Labour maintained control of Wigan council as the Conservatives lost a handful of seats at this year's all-out local elections.
The relative downfall of the Conservatives played right into the hands of their historic rivals. The number of Tories is down from seven to just two.
Labour did suffer a blow in the safe ward of Ince, where Independent Coun Maureen O’Bern stole a seat.
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The newcomer rubbed shoulders with town hall leader Coun David Molyneux and Coun Janice Sharratt on the winners' stage.
The ex-Wigan council librarian said she felt ‘vindicated’ after a year-long campaign saw her sail to victory with 1,106 votes, 141 more than leader Coun Molyneux.
“I’ve not taken anything for granted and got out and about,” Coun O’Bern said. “You can’t rely on the name of the party.
“I think for too long, councils have not listened to what people want. I feel vindicated and I’m happy to be a voice for the people”.
That was the only real shock at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
In Orrell and Standish, Labour gained two and one seats from the Conservatives respectively. Labour also made two gains in a seat where the Tories previously had a stronghold, Lowton East, but narrowly lost out to an independent in another tightly contested ward.
Jenny Gregory and Garry Lloyd won seats in the which previously had three Tory councillors. It was the sixth time Coun Lloyd had stood for election in the ward and he said he believed it was ‘name recognition’ which proved decisive for him.
“We’ve worked very hard at this,” Coun Lloyd said. “Sixth time lucky... if at first you don’t succeed try another five times. I cannot be accused of lacking resilience, of having faltered or wavered.
Boundary changes have seen several wards reconfigured. In the new Tyldesley and Mosley Common Ward, independent James Fish pipped Labour’s Farai Nhakansio by just 40 votes to take the third seat, the other two being won by Labour’s Joanne Marshall and Jess Eastoe.
Housing has been a big issue in the ward with a massive development for 1,050 new homes having been given outline approval by the council. However Coun Fish said he would now be doing all he could to ‘get it stopped’ as it has one last hurdle to overcome before it becomes a reality.
“We knew it was going to be a very tight contest, but I’m absolutely delighted,” he told the M.E.N. “They’ll have a councillor now who’ll fight for what they believe in."
Council leader David Molyneux said: “Obviously, all-out elections can become a bit of a lottery and can throw up some strange results and we've also seen a total collapse of the Tory vote across the borough with many of those votes going to the independent candidates.
"We've seen Labour increase its number of councillors across the borough at the expense of the Tories, which is in line with the national picture."
Michael Winstanley, Wigan Conservatives chairman said: “We held seven seats before and now we’re now down to two which is disappointing, we missed out marginally in Orrell and Standish. It was a disappointing night, however we have managed to keep two councillors on Wigan Council.
“Given the fact we’re 13 years into a conservative Government, previously we would've been wiped out. We campaigned on local issues in the election and Labour focused on national issues because they had nothing to say about all things local.
“I missed out by 51 this year, so Orrell remains a marginal ward and we will be fighting back. I can tell you that for nothing.”
The political composition of Wigan council is now as follows:
Labour: 64 (+3)
Independents: Five (+2)
Ind Network: Four 4
Conservatives: Two (-5)
Greater Manchester local election results 2023
Here are all the local election results where you live in Greater Manchester:
- Manchester: Full local election results
- Bolton: Full local elections results
- Bury: Full local election results
- Stockport: Full local election results
- Trafford: Full local election results
- Oldham: Full local election results
- Salford: Full local election results
- Rochdale: Full local election results
- Tameside: Full local election results
- Wigan: Full local election results
