Chorley local election results 2023: Labour landslide as Tories suffer near wipeout
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The party - which has now been in control at the town hall for 11 years - successfully defended eight of the 14 contested seats that it already held.
But in a bitter blow for the Tories in the borough, the ruling group also snatched five others away from the opposition.
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Hide AdLabour now holds 37 seats on the authority, while the sole opposition party saw their numbers halved to stand at just five.
Amongst the members ousted in a night of carnage for the Conservatives was their deputy leader Debrah Platt, who represented Euxton, and finance spokesperson Sam Chapman, one of the members for the Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton ward.
The only seat that the Tories managed to defend was that previously held by former group leader Martin Boardman, who decided not to stand for re-election in his Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South ward, but was replaced by fellow Conservative Craige Southern.
Labour effectively gained a sixth seat by winning in Chorley East, after the party’s previous incumbent, James Nevett, became an independent last year and, having decided not to contest the ward this time round, was replaced by Labour’s Chris Snow.
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Hide AdLabour council leader Alistair Bradley told the Lancashire Post that the landslide result was “a fantastic night for Labour in Chorley”.
“To win almost every seat up for grabs is a huge endorsement of the work we are doing for our residents and shows that people can tell the difference we are making in our communities. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us at this election and look forward to delivering even more for the people of Chorley in the coming year.
“Whether it has been building new space for businesses to help create jobs, opening much-needed health facilities or helping people through the cost-of-living crisis, we have been investing in every part of the borough and the results show that people really appreciate that.
“Alongside the hard work we have done locally, it is also a sign that people are fed up with the incompetent government that has made a complete mess of things nationally and I hope to see Labour make gains across Lancashire and the country, Cllr Bradley added.
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Hide AdConservative opposition group leader Alan Cullens concurred with his triumphant political rival that national factors had been at play, as he reflected on “a very difficult night for the Conservatives in Chorley”. .
“Whilst this was a local election, the message on the doorstep was [about] the state of the national party.
“Turnout in some wards was less than 30 percent, so this election was by no means a ringing endorsement for Labour, locally [nor] nationally.
“We now regroup and will continue to hold the ruling group to account,” Cllr Cullens pledged.
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Hide AdAndy Hunter-Rossall, Chorley Green party co-ordinator, added: “The Green Party improved their vote share from last year across Chorley, though I am disappointed not to have made a breakthrough on to Chorley Council on a night which looks to have been exceptionally good for Greens across the country.
"We will continue to work hard to represent the 2000+ people who voted Green in Chorley and to hold the council to account on the issues that matter to Chorley residents.”
FULL RESULTS
INC – denotes incumbent
CAB – denotes cabinet member
ADLINGTON AND ANDERTON
LAB HOLD
Neil Baglow - CONSERVATIVE – 430
Catherine Hunter Rossall - GREEN PARTY – 132
Peter Wilson (INC/CAB) - LABOUR – 1,348
BUCKSHAW AND WHITTLE
LAB GAIN
Samantha Martin - LABOUR – 1,205
Gregory Morgan - CONSERVATIVE - 652
Rachel Smith - GREEN PARTY – 161
CHORLEY EAST
LAB HOLD
Mark Grandi - CONSERVATIVE – 248
Chris Snow - LABOUR – 1,175
CHORLEY NORTH AND ASTLEY
LAB HOLD
Oliver Knights - CONSERVATIVE – 522
Jon Royle - GREEN PARTY – 199
Jean Sherwood (INC) - LABOUR – 1,026
CHORLEY NORTH EAST
LAB HOLD
Simon Cash - GREEN PARTY – 162
Gordon France (INC) - LABOUR – 1,554
Charles Hargreaves - CONSERVATIVE – 509
CHORLEY NORTH WEST
LAB HOLD
Sarah Ainsworth (INC) - LABOUR – 1,425
Peter Malpas - CONSERVATIVE – 191
Mark Tebbutt - GREEN PARTY – 561
CHORLEY SOUTH EAST AND HEATH CHARNOCK
LAB HOLD
Conor Dawson - CONSERVATIVE – 504
Jenny Hurley - TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST COALITION – 104
Beverley Murray (INC/CAB) - LABOUR – 1,203
Jane Weston - GREEN PARTY – 150
CHORLEY SOUTH WEST
LAB HOLD
Peter Davenport - CONSERVATIVE – 152
Stephen Fenn - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – 33
Andy Hunter-Rossall - GREEN PARTY – 625
Roy Lees (INC) - LABOUR – 857
CLAYTON EAST, BRINDLE AND HOGHTON
LAB GAIN
Sam Chapman (INC) - CONSERVATIVE – 724
Olga Gomez-Cash - GREEN PARTY – 117
Pauline McGovern - LABOUR – 1,065
Gail Ormston - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – 129
CLAYTON WEST AND CUERDEN
LAB GAIN
Michelle Brown - LABOUR – 1,369
Glenda Charlesworth - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – 119
Magdalene Cullens (INC) - CONSERVATIVE – 723
Clare Hales - GREEN PARTY – 202
COPPULL
LAB HOLD
Julia Berry (INC) - LABOUR AND CO-OPERATIVE – 1,161
Anne Calderbank - GREEN PARTY – 134
Christine Turner - CONSERVATIVE – 330
CROSTON, MAWDESLEY AND EUXTON SOUTH
CON HOLD
Rowan Power - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – 161
Craige Southern - CONSERVATIVE – 1,193
Caroline Turner - LABOUR – 828
Robert Wade - GREEN PARTY -134
ECCLESTON, HESKIN AND CHARNOCK RICHARD
LAB GAIN
Sally Felton - GREEN PARTY – 111
Mark Frost - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – 109
Harold Heaton (INC) - CONSERVATIVE – 827
Christine Heydon - LABOUR 1,082
EUXTON
LAB GAIN
Debra Platt (INC) - CONSERVATIVE - 808
Pauline Summers - GREEN PARTY – 162
Joan Williamson - LABOUR – 1,182