Conservatives lose North Manor seat as results declared in local election

Friday, 3 May 2024 20:28

By Adam Clark

Cllr Liam James Dean (Credit: David Murphy)

Bury Conservatives have lost a key seat in North Manor to Labour at this year's local elections that saw Cllr Liam James Dean lose his seat.

Liam Dean who's held the seat since 2021 lost out to John Southworth, by just 42 votes.

It's understood this is the first time Labour have held the seat, in a traditional Tory stronghold.

Cllr Russell Bernstein, Bury Conservatives leader, paid tribute to Dean following tonight's results.

These local elections were always going to be difficult set against the national perspective, and so this has proved to be the case.

Notwithstanding this we will continue to constructively challenge and scrutinise the Labour administration on behalf of the people of Bury.

I want to take this opportunity to express my disappointment that we have lost a dedicated and hard-working Councillor in Liam Dean.

Southworth has stood in the last two elections in North Manor, missing out on both occasions.

Labour held onto seats in Elton & Redvales, despite close competition from the Conservatives & Workers Party respectively.

The local party are happy with the gains made in today's results.

Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, council leader told Roch Valley Radio:

These are a fantastic set of results for us and we are truly grateful for the continued trust being placed in us by the people of Bury.

Winning in North Manor is a historic result too, the first time Labour has ever won that seat. I know John Southworth will be a fantastic local champion for it on the Council. We will not take it for granted like the Tories have done.

It is clear that the public have rejected the Conservatives after 14 years of chaos and decline. We now need a general election to let the country usher in a decade of renewal under a Labour Government.

New hyper-local party Bury Independents failed to gain a seat in the eight they contested.

Liberal Democrats and Workers Party of Britain also make the council chamber.

One seat in each of the borough’s 17 wards was contested, each winner will serve a four-year term.

The new balance on Bury Council is Labour 32 seats (+1), Conservatives 10 (-1), Radcliffe First 8 (+1), and Independent 1 (N/C).

Turnout was 36.3% which is 2% higher than 2023.