Chorley local election results 2024: Labour almost wipe out the Conservatives

Of the 14 seats being contested, the ruling party held all 11 that it was defending from the last time this particular set was fought in 2021 - and gained two others. The Conservatives kept hold of just one seat on the night.

The authority elects a third of its members each time there is a poll and the results this year have translated into Labour securing a position of near omnipotence in the borough. It now holds 39 of the 42 seats at the town hall, with the Tories down to just three.

Speaking briefly to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in the moments after the result was announced, council leader Alistair Bradley described the outcome as “a ringing endorsement [of] the Labour Party by the people of Chorley”.

He added: “We have plans to continue to make Chorley a great place to live, work and visit.”

Conservative opposition leader Alan Cullens lost his seat in Clayton East, Brindle and Houghton, being beaten by more than 200 votes by Labour’s Irene Amahwe. He has sat on the authority for 15 of the last 20 years, having first been elected in 2004.

It was a slightly closer contest in the seat where the other Tory scalp was claimed - Aidy Riggott, who, like his former group leader is also a Lancashire county councillor in Chorley, lost out by just over 100 votes to Labour candidate Russell Green in the Buckshaw and Whittle ward.

Amongst those re-elected for Labour were 10 incumbent councillors, including three cabinet members - Cllr Adrian Lowe, the portfolio holder for customer, streetscene and environment; Cllr Margaret France, who is responsible for health, wellbeing and partnerships; and Cllr Bradley.

He is now entering this 13th year in charge at Chorley Council after first leading his party to victory in the borough back in 2012, following a year of it being in no overall control with the Tories as the largest group. The Conservatives had previously enjoyed a majority.

The one Conservative councillor – of those standing for re-election - to retain her place on the authority this year was Debra Platt. She hung on in Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South, having last year won the seat vacated by the long-serving Keith Iddon after he passed away in the summer. Cllr Platt had previously represented Euxton, but was defeated in that ward at last year’s local elections.

The Green Party - which contested all of the seats up for election this year - secured second place in one of them, Chorley South West, where Olga Cash scooped 562 votes, by far the party’s best performance this year.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and the Liberal Democrats fought four - different - wards each. The pair came last in three out of each of those four.

Elsewhere, octogenarian Labour veteran Alan Whittaker was re-elected in his Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard seat, having first become a Chorley councillor back in 1982. Apart from a hiatus between 2006 and 2014, he has been a fixture at the town hall ever since.

All of the party leaders and representatives were approached for comment regarding the results.

Turnout averaged at 30 percent across the 14 wards.

FINAL RESULTS TALLY

Labour: 13 (+2)

Conservatives: 1 (-2)

Green Party: 0

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 0

Liberal Democrats: 0

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OVERALL COUNCIL MAKE-UP

Labour: 39 (+2)

Conservatives: 3 (-2)

WARD RESULTS

KEY

(INC) - denotes incumbent

(CAB) - denotes cabinet member

(GL) - denotes group leader

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​Adlington and Anderton

LAB HOLD

NEIL BAGLOW - Conservative Party: 404

SALLY FELTON - Green Party: 134

KIM SNAPE (INC) - Labour and Co-operative Party: 1,392​

Buckshaw and Whittle

LAB GAIN

RUSSELL GREEN - Labour Party: 995

AIDY RIGGOTT (INC) - Conservative Party: 870

RACHEL SMITH - Green Party: 214

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​Chorley East

LAB HOLD

MARK GRANDI - Conservative Party: 255

CATHERINE HUNTER-ROSSALL - Green Party: 143

HASINA KHAN (INC) - Labour Party: 935

AAMIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 145

​

​Chorley North and Astley

LAB HOLD

RYAN GROGAN - Conservative Party: 426

TAHIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 50

ADRIAN LOWE (INC/CAB) - Labour Party: 1,002

JON ROYLE - Green Party: 173​

Chorley North East

LAB HOLD

SIMON CASH - Green Party: 146

MARGARET FRANCE (INC/CAB) - Labour Party: 1,451

GREGORY MORGAN - Conservative Party: 444

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​Chorley North West

LAB HOLD

AARON BEAVER (INC) - Labour and Co-operative Party: 1,340

ARIF KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 51

PETER MALPAS - Conservative Party: 486

MARK TEBBUTT - Green Party: 214

​

​Chorley South East and Heath Charnock

LAB HOLD

ALISTAIR BRADLEY (INC/CAB/GL) - Labour and Co-operative Party: 1,173

JENNY HURLEY - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 76

SANDRA MERCER - Conservative Party: 467

JANE WESTON - Green Party: 158

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​Chorley South West

LAB HOLD

OLGA CASH - Green Party: 562

PETER DAVENPORT - Conservative Party: 150

KATIE WILKIE - Labour Party: 935

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​Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton

LAB GAIN

IRENE AMAHWE - Labour Party: 949

ALAN CULLENS (INC/GL) - Conservative Party: 723

GAIL ORMSTON - Lib Dem: 148

PAULINE SUMMERS - Green Party: 128

​

​Clayton West and Cuerden

LAB HOLD

SAM CHAPMAN - Conservative Party: 541

MARK CLIFFORD (INC) - Labour Party: 1,369

STEPHEN FENN - Liberal Democrat: 93

CLARE HALES - Green Party: 167

​

​Coppull

LAB HOLD

ANNE CALDERBANK - Green Party: 116

CONOR DAWSON - Conservative Party: 299

ALEX HILTON (INC) - Labour Party: 1,022

​

Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South

CON HOLD

JOHN CLARE - Green Party: 194

MARK FROST - Liberal Democrat: 105

DEBRA PLATT (INC) - Conservative Party: 976

CAROLINE TURNER - Labour and Co-operative Party: 897

​

​Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard

LAB HOLD

STEVE BLAND - Conservative Party: 504

SEF CHURCHILL - Green Party: 88

ROWAN POWER - Liberal Democrat: 60

ALAN WHITTAKER (INC) - Labour Party: 1,117

​

​Euxton

LAB HOLD

DANNY GEE (INC) - Labour and Co-operative Party: 1,255

MADELEINE HOUGHTON - Green Party: 170

CHRISTINE TURNER - Conservative Party: 467

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