A councillor who recently quit the hyper-local party he co-founded is trying to set up a new political outfit of his own.
Councillor Paul Heslop, who sits as an independent on Bolton council, left Farnworth and Kearsley First in February.
Coun Heslop helped set up the party in 2017. He was elected in Kearsley last year, with an emphatic majority 1,847.
Earlier this year, he said he had been 'at odds' with senior members of the group and was 'struggling' with the party's direction.
After leaving Farnworth and Kearsley First, Coun Heslop set up a Facebook page called 'One Kearsley', but said there was 'no real urgency' to turn it into a new political party.
On Thursday evening (May 28), Coun Heslop revealed he had submitted an application to the Electoral Commission for One Kearsley to be recognised as a political party.
In a statement on Facebook, Coun Heslop wrote: "You heard it here first. An application for 'One Kearsley' to become a registered political party has been submitted to the Electoral Commission and is awaiting approval.
"During lockdown One Kearsley has been working away in the background and soon we will be revealing our exciting plans for moving forward.
"You will be hearing a lot from One Kearsley in the future - using social media and importantly, traditional media: newsletters and resident engagement."
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