Lib Dems take control of council

The Liberal Democrats took control of Rochdale Council for the first time on what Lib Dem Leader Alan Taylor called an “historic night”. The Liberal Democrats won ten seats, Labour won eight seats and the Conservatives won two seats on a night that saw three, now former, councillors lose their seats – the Mayor, Labour’s Jean Hornby, Labour’s Darren Pedley and the Conservative’s Ian Duckworth.

 

The council composition is now: 

• Liberal Democrats - 32 seats
• Labour - 20 Seats
• Conservative - 8 Seats

The closest result of the night came in Bamford ward where the Conservatives Ian Duckworth lost his council seat to the Liberal Democrats Andrew Abbot. Mr Duckworth was magnanimous in defeat saying he wished “Councillor Abbot” well, he also added that he felt “very sad" for all the people who had "worked hard" to try and get him re-elected.

 

Councillor Abbot was whooping for joy and hugging his supporters as the realisation sank in that, after a recount, he had taken the seat by the slenderest of margins, he said he was "delighted" and his party leader Councillor Alan Taylor  agreed saying: "I am particularly delighted for Andrew, no one deserves to win more, no one has worked so hard to get a result."

 

The Liberal Democrats also gained North Heywood as Mayor Jean Hornby (Labour)  lost her seat to Doreen Brophy-Lee by just 56 votes.

 

Labour were stronger than many expected in Middleton, holding their three seats and gaining South Middleton from the Conservatives to give them a clean sweep in the four seats contested.

 

Labour also gained what was Paul Rowen’s seat in Milkstone and Deeplish. Mr Rowen had stood down as councillor but said he was “obviously disappointed” that the Lib Dem candidate, Javed Iqbal, seeking to hold the seat for the Lib Dems, was beaten. Labour’s Imtiaz Ahmed won the seat by 75 votes.

 

Labour lost a councillor in Darren Pedley (Balderstone amp; Kirkholt); Mr Pedley had thought he had his campaign won earlier in the week and was surprised when Rochdale Online research suggested he would lose, a prediction that turned out to be accurate as the Lib Dem candidate Liz Thirsk took the seat by 111 votes. Lib Dem Leader Alan Taylor said he was not surprised with the result, he added: “Liz Thirsk is well known in Balderstone and Kirkholt and has been active throughout the year. We targeted the seat as Dale Mulgrew had broken the Labour hegemony in the ward last year and we now have two Lib Dem councillors in the ward to Labour’s one."

 

Councillor Taylor also expressed his delight that the Lib Dems now have all three councillors in Kingsway following Naim Mahmud’s victory over Labour’s Tom Stott by just 84 votes. With a broad smile on his face, he called the taking of the third Kingsway seat a “mopping up exercise”.

 

Major controversy in Smallbridge and Firgrove ward as the Returning Officer, Council Chief Executive Roger Ellis, had to visit the polling station due, our source informs us, to problems with supporters of Sultan Ali “advising” Asian voters how to vote in a “non-English language”. The Lib Dems Brenda Kerslake held the seat but was very relieved after what she called a campaign full of “dirty tricks” by the opposition.

 

Similar problems were reported in Spotland and Falinge Ward where police had to eject Labour supporters of Surinder Biant from inside polling stations [where they are not allowed] on fourteen separate occasions; it is believed an official complaint has been submitted.

 

Well known Rochdale hairdresser Greg Couzens retained the seat for the Lib Dems quite comfortably. He said it felt “fantastic to be a councillor” and promised to “fight hard for funding, to build a stronger community and to assist in the fight against crime” in the ward.

 

Leader of the Council Alan Taylor (Lib Dem) said the campaign had been a very positive one from the Lib Dem viewpoint but was critical of both the Labour and Conservative parties for what he called “negative campaigning”. However, Councillor Taylor said he wanted to focus on the “achievement” of taking the Liberal Democrats from the 25 seats they had two years ago to the 32 seats and overall control of the council they now enjoy.

 

Gains, holds amp; losses

 

Liberal Democrats

• Gained Bamford, Balderstone amp; Kirkholt, Kingsway and North Heywood.
• Lost Central Rochdale and Milkstone amp; Deeplish.
• Held Castleton, Healey, Littleborough Lakeside, Milnrow amp; Newhey, Smallbridge amp; Firgrove and Spotland amp; Falinge.

Labour

• Gained Central Rochdale, Milkstone amp; Deeplish and South Middleton.
• Lost Balderstone amp; Kirkholt, Kingsway and North Heywood.
• Held East Middleton, Hopwood Hall, North Middleton, West Heywood and West Middleton.

Conservatives

• Lost Bamford and South Middleton.
• Held Norden and Wardle amp; West Littleborough.

Full coverage:

• election_2007_results.asp - Full Results
• election_2007_photos.asp - Photos
• election_2007_commentary.asp - Commentary