The Labour party in Rossendale have taken control of the Valley in a landslide victory.

The controlling party won seven out of an available 12 seats taking their majority to 24 seats.

The hard hit Tory party managed to safeguard two seats including those of party leader Darryl Smith and long serving councillor Peter Evan.

The one defending Liberal democrat Tim Nuttall lost out to new Labour candidate Karen Creaser in Whitewell ward.

The Conservative’s also said a ‘shock’ goodbye to council stalwarts Judith Driver and David Stansfield.

The scores on the door for Rossendale show Labour hold 24 seats, Tories hold nine 9, with the Lib Dem’s, Community First and the Independents all holding one seat each.

RESULTS:

  • CRIBDEN Andrea Fletcher (Lab): 622 Graham Fox (Lib Dem): 75 Sandra McWicker (Con): 295 Lab gain 35%
  • EDEN Janice Johnson (Lab): 396 Darryl Smith (Con)*: 577 Con hold 35%
  • FACIT AND SHAWFORTH Lynda Barnes (Con)*: 238 Madeline De Souza (Ind): 512 Lesley Ham (Lib Dem): 115 Ind gain 30%
  • GOODSHAW Dean Bartlett-Smith (Con): 292 Dorothy Farrington (Lab)*: 862 Lab hold 36%
  • GREENFIELD Susan McLaughlin (Lab): 569 Gladys Sandiford (Con)*: 894 Con hold 33%
  • GREENSCLOUGH Barbara Ashworth (Lab): 726 Judith Driver (Con)*: 505 Bill Jackson (Lib Dem): 193 Lab gain 32%
  • HAREHOLME Caroline Bleakley (Lab): 805 Joseph Donnelly (Lib Dem): 92 Michael Pickup (Con): 560 Lab gain 35%
  • HELMSHORE Peter Evans (Con)*: 647 Vernon Hudson (Ind): 548 John McManus (Lab): 566 Con hold 38%
  • IRWELL Kevin Bryan (Nat Front): 170 Steve Hughes (Lab): 551 Hazel Steen (Con)*: 340 Lab win 26%
  • LONGHOLME Mohammed Abdullah (Con): 401 Roy Knowles (Lab): 757 Clive Laight (Lib Dem): 242 Lab win 33%
  • WHITEWELL Karen Creaser (Lab): 543 Tim Nuttall (Lib Dem)*: 480 Peter Steen (Con): 248 Lab win 29%
  • WORSLEY Granville Barker (UKIP): 218 Marilyn Procter (Lab): 663 David Stansfield (Con)*: 368 Lab gain 28%

PRE-ELECTION BACKGROUND: Liberal Democrats Jim Pilling and Tim Nuttall, and Community First’s Alan Neal are currently the kingmakers in Rossendale, with Labour on 17 seats and the Conser-vatives on 16.

Former Tory cabinet members Jason Gledhill and Nicola May are not standing again, but Conservative leader Darryl Smith is contesting Eden ward with Labour’s Janice Johnson.

Rossendale candidates

  • CRIBDEN Andrea Fletcher (Lab) Graham Fox (Lib Dem) Sandra McWicker (Con)
  • EDEN Janice Johnson (Lab) Darryl Smith (Con)*
  • FACIT AND SHAWFORTH Lynda Barnes (Con)* Madeline De Souza (Ind) Lesley Ham(Lib Dem)
  • GOODSHAW Dean Bartlett-Smith (Con) Dorothy Farrington (Lab)*
  • GREENFIELD Susan McLaughlin (Lab) Gladys Sandiford (Con)*
  • GREENSCLOUGH Barbara Ashworth (Lab) Judith Driver (Con)* Bill Jackson (Lib Dem)
  • HAREHOLME Caroline Bleakley (Lab) Joseph Donnelly (Lib Dem) Michael Pickup (Con)
  • HELMSHORE Peter Evans (Con)* Vernon Hudson (Ind) John McManus (Lab) IRWELL Kevin Bryan (Nat Front) Steve Hughes (Lab) Hazel Steen (Con)*
  • LONGHOLME Mohammed Abdullah (Con) Roy Knowles (Lab) Clive Laight (Lib Dem)
  • WHITEWELL Karen Creaser (Lab) Tim Nuttall (Lib Dem)* Peter Steen (Con)
  • WORSLEY Granville Barker (UKIP) Marilyn Procter (Lab) David Stansfield (Con)*

*Asterisk indicates current incumbent.