All the candidates standing in the Rochdale 2022 local election

Rochdale’s political landscape could be radically transformed next month in the borough’s first ‘all out’ election since 2004.

The borough is made up of 20 wards, each represented by three councillors who serve four-year terms before standing down or seeking re-election.

During a ‘normal’ election year only a third of the council's 60 seats are up for grabs due to the way the electoral cycle works – with one in every four years being ‘fallow’.

But this time a boundary shake-up means every seat is up for election and every councillor needs the backing of voters if they want to hold on to theirs.

At present the council is dominated by Labour, who have 44 councillors, followed by the Conservatives with 11 and the Liberal Democrats with four.

Kath Nickson, the only independent, is not standing at this election.
 

Read more: Party hopping councillor has left the ConservativesPublished: 10 November 2021

But could the council chamber have a very different complexion on 6 May? With 100 candidates challenging Labour (36 Conservative, 37 Lib Dem, 10 Green, 15 Middleton Independents plus a Freedom Alliance and an independent), let's take a look at the competition:

Labour

While it would no doubt be a massive shock should Labour lose control of the council, opposition groups will also be hopeful of having a bigger say in the year ahead.

Labour will naturally be worried that the Clean Air Zone controversy could have an impact at the ballot box, although a similar outcry over the ‘Places for Everyone’ development plan last year appeared to do them little harm.

Labour is taking no chances and has put forward a full 60 candidates with three in each of the 20 wards.

Interestingly this year, a number of existing Labour councillors have changed wards: perhaps of most interest is the movement of Councillor Allen Brett from Milkstone & Deeplish back to his former ward of Milnrow & Newhey.

Other sitting councillors changing wards include

• Elsie Wraighte from Kingsway to Balderstone & Kirkholt
• Sultan Ali from Central to Bamford
• Sameena Zaheer from Milkstone & Deeplish to Central
• June West from East Middleton to South Middleton
• Linda Robinson from Hopwood Hall to West Heywood
• Rachel Massey from Spotland & Falinge to Kingsway

Two former Labour councillors are back to contest a seat in the form of Neil Butterworth (North Middleton), who was a Labour councillor for Milnrow & Newhey between 2014 and 2018 and Peter Malcolm (West Heywood), former Labour councillor for West Heywood between 2016 and 2020. 

Zulfiqar Ali (Central), former Liberal Democrat councillor for Central between 1998 and 2012, is also standing for the party this year.

Former Labour councillor Alan Godson is also back this year, but this time he is representing the Green party in North Middleton.
 

Read more: Former Labour Mayor of Rochdale defects to Lib Dems citing ‘in-fighting’ and splitsPublished: 23 March 2022

Opposition - Conservatives and Liberal Democrats

Labour's opponents are sure to look to capitalise on a 3.6% council tax rise which came into force earlier this month.

However the Conservatives aren’t without their own concerns, and will likely be nervously waiting to see if voters will punish them for the ‘partygate’ scandal and the growing cost of living crisis.

That could leave the door open for the Lib Dems, who are fielding more candidates than the Conservatives this time round, building on some solid campaigning in their target areas.

Currently the Conservatives hold seats in Bamford (three), Norden (three), West Heywood (two) and Wardle and West Littleborough (three), but are fielding 36 candidates across every ward except East Middleton and North Heywood.

Conservatives Jacqui Beswick and Alan McCarthy are leaving their current West Heywood posts and contesting for seats in Hopwood Hall.

The Lib Dems are standing in most wards across the borough with 37 candidates - excluding East Middleton, Hopwood Hall, North Middleton, South Middleton and West Heywood.

One place the Lib Dems may expect to do well in is Spotland and Falinge, where Rabina Asghar ran Labour’s Iram Faisal close to finish second last year.

Whilst the most contested seats include Bamford and Spotland (10 candidates each), the least contested seem to be North and West Heywood wards. North Heywood is being contested by just Labour and the Lib Dems, whilst the West Heywood ward is a Labour/Conservative face-off.

Privately, local Tories concede that national headwinds are not in their favour, but remain reasonably confident of holding on to what they have.

They also expect to do well in Littleborough Lakeside and believe gains could be made in Castleton or the Heywood and Middleton wards.

Leader Councillor Ashley Dearnely says the party is ‘targeting its efforts’ to ensure it wins seats where it is fielding candidates, and reports a positive response ‘on the doorstep’.

 

 

A new direction?

There is also a new kid on the block this year, in the form of Middleton Independents Party (MIP), which is hoping to take control of their local wards.

Only officially registered with the Electoral Commission last month, the party is fielding three candidates in all five Middleton wards – including Hopwood Hall.

In West Middleton this will see the fledgling party taking on council leader Neil Emmott, in a real David versus Goliath clash.
 

Read more: Fledgling political party officially registered ahead of ‘all out’ council election fight Published: 14 March 2022

 

Also challenging the status quo this year will be the Green party fielding 10 candidates in eight wards.

The Greens say they are “the only boroughwide party offering more radical policies and local solutions.”

The party has one candidate in each of the following wards – Balderstone & Kirkholt; Bamford; East Middleton; Kingsway; Littleborough Lakeside; North Middleton – and two in both Spotland & Falinge and Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough.

Who is not standing this year?

Sitting councillors this year who are not standing in the election include:

• Wendy Cocks (West Heywood)
• Ray Dutton (North Heywood)
• John Hartley (Littleborough Lakeside)
• Kieran Heakin (Healey)
• Jean Hornby (Castleton)
• Peter Joinson (South Middleton)
• Donna Martin (East Middleton)
• Kathleen Nickson (Balderstone & Kirkholt)
• Kallum Nolan (North Middleton)

Polls open on Thursday 5 May, but people must be registered to vote by midnight on Thursday 14 April.

In a change this year, the election count and declaration of results will take place on Friday 6 May.

A full list of candidates standing in Rochdale has now been published: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/candidates/37

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter

Additional reporting: Michelle Kight, Rochdale Online News