LABOUR has strengthened its hold on Blackburn with Darwen Council, gaining eight extra seats and losing none.

Some senior Conservative councillors, like Roe Lee’s Michael Law-Riding and Joseph Smith for Ewood ward, have been pushed out, with the electorate favouring the Labour alternatives.

Kate Hollern, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and labour councillor, said: “It shows that people will not stand for the unfair cuts that we have faced. “My target was five gains, but realistically, I thought three, so it is above all expectations.” The Lib Dems retained Sudell and Whitehall wards, with Bastwell’s Lib Dem councillor Mohammed Rizwan standing down and being replaced by Labour’s Shaukat Hussain.

The council now has 16 Labour councillors, four Conservative councillors and two Liberal Democrat councillors.

RESULTS

  • AUDLEY Ayaaz Diwan (Con): 245 Zamir Khan (Lab)*: 2006 Lab hold Turnout: 41.15%
  • BASTWELL Mohammed Ayub (Con): 1099 Shaukat Hussain (Lab): 2134 Lab gain Turnout 66.56
  • BEARDWOOD WITH LAMMACK Julie Daley (Con)*: 1076 Ehsan Raja (Lab): 640 Jonathan Tranter (Green): 163 Con hold 43.4%
  • CORPORATION PARK Mahmood Ahmed (Con): 860 Abdul Rehman (Lab)*: 1461 Lab hold 51.17%
  • EARCROFT Stephanie Rose Brookfield (Lab): 447 Mark Peter Davies (Lib Dem): 84 Lynn Perkins (Con): 150 Stephen Francis Potter (For Darwen): 150 Lab gain 26.77%
  • EWOOD Jamie Groves (Lab): 839 Joseph Smith (Con)*: 343 Lab gain 26.82%
  • FERNHURST Donald Scott McKinlay (Lab): 417 John Slater (Con)*: 758 Con hold 29.86%
  • HIGHER CROFT : ...........275 Dorothy Walsh (Lab)*: 1037 Lab hold 26.2%
  • LITTLE HARWOOD Maureen McGarvey (Con): 385 Abdul Samad Patel (Lab)*: 1539 Lab hold 45%
  • LIVESEY WITH PLEASINGTON Alan Cottam (Con)*: 1263 Annette Clare Murphy (Lab): 701 Con hold 37.26%
  • MARSH HOUSE Kevin Connor (Con): 388 Tom Huw Evans (Lab): 544 Simon Huggill (Lib Dem): 484 Lab gain
  • MEADOWHEAD Brian Gerard Gordon (Con)*: 656 Ashley Richard Whalley (Lab): 751 Lab gain 33.2%
  • MILL HILL Alan Dean (Lib Dem): 122 Annmarie Tolley (Con): 175 Carol Walsh (Lab): 874 Lab hold 28.92%
  • NORTH TURNTON WITH TOCKHOLES Tim Oxley (Lab): 475 Colin Rigby (Con)*: 837 Con hold 38.64%
  • QUEEN'S PARK Imtiaz Ali (Con): 262 Faryad Hussain (Lab)*: 1141 Lab hold 34.82%
  • ROE LEE Michael Law-Riding (Con)*: 686 Sylvia Liddle (Lab): 886 Nancy Shaw (BNP): 101 Lab gain 37.3%
  • SHADSWORTH WITH WHITEBIRK David Bradley (BNP): 165 David Coker (Con): 116 Ron O'Keeffe (Lab)*: 1109 Lab hold 26.39%
  • SHEAR BROW Sajid Ismail Adam (Con): 169 Nick Kennedy (Lib Dem): 264 Solly Khonat (Lab)*: 1843 Lab hold 48.09%
  • SUDELL Paul Browne (Lib Dem)*: 628 David Robert Jackson (For Darwen): 169 Matt Worden (Lab): 484 Lib Dem hold 27.73%
  • SUNNYHURST Brenda Cronshaw (Con): 440 Pete Hollings (Lab): 1045 Mark Westall (Lib Dem): 210 Lab gain 39.19%
  • WENSLEY FOLD Asghar Ali (Con): 347 Dave Harling (Lab)*: 1436 Lab hold 39.45%
  • WHITEHALL Anna Louise Brookfield (Lab): 191 Karimeh Foster (Lib Dem)*: 678 Neil Andrew Slater (Con ): 180 Lib Dem hold 34.6%

PRE-ELECTION BACKGROUND: KEY head-to-head election battles will determine whether Labour’s lead in national opinion polls translates into success in the Blackburn with Darwen council elections.

