The Conservatives were re-elected for Trafford Council in the council elections despite Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham, telling MM there were ‘encouraging’ signs for Labour.
The results came in quick and fast which left MPs, councillors and supporters on tenterhooks.
The Conservatives now have a majority of 34 seats, eight more than Labour, despite the group losing their seat in Broadheath to Louise Dagnall from the Labour party.
The results showed Labour’s Louise Dagnall gaining 1,660 votes compared to Conservative Jacki Wilkinson getting 1,431 votes.
Labour keep Urmston !!! Well done @KevinProcter pic.twitter.com/SV0zCTJykS
— Joanne Harding (@Joanne13Harding) May 23, 2014
Labour group leader Councillor David Acton, who held his seat in Gorse Hill with a soaring 1,666 votes (more than 1,000 votes than the other parties), was pleased they lost no seats and gained one from the Conservatives.
Councillor Acton told MM: “We will pick up and start planning for general and local elections next May and maximise our efforts to take control away from Conservatives.
“We need to act as a shield and be on the forefront of changes.”
Despite the good news for the Tories it was a sad day for the Lib Dems as they lost their seat in Timperley to the Conservatives but still managed to keep their position in the Village ward.
The results were close with Conservative’s Nathan Evans scooping 1,419 votes compared to Lib Dem’s Neil Taylor who gaining 1,363 votes.
Lib Dem group leader Councillor Ray Bowker, who has been group leader on Trafford MBC for more than 23 years, was disappointed about losing a seat in Timperley.
AT THE COUNT: Trafford Lib Dems awaiting the results
Councillor Bowker told MM: “The end result has not turned out as expected.
“We are going to continue our hard work and maintain a quality of life in Trafford and put the people before the elections.”
Conservative Trafford Council Leader Sean Anstee, the youngest council leader in the country at 26, was pleased that Trafford re-elected the Conservatives.
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: Sean and Stephen Anstee
Councillor Anstee told MM: “We laid down a very clear manifesto of our plans involving more money invested in the roads and highways.”
However Councillor Sean Anstee’s twin brother, Stephen Anstee running for Bucklow-St.Martins on a Conservative ticket, lost out to Labour’s Karina Carter by a margin of 431 votes.
SUPPORT: MM’s Olivia Wheeler chats to Labour’s Andy Burnham
Burnham told MM: “There are very encouraging results for Manchester, and this is encouraging for the elections next year, it’s setting the right foundation.
“People say we weren’t listening but we’re listening. We don’t take people’s votes for granted.”
Here are the results for each ward:
Altrincham Conservative hold (two seats)
Mathew Sephton (CON) 1,535
Michael Young (CON) 1,371
Aidan Williams (LAB) 823
Waseem Hassan (LAB) 584
Nick Davies (GRN) 447
Caroline Robertson-Browne (GRN) 347
Julian Newgrosh (LD) 322
Martin Elliot (LD) 251
Caroline Robertson-Browne (GRN) 347
Ashton Upon Mersey Conservative hold
John Lamb (CON) 1,505
Luckson Francis-Augustine (LAB) 877
Nick Robertson-Brown (GRN) 431
Chris Marritt (LD) 167
Bowdon Conservative hold
Karen Barclay (CON) 2,042
Thomas Hague (LAB) 428
Bridget Green (GRN) 273
Kirstie Davidson (LD) 197
Broadheath Labour gains from Conservatives
Louise Dagnall (LAB) 1,660
Jacki Wilkinson (CON) 1,431
Ron George (UKIP) 413
Sara Ahsan (GRN) 191
William Jones (LD) 129
Brooklands Conservative hold
Pam Dixon (CON) 1,627
Mike Green (LAB) 1,052
Joe Ryan (GRN) 286
James Eisen (LD) 200
Bucklow-St.Martins Labour hold
Karina Carter (LAB) 1,054
Stephen Anstee (CON) 623
Daniel Wadsworth (GRN) 253
Roger Legge (LD) 58
Clifford Labour hold
Sophie Taylor (LAB) 2,206
Matthew Westbrook (GRN) 401
Asha Thomas (CON) 246
Louise Bird (LD) 81
Davyhulme East Conservative hold
Mike Cornes (CON) 1,256
Anna Booth (LAB) 873
Paul Pickford (UKIP) 409
Jennie Wadsworth (GRN) 134
Graham Rogers (LD) 63
Jim Flannery (SL) 41
Davyhulme West Conservative hold
June Reilly (CON) 1,247
George Devlin (LAB) 1,164
Paul Regan (UKIP) 557
Luka Knezevic (GRN) 114
Elizabeth Hogg (LD) 54
Flixton Conservative hold
Viv Ward (CON) 1,427
Ged Carter (LAB) 1,388
Chris Frost (UKIP) 610
Alison Cavanagh (GRN) 188
Kirsty Cullen (LD) 86
Gorse Hill Labour hold
David Acton (LAB) 1,666
Mark Cawdrey (CON) 496
Nigel Woodcock (GRN) 346
Renee Matthews (LD) 111
Hale Barns Conservative hold
Dylan Butt (CON) 1,911
Barbara Twiney (LAB) 395
Andrew Weighell (UKIP) 335
Sandra Taylor (LD) 204
Daniel Jerrome (GRN) 133
Hale Central Conservative hold
Alan Mitchell (CON) 1,646
Beverly Harrison (LAB) 647
Samuel Little (GRN) 325
Craig Birtwistle (LD) 221
Longford Labour hold
David Jarman (LAB) 2003
James Heywood (CON) 603
Margaret Westbrook (GRN) 553
Dawn Carberry-Power (LD) 135
Priory Labour hold
Jane Baugh (LAB) 1,609
Daniel Critchlow (CON) 857
Mark Hamer (GRN) 322
Michael Macdonald (LD) 210
Sale Moor Labour hold
Philip Gratrix (LAB) 1,217
Michael Parris (CON) 772
Barry Higgs (UKIP) 408
Paul Bayliss (GRN) 202
Kenneth Clarke (LD) 98
St Mary’s Conservative hold
Rob Chilton (CON) 1,617
James Wright (LAB) 1,206
John Walsh (UKIP) 404
Phil Kilburn (GRN) 134
Pauline Cliff (LD) 105
Stretford Labour hold
Dolores O’Sullivan (LAB) 1,718
Colin Hooley (CON) 674
Liz O’Neil (GRN) 471
David Martin (LD) 100
Timperley Conservative hold
Nathan Evans (CON) 1,419
Neil Taylor (LD) 1,363
Majella Dalton-Bartley (LAB) 622
Jadwiga Leigh (GRN) 253
Urmston Labour hold
Kevin Procter (LAB) 1,327
Christine Turner (CON) 1,175
Peter Killick (UKIP) 608
Geraldine Coggins (GRN) 214
Wayne Harrison (LD) 69
Village Lib-Dem hold
Tony Fishwick (LD) 1,087
Andy Iredale (CON) 971
Tony O’Brien (LAB) 662
Michael Leigh (GRN) 258
