NEXT month’s local elections could see control of Pendle slip from the minority Conservatives but it would take political earthquakes for Labour to lose its grip on Burnley and Rossendale.

All three councils could theoretically change hands but just the hung borough covering Brierfield, Nelson, Colne, Barnoldswick and surrounding villages could realistically see a new administration after May 22.

Currently the Tories with 19 councillors run Pendle with the issue by issue support of 12 Liberal Democrats.

With 16 wards up for election Labour hope to defend their six and gain enough of the five Conservative, four Lib Dem and one BNP seats to seize control. They currently have 17 councillors.

For Labour to lose Rossendale, the Tories have to defend all their four current wards and win all eight remaining seats to be the biggest party, but still not an overall majority.

In Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle is among the big names facing competition.

His Lib Dems, in control from 2008 to 2010, have held all five of their wards and in at least seven of the remaining 10 to seats to be the biggest party, but still not an overall majority.

Labour’s Daniel Fleming will be Mr Birtwistle’s only opponent in his Coalclough with Deerplay ward.

Outgoing Labour mayor, Frank Cant, is up against the Conservative Tom Watson and the Lib Dem John Mitchell in Gawthorpe.

Ex-mayor Peter McCann retires from Lanehead, which will be contested between Labour’s Trish Ellis and his Lib Dem colleague Gordon Lishman.

UKIP will contest in four wards, the British National Party will field two candidates and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition will fight Trinity and Brunshaw.

Pendle Labour leader Mohammed Iqbal is fighting for re-election in Bradley against candidates from the other two major parties and from UKIP.

Lib Dem Heather Greaves, the wife of Tony, is bidding to return to the council in Boulsworth ward.

In Coates ward, Barnoldswick, 18-year-old Lyle Davy is bidding to become one of the youngest councillors in the country when he stands for the Conservatives.

In the Craven, David Whipp will defend his seat against the Tory vice chairman Mike Thompson.

As well as defending Brian Parker’s Marsden, the BNP field John Rowe, also bidding for a seat on Burnley Council, in Vivary Bridge.

Nigel Hampson, from the Titanic in Lancashire museum, was disqualified from standing for the English Democrats in Brierfield.

Rossendale Council’s Labour leader Alyson Barnes faces a challenge from UKIP and the Conservatives in Goodshaw.

LibDem Jim Pilling will hope to hold its only seat from Conservative Karl Kempson and Labour’s Jean Hayler in Whitewell.

Alan Neal, the Community First party’s sole councillor, faces UKIP’s Michael Hartley and the Conservative Dayne Powell in Healey and Whitworth.

The Green Party’s Karen Pollard-Rylance and Labour’s Eleanor Rothwell will run against the Conservative Anne Cheetham in Eden.

There are no elections for Ribble Valley borough and Lancashire county councils.

 

CANDIDATES:

PENDLE

Barrowford
Christopher Jowett (Con), Mark Porter (Lab), Gavin James Roper (Lib Dem), Mick Waddington (UKIP)
Boulsworth
Graham Geoffrey Cannon (UKIP), Sarah Elizabeth Cockburn-Price (Con), Heather Ann Greaves (Lib Dem), Rober Andrew Oliver (Lab)
Bradley
Irfan Ahmed (Lib Dem), Mohammed Iqbal (Lab), Tony Leather (UKIP), Bernard Variyam (Con)
Brierfield
Mohammad Abdullah (Con), Nadeem Akbar (Lim Dem), Mohammed Arshad (Lab)
Clover Hill
Waseem Asghar (Lib Dem), Ben Robinson (UKIP), Kathleen Eleanor Shore (Lab), Janice Taylor (Con)
Coates
Lyle Davy (Con), Linsay Micheala Gaskell (Lib Dem), Lynn Margaret Harrison (Lab), Kieron Hartley (Blue Party)
Craven
Dorothy Baxter (UKIP), Natasha Harris (Blue Party), Denzil Metcalfe (Lab), Mike Thompson (Con), David Michael Baxter Whipp (Lim Dem)
Earby
David Byrne (Lab), Mike Goulthorp (Con), Dori June Haigh (Lib Dem), James Jackman (Blue Party)
Horsfield
Malcolm James Birks (Lab), Neil Butterworth (Con), James Edward Kerrigan (Lib Dem)
Marsden
Neil McGowan (Con), Brian Norton Parker (BNP), Christine Stables (UKIP), Tyvonne Marion Tennant (Lab)
Reedley
Kamran Anwar (Lib Dem), Jackie Grunsell (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts), Yasser Iqbal (Lab), Pauline Anne McCormick (Con)
Southfield
Mohammad Ammer (Lab), Saanval Safir (Con), James Wood (Lib Dem)
Vivary Bridge
David Clegg (Lib Dem), John Rowe (BNP), Glenn Stock (Con), Russell Tennant (Lab)
Walverden
Asghar Ali (Lib Dem), Julie May Patricia Henderson (Lab), Peter Wilson (Con)
Waterside
David Phillip Johns (Lab), Dorothy Elizebeth Lord (Lib Dem), Jonny Nixon (Con)
Whitefield
Margaret Ann Beckett (Con), Asjad Mahmood (Lab), Imran Waheed (Lib Dem)