Voters go to the polls on May 3, and Labour are defending an 11-seat majority over the Conservatives, on 18 seats, and the six-strong Liberal Democrats group.

Regeneration head Coun Dave Harling is against Tory Asghar Ali in Wensley Fold and Coun Faryad Hussain, enviromental improvement cabinet member, will be awaiting the vote in Queen’s Park alongside Ali Imtiaz, for the Conservatives.

Coun Michael Law-Riding, deputy Conservative leader, contests Roe Lee with Labour’s Sylvia Liddle and the British National Party’s Nancy Shaw.

In Darwen the contest in Earcroft may be a barometer for the future of the For Darwen party. Leader Stephen Potter is battling it out with Labour’s Stephanie Brookfield, Mark Davies (Conservative) and Lib Dem Lynne Perkins.

It has already been announced that Andrew Graham is stepping down in Sunnyhurst, leaving Conservative Darwen town councillor Brenda Cronshaw, Labour’s Pete Hollings and Liberal Democrat Mark Westall pitted against each other.

Town mayor Paul Browne is defending Sudell against For Darwen’s Dave Jackson, the Conservative’s Ryan Slater and Matt Worden, for Labour.

Borough mayor Coun Karimeh Foster is up against Labour’s Anna Brookfield and Neil Slater (Conservative) in Whitehall.

BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN CANDIDATES

  • AUDLEY Ayaaz Diwan (Con)* Zamir Khan (Lab)
  • BASTWELL Mohammed Ayub (Con) Shaukat Hussain (Lab)
  • BEARDWOOD WITH LAMMACK Julie Daley (Con)* Ehsan Raja (Lab) Jonathan Tranter (Green)
  • CORPORATION PARK Mahmood Ahmed (Con) Abdul Rehman (Lab)*
  • EARCROFT Stephanie Rose Brookfield (Lab) Mark Peter Davies (Lib Dem) Lynn Perkins (Con) Stephen Francis Potter (For Darwen)
  • EWOOD Jamie Groves (Lab) Joseph Smith (Con)*
  • FERNHURST Donald Scott McKinlay (Lab) John Slater (Con)*
  • HIGHER CROFT Paul David Marrow (Con) Dorothy Walsh (Lab)*
  • LITTLE HARWOOD Maureen McGarvey (Con) Abdul Samad Patel (Lab)*
  • LIVESEY WITH PLEASINGTON Alan Cottam (Con)* Annette Clare Murphy (Lab)
  • MARSH HOUSE Kevin Connor (Con) Tom Huw Evans (Lab) Simon Huggill (Lib Dem)
  • MEADOWHEAD Brian Gerard Gordon (Con)* Ashley Richard Whalley (Lab)
  • MILL HILL Alan Dean (Lib Dem) Annmarie Tolley (Con) Carol Walsh (Lab)
  • NORTH TURNTON WITH TOCKHOLES Tim Oxley (Lab) Colin Rigby (Con)*
  • QUEEN'S PARK Imtiaz Ali (Con) Faryad Hussain (Lab)*
  • ROE LEE Michael Law-Riding (Con)* Sylvia Liddle (Lab) Nancy Shaw (BNP)
  • SHADSWORTH WITH WHITEBIRK David Bradley (BNP) David Coker (Con) Ron O'Keeffe (Lab)*
  • SHEAR BROW Sajid Ismail Adam (Con) Nick Kennedy (Lib Dem) Solly Khonat (Lab)*
  • SUDELL Paul Browne (Lib Dem)* David Robert Jackson (For Darwen) Matt Worden (Lab)
  • SUNNYHURST Brenda Cronshaw (Con) Pete Hollings (Lab) Mark Westall (Lib Dem)
  • WENSLEY FOLD Asghar Ali (Con) Dave Harling (Lab)*
  • WHITEHALL Anna Louise Brookfield (Lab) Karimeh Foster (Lib Dem)* Neil Andrew Slater (Con)

*Asterisk indicates current incumbent.