:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/election-results/26