Rochdale Council local elections 2023: All the candidates standing in your ward

Elections for Rochdale Council are less than a month away with a single seat in each of the borough’s 20 wards up for grabs this year.

Residents are voting to elect a representative in each of the borough’s 20 wards on polling day on Thursday 4 May.

A total of 72 candidates in total are standing for councillor positions in each of the wards which make up the town. Each councillor is elected for a four-year term of office.

The elections will take place on Thursday 4 May, from 7am until 10pm along with similar votes across the country.

Candidates from the Conservatives and Labour will contest every ward.

The Liberal Democrats have candidates standing in 15 wards while the Green Party are fielding nine candidates. They are joined by five candidates for Middleton Independent Party.

Two independents are standing and there is a single candidate for the Freedom Alliance.

Leader of the council Neil Emmott is up for election this year and will be defending his seat against candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Middleton Independents. In the most recent election last year, Neil narrowly defended his seat against the newly-formed Middleton Independents by just 160 votes.

Neil has represented West Middleton since May 2010 and has been leader of the council since 2021, when he replaced Allen Brett.

Neil also previously represented the former Heywood South ward from 1986 to 1994, then the youngest councillor in Rochdale.

Peter Reed – elected last year in Littleborough Lakeside – is standing down with former Labour councillor John Hartley as his Conservative replacement. John represented Littleborough Lakeside until 2021 and did not stand last year.
 

Read more: Labour left ‘flabbergasted’ as veteran councillor declares he is making a surprise comeback – with the ToriesPublished: 22 February 2023

Residents have until midnight on Monday 17 April to make sure they are on the electoral register and therefore entitled to vote.

To register to vote, go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

The government has passed new laws which will mean changes to elections next month including the need for voter identification if voting in person.

If a voter is without relevant photo ID, they can apply for a voter identification certificate. The deadline to apply for a voter authority certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April to be able to vote at a polling station on 4 May.

The election count and declaration of results will take place on Friday 5 May.

Read more: Local elections 2023 – get ready to have your say on 4 MayPublished: 04 April 2023

 

A full list of candidates standing in Rochdale has now been published and can be viewed in the Elections section of Rochdale Online or they are listed below.

 

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Here is the full list of candidates standing in the Rochdale local council election:

Balderstone & Kirkholt
BLUNDELL, Elsie Jane (LAB)
EVES, Jordan Allan (GRN)
GRABOWSKA, Laura Agnieszka (IND)
RAZZAQ, Mudassar (CON)

Bamford
ANSTEE, Steve (CON)
CHOUDHURY, Rosie Shoozia Khanom LAB)
CUNNANE, Siobhain (LIB)

Castleton
BYWATER, Malcolm Thomas (CON)
JONES, David (IND)
KERSHAW, Jonathan Edward (GRN)
RASHID, Aasim (LAB)
SWARBRICK, John (LIB)

Central Rochdale
ALI, Shajan (CON)
GHAFOOR, Abdul (LIB)
ZAHEER, Sameena Akhtar (LAB)

East Middleton
SLACK, Aaron Joseph (CON)
SMITH, Terry (LAB)
WYNNE, Bernard Peter (MIDDLETON INDEPENDENTS)

Healey
AYRTON, Tricia (LAB)
KAUSER, Safina (LIB)
MAHMOOD, Sajid (CON)

Hopwood Hall
CHONZI, Claudius (CON)
DONALDSON, Iain (LIB)
GLAYSHER, Matthew Colin (MIDDLETON INDEPENDENTS)
HODGKINSON, Peter Edmund (LAB)

Kingsway
HOLLINRAKE, Mark (GRN)
KHALIL, Ibrahim (CON)
MASSEY, Rachel Harriet (LAB)
TAYLOR, Sharon (LIB)

Littleborough Lakeside
HARTLEY, John (CON)
JACKSON, Richard Morgan (LAB)
KAUSER, Zarah (LIB)
OTTEN, Guy Nicholas (GRN)

Milkstone & Deeplish
AKHTAR, Naveed (LIB)
ALI, Feruz (GRN)
MIAH, Raja (CON)
RASHID, Aiza Aasim (LAB)

Milnrow & Newhey
BAMFORD, Dave (LIB)
FORSHAW, Aiden James (CON)
GILMORE, Avis Kay (LAB)
SHARP, Stephen Andrew (GRN)

Norden
CROKE, Sarah Louise (GRN)
HOLLY, Mike (CON)
KAZMI, Farhat(LAB)
ROBERTSON, Stephanie (LIB)

North Heywood
MORRELL, Nigel John (CON)
PLACE, Beverley Jane (LAB)

North Middleton
ATEWOLOGUN, Elizabeth (LAB)
BAYMAN, Darren Philip (CON)
WOLF, Lee (MIDDLETON INDEPENDENTS)

Smallbridge & Firgrove
ASHTON, Paul (FREEDOM ALLIANCE)
BEGUM, Saliah (CON)
KHALID, Fezan (LIB)
MIR, Amna (LAB)

South Middleton
BRAIDEN, Bernard Thomas (CON)
DALE, Patricia Mary (LAB)
HEZELGRAVE-WHITWORTH, Emma Louise (MIDDLETON INDEPENDENTS)

Spotland & Falinge
ASGHAR, Rabina (LIB)
COATS, Mick (GRN)
CONWAY, Annmarie (CON)
NISA, Amber (LAB)

Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough
FARNELL, Julian Simon (LAB)
KELLY, Eleanor Mary (LIB)
MACGUIRE, Hannah Grace (GRN)
TAYLOR, John (CON)

West Heywood
ROBINSON, Linda (LAB)
SHAW, Tom (LIB)
TARRANT-SHORT, Jordan Thomas (CON)

West Middleton
EDWARDS, Nikki (LIB)
EMMOTT, Neil Patrick (LAB)
ROUGHSEDGE, Matt (CON)
SHORE, Peter John (MIDDLETON INDEPENDENTS)

Chris Gee, Local Democracy Reporter

Additional reporting: Rochdale Online News