Huge row breaks out as Conservative leader told by party he can’t stand in council seat

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 18:08

By Chris Gee

A bitter row has broken out among Bury’s Conservatives after their leader at the town hall was told for a second time he can’t stand for his own seat.

Councillor Russell Bernstein, who is leader fo the opposition on the council, was told by the Bury Conservative Association on Tuesday that his application
to be a candidate in the 2026 local elections had been unsuccessful.

Now he’s vowed to fight on, accusing the Conservative Association of being a ‘cabal’.

Coun Bernstein enjoys the support of the 10-strong group of Tory councillors in Bury after being re-elected as leader earlier this month.

Despite that, his application has been turned down by the body that overseas the party’s selection process.

He released a vehement response to the decision vowing to ‘continue this fight for what I believe is the very soul of the Conservative Party in Bury’.

It is the second time this year that Coun Bernstein, who has led the Tory group at Bury town hall for the past three years, has been told a five-person selection panel from the borough’s Conservative Association had turned down his application to stand as a candidate.

In March, he became the only sitting Conservative councillor in Bury not approved by the panel. However, after appealing that decision to Greater Manchester Conservative Association, Coun Bernstein had his claim upheld and the selection process was re-run this week.

That process again led to his application to become a council candidate for the Conservatives being turned down.

Speaking after the decision was made, Coun Bernstein, said: “I intend to continue this fight for what I believe is the very soul of a Conservative Party in Bury which needs to listen and learn to have any chance of regaining the trust and confidence of the people for who we serve, attributes the cabal that run Bury Conservatives Association are oblivious to.”

Coun Bernstein said he will again appeal the panel’s decision. He said he had also taken the matter to senior members in the national Conservative Party asking for the issue to be raised directly with the party chairman Nigel Huddleston.

Coun Bernstein, who represents the Pilkington Park ward, is the brother of the late Sir Howard Bernstein, the former chief executive of Manchester City Council, who died last year. A spokesman for Bury Conservative Association, which oversaw the candidate selection process, said: “We can confirm the approvals panel met on Tuesday, May 27 and councillor Russell Bernstein’s application was unsuccessful.

“We cannot comment any further until the period for any possible appeal has elapsed.”