Balderstone and Kirkholt by-election reaction

Sandwiched between the M62 and Rochdale town centre, locals say Balderstone and Kirkholt is a proud community with working-class roots.

Sandwiched between the M62 and Rochdale town centre, locals say Balderstone and Kirkholt is a proud community with working-class roots.

The area found itself in the national spotlight this week as voters elected Reform UK’s Jordan Tarrant-Short to represent them on Rochdale council, an event which the new councillor described as a “real bloody nose” for the Labour Party.

The seat was up for grabs in a Rochdale council by-election on May 1 because former Labour councillor Elsie Blundell resigned after being elected as Heywood and Middleton MP last year.

Rochdale council is run by Labour, which controls 43 out of 60 seats in the council chamber.

On the ward boundary – Oldham Road high street, voters from Balderstone and Kirkholt told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were “fed up” with what they felt was a lack of positive change in the area.

Immigration, crime, jobs, and street cleaning were all issues which residents said were on their minds while casting ballots.

 Gillian McGuigan

“I’ve gone off Labour, I really have,” says Gillian McGuigan, who lives in the community. She voted for the Conservatives, but said she was not surprised that Reform won.

She explained that some in Balderstone and Kirkholt have a sense that basic issues that residents worry about are not being dealt with.

“There are so many different things that need doing, we have antisocial behaviour, speeding down our roads, there’s drug dealing in the area, litter, but it feels like nothing is ever done,” she said.

“I was thinking about voting Reform but decided not to, but a lot of people don’t see anything happening in the area and are looking at them now.”

Reform UK’s victory in Balderstone and Kirkholt gives the party its second councillor in Greater Manchester, after Allan Hopwood was elected in Tameside last month.

Reform UK is led nationally by Nigel Farage, and enjoyed success across the country in the local elections on May 1, and gained another MP by winning the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in Parliament.

 David Stapleton

Further down Oldham Road, 62-year-old David Stapleton says people in Balderstone and Kirkholt had high expectations when Labour were voted into government last year, but that many in the community have been left feeling disappointed.

“I’ve lived here for 30 years and I voted for them [Reform] instead of Labour and all the others,” he explained.

“Labour have just let us all down,” he added. “My vote was a protest, and I think we need more Reform councillors in Rochdale. We need all of them to do the best for the country.”

Joan, a carer who lives and works in the area, added: “I voted for Reform, my husband is retired and he lost his fuel allowance.

“People are fed up with how things are, all these boats we see on the TV. I don’t normally vote but I did this time as a protest.”

But others in Balderstone and Kirkholt were not convinced that voting for Reform UK would bring about major changes in the area, despite a general feeling of frustration.

 Claire Crichton Allen

“People don’t feel the impact of their vote, they feel that nothing changes and they don’t want to vote anymore, it’s really difficult and toxic” said 46-year-old Claire Crichton-Allen.

She voted Conservative in the by-election after being impressed by the local candidate, and she felt it was important to separate noise from the national parties from what was happening in Balderstone and Kirkholt.

“I voted Conservative this time, but I was really not sure. Local politics is different to national politics, as a local resident I hope Reform can make it work now they’ve won.

“There’s a lot of good in Rochdale and we’ll always be stronger together than separate.

“We’re a working-class town which had heavy industry at one point, but people started to get very frustrated because of the lack of investment and opportunities, and people’s basic needs are not being met and they’re looking for who to blame.”

Valerie Griffin, 68, added: “I think voting for Reform is a knee-jerk reaction.

“There are issues which are not being addressed, but I don’t think Reform are the ones who will do that, I’m not sure they’ll be any better.

“The issues are the number of police on the streets, people want more. Antisocial behaviour, littering, this is what people are worried about.”

Reform UK’s new councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt, Tarrant-Short, finished ahead of six other candidates in the Rochdale council by-election on May 1 to claim victory, with 766 votes out of 2,362 – 142 more than Labour’s runner up, Leanne Greenwood.

Speaking after the vote, he vowed to offer an alternative to what voters had been offered previously.

“It is an amazing win and it really shows the political apathy in the area. I can’t wait to start working with the people of Balderstone and Kirkholt,” he said.

“I think people are fed up with the two main parties and they wanted a different choice. Reform is the choice for the normal working class people.”

After the result was announced, current Balderstone and Kirkholt Labour and Co-operative councillor, and Rochdale council cabinet member, Coun Danny Meredith, said: “Unfortunately, we didn’t win this evening. It was a close run fight between ourselves and Reform.

“We will continue to work for the residents of Balderstone and Kirkholt. Congratulations to the new councillor.”