 

ROSSENDALE

Eden
Anne Cartner Cheetham (Con), Karen Pollard-Rylance (Green), Eleanor Rothwell (Lab)
Goodshaw
Alyson Barnes (Lab), Nicola Lynn May (Con), Andrew Pettigrew (UKIP)
Greenfield
Hayden Newall Kenyon (Lab), Granville Morris (Con)
Greensclough
Jimmy Eaton (Con), Susan Nangle (UKIP), Pat Smith (Lab)
Hareholme
Colin Edward Crawforth (Lab), Janet Graham (Con), Michael (UKIP)
Healey & Whitworth
Michael Hartley (UKIP), Alan Neal (Community First), Dayne Powell (Con)
Helmshore
Brian Essex (Con), Emma Jane Harding (Lab)
Irwell
Helen Moira Jackson (Lab), Mike Sivieri (UKIP), Peter Steen (Con)
Longholme
Ron Ashworth (UKIP), Liz McInnes (Lab), Mischa Mockett (Con)
Stacksteads
Martin Harrison (UKIP), Jackie Oakes (Lab), Snadra Joyce Odell (Con)
Whitewell
Jean Hayler (Lab), Karl Kempson (Con), Jim Pilling (Lib Dem)
Worsley
Granville Barker (UKIP), Tony Haworth (Con), Ann Kenyon (Lab)

 

BURNLEY

Bank Hall
Gary Frayling (Lab), Brian Tomlinson (Lib Dem)
Briercliffe
Brian Cooper (Lab), Rpger Frost (Lib Dem), Ian Metcalf (UKIP), Susan Margaret Nutter (Con)
Brunshaw
Susan Rita Fenn (Lib Dem), Tony Harrison (Lab), Gavin Hartley (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts), Jamie McGowan (UKIP)
Cliviger with Worsthorn
Tom Commis (UKIP), David Neil Heginbotham (Con), Paula Christine Riley (Lib Dem), Christine Sollis (Lab)
Coalclough with Deerplay
Gordon Birtwistle (Lib Dem), Daniel Fleming (Lab)
Daneshouse with Stoneyholme
Rupali Begum (Lib Dem), Shah Monwar (Lab)
Gannow
Howard Leigh Hudson (Lab), Neil Mottershead (Lib Dem), Philip James Nutter (Con), John Rowe (BNP)
Gawthorpe
Frank Cant (Lab), John Clarke Mitchell (Lib Dem), Tom Watson (Con)
Hapton with Park
Sandra Ann Byrne (Lib Dem), Jean Cunningham (Lab)
Lanehead
Trish Ellis (Lab), Arthur Gordon Lishman (Lib Dem)
Queensgate
Sue Graham (Lab), Tom Wilkinson (Lib Dem)
Rosegrove with Lowerhouse
Bea Foster (Lab), Barbara Kirker (Lib Dem), Chistopher John Vanns (BNP)
Rosehill with Burnley Wood
Michael Rushton (Lab), Jeff Sumner (Lib Dem)
Trinity
Howard Baker (Lab,) David Lovell Baynes (Trade Unionists and socialists Against Cuts), Paul Steven Harrison (Lib Dem)
Whittlefield with Ightenhill
Charles Dominic Baker (Lab), Robert Frost (Con), Tom Porter (Lib Dem), Christopher John Rawson (UKIP)