THE Labour Party held on to control of Bury Council, retaining a majority of 11 seats in a convincing night for the party.

Despite fears that national concerns around Anti-Semitism within the Labour Party would have a bearing on the election, they held on to 10 seats, including two in Prestwich, with incumbent Sedgley Park Councillor, Cllr Alan Quinn, retaining the ward by a huge margin of 973.

The Tories made some inroads gaining two wards from Labour, as well as holding three of their own, but suffered a shock setback in another. 

Liberal Democrats leader Cllr Tim Pickstone held on to his Holyrood seat, meaning that the ward continues to have three councillors from the party – however this was the Lib Dem’s only win of the night.

The night’s two most dramatic moments came as Labour claimed Ramsbottom, where Kevin Thomas replaced outgoing Ian Bevan, while Conservative Paul Cropper took a shock victory in Radcliffe North defeating Jane Lewis. 

Conservative Nicholas Jones became one of the council’s youngest members being elected to Pilkington Park and replacing Labour’s John Mallon.

And, after a recount, St Mary’s Ward went to Labour’s Eamonn O’Brien, the council’s cabinet member for finance and housing, by a narrow margin of 57 votes.

Turnout for the election was 37 per cent averaged across all 17 wards, and the new balance of the council is; Labour: 31, Conservatives: 17 and Liberal Democrats: 3.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Rishi Shori, said: “I think it has been a very successful evening for Bury Labour.

“People know with Bury Labour they have got strong councillors with a strong majority working hard to improve people’s lives in spite of tough challenges.” 

He added: “I’m humbled to be elected for the fourth straight time by the residents of Radcliffe West.

“When I first got elected it was by a margin of nine votes so this has been a significant improvement.

“There is a huge amount of work that is needed in Radcliffe and I am committed to improving the local area, despite the challenges faced as a result of Conservative cuts.”

Leader of Bury Conservatives, Councillor James Daly, held on to his North Manor seat.

He said: "I am very grateful to the people of North Manor for having elected me for another four years.

"The Conservatives in Bury will continue to pull forward with policies to improve the lives of residents."

New Tory councillor, Cllr Cropper put his victory down to a “team effort”.

He added: “It’s a wonderful feeling. We suspected it was going well right through the campaign. The majority was higher than I thought.

“We are going to get the potholes filled, and get a new school for Radcliffe.”

Besses - LABOUR HOLD

Kevin Connolly (Conservative) - 551

Larissa Heath (Green) - 118

Dominic Jackson (Lib Dem) - 117

Stephen Morris (English Democrats) - 169

Mary Whitby (Labour) - 1,414

Church - CONSERVATIVE HOLD

- Nicole Haydock (Green) - 197

- Susan Nuttall (Conservative) - 2,059

- Sam Turner (Labour) - 1,260

East - LABOUR HOLD

-  Glyn Heath (Green) - 185

-  Trevor Holt (Labour) - 1,673

-  Sohail Raja (Conservative) - 960

Elton - LABOUR HOLD

  • Charlotte Allen (Green) – 119
  • Martin Hayes (Labour) - 1,622
  • Jacob Royde (Lib Dem) – 60
  • Dene Vernon (Conservative) - 1,390

Holyrood - LIB DEM HOLD

  • Peter Curati (Green) – 128
  • Gavin McGill (Labour) - 1,356
  • Tim Pickstone (Lib Dem) - 1,656
  • Bernard Vincent (Conservative) - 404

Moorside - LABOUR HOLD

-    Victor Hagan (Independent) - 128

-    Jacob Maxwell Nau Tupe (Conservative) - 633

-    Noel Traynor (Green) - 119

-    Sandra Walmsley (Labour) - 1,722

North Manor - CONSERVATIVE HOLD

-    Ewan Arthur (Lib Dem) - 143

-    James Daly (Conservatives) - 2,337

-    Mary Heath (Green) - 122

-    Tom Pilkington (Labour) - 1,213

Pilkington Park - CONSERVATIVE GAIN

-  David Foss (Lib Dem) - 90

-  Neil Greenhalgh (Green) - 130

-  Nicholas Jones (Conservatives) - 1,967

-  John Mallon (Labour) - 1,263

Radcliffe East - LABOUR HOLD

-  Donald Berry (Independent) - 321

-  Robert Graham (Lib Dems) - 160

-  Paul Johnstone (Green) - 94

-  Karen Leach (Labour) - 1,144

-  Luis McBriar (Conservatives) - 709

Radcliffe North - CONSERVATIVE GAIN

- Paul Cropper (Conservatives) - 1,677

- Jane Lewis (Labour) - 1,236

- Rodnew Rew (Lib Dems) - 132

Radcliffe West - LABOUR HOLD

  • Kamran Islam (Lib Dem) – 64
  • Zain Shah (Conservative) – 531
  • Rishi Shori (Labour) - 1,283
  • Karen Wood (Green) - 242

Ramsbottom - LABOUR GAIN

- Jamie Hoyle (Conservative) – 1,788

- Stephen Stokes (Lib Dem) - 130

- Kevin Thomas (Labour) – 2,063

Redvales - LABOUR HOLD

- Julie Green (Conservative) - 817

- Gareth Lloyd-Johnson (Lib Dems) - 117

- Alan Stead (Green) - 170

- Tamoor Tariq (Labour) – 1,994

Sedgley - LABOUR HOLD

- Alan Quinn (Labour) – 2,214

- Maria Tegolo (Lib Dems) - 224

- Nathan Weissbraun (Conservative) - 1,241

St Mary's - LABOUR HOLD

- David Lewis (Conservative) - 372

- Eamonn O’Brien (Labour) - 1,635

- Michael Powell (Lib Dems) - 1,578

Tottington - CONSERVATIVE HOLD

- Samantha Deas (Green) - 113

- Iain Gartside (Conservative) – 1,561

- Anthony McCaul (Labour) - 1,164

- Andy Minty (Lib Dems) – 84

Unsworth - LABOUR HOLD

  • Steve Middleton (Lib Dems) – 589
  • Mohammed Rafiq (Labour) - 1,250
  • Satyen Sinha (Conservative) - 996