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1:45pm Friday 2nd May 2008
LIBERAL Democrats have seized sole power in Burnley on a poor day for Labour.
Lib Dem national leader Nick Clegg was among the first to congratulate his party's new administration in Burnley.
Until two years ago, the town had been held by Labour for decades.
Lib Dem council leader Gordon Birtwistle saw his party win five seats - all at the expense of Labour - which means they now have outright control of the borough council.
And one of the new additions to his 23-strong Liberal Democrat team is his son Justin, who ousted deputy Labour leader Mark Townsend in Gannow ward.
Before the election the authority had been run for the last two years by a Tory and Lib Dem powersharing alliance.
Mr Clegg said: "This fantastic result is a testament to all the hard work of Burnley Liberal Democrats over the last few years.
"Local residents clearly felt that we offered a fresh and principled alternative to the two tired establishment parties.
"This gain shows that we are going from strength to strength in Burnley.
"Our councillors can now begin the hard work of improving council services and delivering real change to the community."
Coun Birtwistle said: "We had projected that we would win three so the extra two seats is really a bonus and we now have overall control of the council.
"And the other big pleasure for me is that we stopped the British National Party from gaining any seats, especially in a couple of wards which they fancied winning."
Labour leader Coun Andy Tatchell said the losses were slightly worse than he had expected, but that they must be expected during the third term of a Labour government.
He said: "We have lost some very good councillors, who have been working hard on the ground.
"But this is the only way that people can register their unhappiness with the Government and we were bound to suffer."
Burnley's Labour MP Kitty Ussher admitted that the results were 'disappointing' but was confident that a new generation of party campaigners would help to reverse the trend in future.
She added: "The mistakes over the 10p tax rate have had an impact, although they have now been corrected. It is still being felt though by people."
The MP said she was also happy that the BNP had not made any gains locally.
Tory leader Coun Peter Doyle was pleased with his own comprehensive victory in Whittlefield with Ightenhill - and vowed to hold his former coalition partners to account in future.
"Now that the Lib Dems have got overall control we will be going back into opposition but we will still continue to pursue our policies of improved efficency for this council," said Coun Doyle.
The retirement of veteran Labour councillors Denis Otter and Lilian Clark in the Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Rosegrove with Lowerhouse also hit the party.
Karen Heseltine, who was heavily involved in the campaign to save the Parliament Street post office, and Lynne Briggs were the respective victors there for the Lib Dems.
The Rosegrove poll last year was settled by drawing lots after a tied ballot between the BNP's John Rowe and Labour's Paul Reynolds.
But the Lib Dem's Briggs notched up 637, with Mr Rowe second on 491 and Labour's Marion Smith beaten into third on 293.
In a close-run poll in Daneshouse with Stoneyholme - which with a 60.4 per cent turnout was the most hotly contested of all the seats - Labour's Coun Shah Hussain lost out to Lib Dem Mohammed Malik.
Far-right parties failed to make a dent in Cliviger with Worsthorne, as England First Party leader Steven Smith and the British National Party's Ben Smalley were beaten into third and fifth place by Tory Michael Heys and Lib Dem Paula Riley.
Three out of the four party leaders emerged unscathed from the polls, with Labour's Andy Tatchell victorious in Gawthorpe, the BNP's Sharon Wilkinson holding Hapton with Park and Tory Peter Doyle comfortably winning in Whittlefield with Ightenhill.
And Margaret Lishman, deputy council leader, also held Briercliffe.
Bill, Burnley says...
1:39pm Fri 2 May 08
andy, Spain says...
2:06pm Fri 2 May 08
Anon, Burnley says...
2:42pm Fri 2 May 08
dave, burnley says...
2:56pm Fri 2 May 08
Mick, Bacup says...
3:35pm Fri 2 May 08
Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
3:38pm Fri 2 May 08
Anon wrote:Of course they are nazi's, in policy if not in name. They stand for bigotry and racism, for narrow self-centered politics. They appeal to the base, petty instincts of people. To give them their due though they hide their real beliefs quite well from those who don't bother to look too closely at them.
Burnley tax payer you are an ill educated weasel of a human being. BNP is not nazi, nor has any links with what went on in the second world war. Its about pride in OUR country for OUR fellow countrymen. Get a life and stop slagging off people for being patriotic.
Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
3:41pm Fri 2 May 08
andy wrote:Well said Andy. I am ashamed of some of my fellow citizens who, either through bigotry or just plain ignorance, vote for these lunatics of the far right. If you want to see what being proud of your nation or ethnic group leads to then take a look at Rwanda or Sarajevo, or Belsen or the fields of the Somme.
Labour had it coming the sooner the Party get rid of the ridiculous thing called New Labour and took the party back to its Grass Roots origin can not come a day to soon. Nice to see that the People of Burnley have rejected again the Far Right fascist policies of the British Nazi Party and the Little Englander First Party. These people are not Democrats they would abolish other Political Party's Tomorrow given the chance. I think this is is something the Majority of British People would ever allow.
Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
3:42pm Fri 2 May 08
Mick wrote:They are a bit like McDonalds. A bit s**t but an easy option when you can't decide what you really want!
The Liberal Democrats were invented for people who don't take politics seriously.
Mick, Bacup says...
3:47pm Fri 2 May 08
Burnley Taxpayer wrote:I thought you people in Burnley had a bit more grit than to vote for the Liberals - they have no convictions, unlike certain BNP candidates ....
Mick wrote: The Liberal Democrats were invented for people who don't take politics seriously.They are a bit like McDonalds. A bit s**t but an easy option when you can't decide what you really want!
top cat, burnley says...
