Local elections 2024: little change on Wigan Council as Labour secures same number of seats

With the party riding high in the national polls, campaigners had expected to keep the 21 seats Labour was defending on Thursday.

And when Mike Smith toppled Conservative Kathleen Houlton in Lowton East, the party looked to be heading for an even tighter grip of the borough.

Yet there was one final twist to come, as independent candidate Tony Whyte defeated Labour’s Janice Sharratt to inflict the only blow on the party in the borough.

Like at other Greater Manchester counts, there was a long delay at both Robin Park and Leigh Sports Village as the council had to receive the green light for verification of votes from Manchester, due to the mayoral election.

Counting staff chatted amongst themselves for well over an hour, but once that hurdle was finally cleared, a string of Labour successes swiftly followed.

“I think there's been a lot of hard work done by all of our candidates,” said Coun David Molyneux, Labour leader of Wigan Council.

“I think there's a feeling, everybody wants a general election, and that's the story we get on the doorstep.

“The other thing is, obviously it's the mayoral elections as well, and it certainly has a big impact in terms of people’s opinions on how they want to vote.”

While it was a solid night for his party overall, Coun Molyneux has now lost two Labour councillors in his own ward over the last 12 months, with Tony Whyte following in Maureen O’Bern’s footsteps.

Coun Whyte said: “I feel great. I think Labour need a shake-up in this town, they've done a number of things a lot of people aren't happy with, and we're independents trying to put things right – but it will take a while, because there are still too many Labour councillors.”

Over in Leigh, the insurgent independents who gave Labour a surprise upset last year managed to hold on to their seats, with James Fish increasing his majority in Tyldesley to 1,538 from 940 the year before.

But Mike Smith’s whopping vote tally of 2,179 in Lowton East to overcome Tory Kathleen Houlton’s 1,845 was the story of the night in Leigh.

“Leigh is a bell-weather,” said Labour’s deputy council leader Keith Cunliffe. He explained that when the national mood turned from former leader Jeremy Corbyn, it was tough on the doorstep, but now there is a different story.

“We've had Conservative voters telling us they won't turn up to vote for the party, we've even had some say they'll vote Labour,” he added.

The Tories were expecting a tough night against the national backdrop, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s party way behind Labour in the polls.

Their fears were compounded, with the party now having just one member on Wigan Council, while Reform UK picked up hundreds of votes across the five wards they stood in – chipping away at the Tory vote.

The make-up of Wigan Council is now as follows:

Labour: 64

Independent: six

Independent Network: four

Conservative: one

The full results are:

Abram: David William Bowker (Independent) 746; Nazia Tabussam Rehman (Labour and Co-operative) 1,353; Graham Trevor Suddick (Liberal Democrats) 114; Janet Elizabeth Walch (Conservative) 191.

Ashton-in-Makerfield South: Andrew John Bullen (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,259; Paul Martin (Conservative) 260; Geoffrey Stephen Matthews (Liberal Democrats) 47; Gary Wilkes (Independent) 850.

Aspull, New Springs & Whelley: Laura Jean Flynn (Labour) 1,734; Peter George Edmund Kitts (Green) 406; Marie Winstanley (Conservative) 533.

Astley: Sandra Elizabeth Robinson (Independent Network) 862; Eileen Patricia Strathearn (Conservative) 753; Barry John Taylor (Labour) 1,792.

Atherton North: Paul Blinkhorn (Labour) 1,033; Quinton John Smith (Atherton North Independent) 533; David John Stirzaker (Conservative) 127; James Paul Watson (Independent Network) 1,070.

Atherton South & Lilford: Martin James Farrimond (Conservative) 368; Rachel Flaszczak (Independent Network) 1,152; Lee Robert McStein (Labour and Co-operative) 1,418.

Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North: Judith Atherton (Conservative) 143; Margaret Therese Gaffney (Labour) 859; Scarlett Myler (Independent) 1,512.

Douglas: Margaret Atherton (Conservative) 296; Matt Dawber (Labour) 1,379; Peter Ernest Jacobs (Green) 304.

