Pendle Borough Council election battle (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Pendle Borough Council election battle

10:50am Wednesday 5th May 2010 in News By Tom Moseley, Reporter

TIGHT FIGHT: The three main parties in Pendle are hoping for success on Thursday

PENDLE is expected to be the closest fight in East Lancashire for the General Election.

And that looks to be replicated at borough level.

The council is ruled by the Liberal Democrats on 18 seats, just two clear of the Conservatives while Labour have 11. The BNP have two councillors and the independent one.

With 16 seats up for grabs, the balance of power will be on a knife edge.

The Lib Dems are defending seven wards, Labour four, Conservatives four and the British National Party one.

It could potentially take just three seats to change hands for the Tories to take to borough. And while Labour are the outsiders, it is not beyond the realms of possiblity the party could stage a comeback in Pendle.

One battle of note will be in Nelson’s Bradley ward, where Labour leader Coun Mohammed Iqbal faces four challengers.

In what is believed to be a borough first, Wajed Iqbal is standing for George Galloway's Respect party. Nightclub owner David Geddes flies the flag for the England First group, with Tanzil Ahmed (Lib Dem) and Timothy Eyre (Conservative) rounding off the list.

Town council chairman Dorothy Lord is aiming to secure Coun Boyle's seat and will face John Hall (Con), Anthony Martin (Lab) and Ian Robinson (BNP).

Cabinet member Coun David Whipp is hoping to stave off the challenges of Jennifer Purcell (Con) and John Pope (Lab) in the Craven seat, while long-standing Coun David Clegg faces Joseph Clooney (Con), Veronica Cullen (BNP) and Anthony Hargreaves (Lab) in Colne's Vivary Bridge ward.

BALANCE OF POWER: Lib Dem 18, Con 16, Lab 11, BNP two, ind one.

SEATS UP FOR GRABS: 16.

WILL IT CHANGE HANDS? Possible. Nail-biting night in prospect.

Full list of candidates

Barrowford

Donna Maria Caley, Liberal Democrats
Jonathan Eyre, Conservatives
Susan Frances Nike, Labour.

Boulsworth

George William Askew, Conservatives
Gerard McCabe, Labour
Helen Jane Mulligan, British National Party
Adam James Thomas, Liberal Democrats.

Bradley

Tanzil Ahmed, Liberal Democrats
Timothy Eyre, Conservatives
David William Geddes, England First
Mohammed Iqbal, Labour
Wajed Iqbal, Respect.

Brierfield

Pervaz Afzal, Liberal Democrats
Mohammed Arshad, Labour
Abdul Shahabb Hussain, Conservatives
Lee England Karmer, British National Party.

Clover Hill

Peter John Rowe, British National Party
Kathleen Eleanor Shore, Labour
Janice Taylor, Conservatives
James Wood, Liberal Democrats.

Coates

Keith Bailey, Conservatives
Malcolm Keith Foster, British National Party
Lindsay Micheala Gaskell, Liberal Democrats
Richard James Smith, Labour.

Craven

John Edward Pope, Labour
Jennifer Anne Purcell, Conservatives
David Michael Baxter Whipp, Liberal Democrats.

Earby

James Daniel Morris Jackman, British National Party
Robert Andrew Oliver, Labour
Jacqueline Michelle Taylforth, Liberal Democrats
Christopher Proctor Tennant, Conservatives.

Horsfield

Neil Butterworth, Conservatives
Sharon Elizabeth Davies, Liberal Democrats
Julie Fairless, British National Party
David Philip Johns, Labour.

Marsden

David Kenneth Foat, Labour
Jack Steven Gregory, Conservatives
Brian Norton Parker, British National Party
Aaron Lee Whitehall-Pain, Liberal Democrats.

Reedley

Robert Bayne Allen, Labour
Kenneth Iqbal Massey, Liberal Democrats
Pauline Anne McCormick, Conservatives.

Southfield

Sheena Rosemary Dunn, Labour
Paul Jonathan McKenna, Conservatives
Judith Ann Robinson, Liberal Democrats.

Vivary Bridge

David Clegg, Liberal Democrats
Joseph Cooney, Conservatives
Veronica Kathleen Cullen, British National Party
Anthony Hargreaves, Labour.

Walverden

Asghar Ali, Liberal Democrats
Julie May Patricia Henderson, Labour
Barbara Rachael King, Conservatives.

Waterside

John Hall, Conservatives
Dorothy Elizabeth Lord, Liberal Democrats
Anthony Eric Martin, Labour
Ian Raymond Robinson, British National Party.

Whitefield

Margaret Ann Beckett, Conservatives
Asjad Mahmood, Labour
Rashid Ahmed Qadri, Liberal Democrats.