3:55pm Fri 2 May 08
andy, Spain says...
3:56pm Fri 2 May 08
speakup shaun, burnley says...
4:08pm Fri 2 May 08
paula, burnley says...
4:49pm Fri 2 May 08
Bob, Burnley says...
5:34pm Fri 2 May 08
andy, spain says...
7:24pm Fri 2 May 08
Bob's mate. CM, The real world. says...
7:52pm Fri 2 May 08
Burnley's Labour MP Kitty Ussher admitted that the results were 'disappointing'
confident that a new generation of party campaigners would help to reverse the trend in future.
top cat, burnley says...
7:58pm Fri 2 May 08
D Baker, West Yorkshire says...
8:33pm Fri 2 May 08
Tony Frazer, Burnley says...
10:40pm Fri 2 May 08
dave, burnley says...
10:43pm Fri 2 May 08
Tony Frazer, Burnley says...
10:50pm Fri 2 May 08
Pendlereader, Pendle says...
10:57pm Fri 2 May 08
Reason, Burnley says...
11:03pm Fri 2 May 08
Unless you are coloured, lesbian, disabled, homosexual you appear to get NOTHING! What a crazy situation we are in. Go to a BNP meeting and learn,
MIKEOXLONG, says...
2:56am Sat 3 May 08
andy wrote:I see that you STILL havent learnt how to use the quote button
Posted by: speakup shaun, burnley on 4:08pm today BNP racist ?, So what if they are the people who voted for them have the right to vote for whom they want, if they voted Labour would you say they hated the health service or loved living in squaler with rats running everywhere because thats whats happened under the labour council, no matter if you agree with what party the people voted for it has absolutly nothing to do with anyone else, thats what living in a democratic society allows you to do, maybe these loonet lefts would like to live in China where you dont even get to pick whos in charge, vote for who ever you want to and **** the rest. BNP racist ?, So what if they are the people who voted for them have the right to vote for whom they want, if they voted Labour would you say they hated the health service or loved living in squaler with rats running everywhere because thats whats happened under the labour council, no matter if you agree with what party the people voted for it has absolutly nothing to do with anyone else, thats what living in a democratic society allows you to do, maybe these loonet lefts would like to live in China where you dont even get to pick whos in charge, vote for who ever you want to and **** the rest. No Nazis get it right the type that my Grandfather and men and women from over the then British Empire what ever Colour, Religion fought to destroy this Political ideology. Asians, Black Africans and other races came to the cause that might upset you of course. Yes Speakup shaun not so long ago you was writing about smashing up a town due to football rivalries on the BFC news board. you would make a great BNP candidate and stand on a platform of law and order in your manifesto. Also a great club like BFC dont need your sort. PS I am White European, Socialist not a loony left has you try to make out.
Mr Smithwaite, Lancs says...
9:06am Sat 3 May 08
All this talk of `Nazi-bashing` is beyond belief!
If any of of you lefties actually researched National Socialism
andy, spain says...
3:21pm Sat 3 May 08
andy wrote:No Merlin this country suffered years under fascism in the name of Franco. Go back to your fascists loving ways you will never win again.
Posted by: speakup shaun, burnley on 4:08pm today
BNP racist ?, So what if they are the people who voted for them have the right to vote for whom they want, if they voted Labour would you say they hated the health service or loved living in squaler with rats running everywhere because thats whats happened under the labour council, no matter if you agree with what party the people voted for it has absolutly nothing to do with anyone else, thats what living in a democratic society allows you to do, maybe these loonet lefts would like to live in China where you dont even get to pick whos in charge, vote for who ever you want to and **** the rest.
BNP racist ?, So what if they are the people who voted for them have the right to vote for whom they want, if they voted Labour would you say they hated the health service or loved living in squaler with rats running everywhere because thats whats happened under the labour council, no matter if you agree with what party the people voted for it has absolutly nothing to do with anyone else, thats what living in a democratic society allows you to do, maybe these loonet lefts would like to live in China where you dont even get to pick whos in charge, vote for who ever you want to and **** the rest.
No Nazis get it right the type that my Grandfather and men and women from over the then British Empire what ever Colour, Religion fought to destroy this Political ideology. Asians, Black Africans and other races came to the cause that might upset you of course.
Yes Speakup shaun not so long ago you was writing about smashing up a town due to football rivalries on the BFC news board. you would make a great BNP candidate and stand on a platform of law and order in your manifesto. Also a great club like BFC dont need your sort.
PS I am White European, Socialist not a loony left has you try to make out.
Rabi'a, Nepal says...
6:15pm Sat 3 May 08
top cat, burnley says...
8:36pm Sun 4 May 08
Darryl Baker, says...
9:03pm Mon 5 May 08
Rabi'a wrote:Rabia, In my view You and your parents and grandparents along with millions of other people from the British Empire who fought for King and Empire are just as British as anybody else in this sceptered Isle whether or not they speak English
Who defines how British one is, you? My family has fought for this country for 3 generations now, probably more than anyone in Burnley, and come from northern India and Nepal. My grand-parents and parents don't speak English and I speak it as a second language. But I am British and so are my parents and grand-parents and anyone who says otherwise is not british him(her)self.
smile, burnley says...
2:13am Wed 7 May 08
dave wrote:please let it be true .She is a total blairbabe tosser
Start packing Kitty, the time when you get kicked out is getting closer!
Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
1:44pm Wed 7 May 08
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Burnley Taxpayer, Burnley says...
1:15pm Fri 2 May 08