Golborne & Lowton West: Susan Gambles (Labour) 1,572; Andrew Julian Lee Holland (Liberal Democrats) 101; Edward Noel Houlton (Conservative) 387; Richard Andrew Scott (Leigh and Atherton Independent) 420.

Hindley: Oliver Peter Clark (Green) 97; Dave Culshaw (Independent) 102; Jim Ellis (Independent Network) 519; Jordan Gaskell (Independent) 201; Gerard Joseph Houlton (Conservative) 89; John Charles Skipworth (Liberal Democrats) 54; James Swift (Reform UK) 315; James Talbot (Labour) 1,013.

Hindley Green: Susan Atherton (Conservative) 131; James Thomas Palmer (Labour) 1,260; Ray Peters (Reform UK) 392; Mark Prescott (Independent) 701; Gary John Skipworth (Liberal Democrats) 53.

Ince: Allan Atherton (Conservative) 155; Janice Sharratt (Labour) 970; Tony Whyte (Independent) 1,018; Zoran C Zok (Independent) 37.

Leigh Central & Higher Folds: Jean Dickinson (Conservative) 296; James Edward Morley (Leigh Central Independent) 626; Peter Mulleady (Green) 214; Fred Walker (Labour) 1,321; Stuart John Worthington (Liberal Democrats) 72.

Leigh South: Jayson Allan Hargreaves (Leigh South Independent) 556; Avril Ruth Murphy (Conservative) 495; Christopher John Noon (Liberal Democrats) 192; Brodie Andrew Prescott (Green) 133; Charles Rigby (Labour) 1,474.

Leigh West: Marie Elizabeth Cooper (Conservative) 314; David John Evans (Leigh West Independent) 475; Sue Greensmith (Labour) 1,592; Rachel Harrop (Green) 244.

Lowton East: Kathleen Houlton (Conservative) 1,845; Mike Smith (Labour) 2,179.

Orrell: Anne Collins (Labour) 1,601; Robert F Kenyon (Reform UK) 423; Neil Duncan Stevenson (Liberal Democrats) 124; Michael William Winstanley (Conservative) 920.

Pemberton: David John Burley (Liberal Democrats) 111; Jean Margaret Peet (Conservative) 170; Tony Porter (Independent) 522; Eileen Winifred Rigby (Labour) 1,179.

Shevington with Lower Ground & Moor: John Peter Burley (Liberal Democrats) 177; Debbie Fairhurst (Shevington Independents Part of Wigan Independents) 684; Vicky Galligan (Labour) 1,585; Michael Colin Owens (Conservative) 500; Peter Seddon (Workers) 137.

Standish with Langtree: Gareth William Fairhurst (Standish Independents) 1,294; Donald John Macnamara (Liberal Democrats) 117; Terry Mugan (Labour) 1,610; Gary Robinson (Conservative) 724.

Tyldesley & Mosley Common: James Anthony Fish (Independent Network) 1,538; Ashley McCarrick (Conservative) 308; Farai Nhakaniso (Labour) 1,091.

Wigan Central: Paul John Chapman (Conservative) 420; Brian Craig Duff Crombie-Fisher (Liberal Democrats) 100; Catherine Mary Croston (Independent) 790; Lisa Diaz (Green) 190; Michael McLoughlin (Labour) 1,398.

Wigan West: Marjorie Clayton (Conservative) 372; Sheila Rosaleen Ramsdale (Labour and Co-operative) 1,639; Stuart David Thomas (Liberal Democrats) 404.

Winstanley: John Carroll (Reform UK) 490; John Christopher Logan (Green) 201; Clive William Morgan (Labour) 1,412; Robert Duncan Stevenson (Liberal Democrats) 124; Margaret Mary Winstanley (Conservative) 249.

Worsley Mesnes: Danny Cooke (Independent) 298; Vincent Dean Holgate (Liberal Democrats) 58; Adam James Marsh (Conservative) 154; Paul David James Molyneux (Labour) 1,217; Keith Andrew Whalley (Reform UK) 532.