UKIP is in it to win it

UKIP is launching a major offensive to grab its first seats on Oldham Council.

The controversial party is fielding 18 candidates in next month’s local elections, with former Labour stalwart Joe Fitzpatrick leading the way.

Oldham voters go to the polls on May 22 to choose 21 councillors from 93 candidates. A third of the council seats are up for election in 20 wards, plus a second seat in St James following Labour Councillor Nigel Newton’s decision to stand down.

Labour is defending 14 of the seats, the Liberal Democrats seven. The current make-up of the council is Labour 43, Liberal Democrats 14, Conservatives two with one vacant seat.

Labour has overall control of the council, and would still have a single-seat majority even if it was to lose all 14 seats to the Lib-Dems.

Labour, the Lib-Dems and the Conservatives are fielding a candidate in each of the 20 wards.

Councillor Newton’s decision to stand down means two seats are up for grabs in St James’ ward, bringing the total to 21.

UKIP is fighting in 17 wards - opting not to stand in Coldhurst, St Mary’s and Werneth.

Its candidates include former Conservative councillor Chris Shyne and community activists Peter Brown - Oldham’s former mole catcher; and Warren Bates.

The Green Party has candidates in eight wards - Chadderton South, Crompton, Failsworth East, Failsworth West, Royton South, Saddleworth West and Lees, St James, St Mary’s, and there are independent candidates in four wards - Alexandra, Coldhurst, Saddleworth North and Saddleworth South.

Three councillors will not contest their own seats - Lynne Thompson, who is the Lib Dem councillor for Waterhead, Olwen Chadderton, who is currently Labour councillor in Royton North, and Philomena Dillon, who holds a seat in Crompton for the Lib-Dems.

This year there is no candidate representing far-right groups such as the BNP or England First. There is one candidate for Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts, in Failsworth West.

The eight candidates in for one of the two seats on offer in St James ward, include the defending Lib-Dem Councillor Roger Hindle as well as former Labour councillor, Joe Fitzpatrick.

Voting takes place between 7am and 10pm on Thursday May 22.





Current councillor first
Alexandra: Currently held by Hugh McDonald (Labour until suspension, now acting as an independent). Not standing.

David Carter (UKIP), Terry Hopkinson (Con), Mohammed Masud (Lib-Dem), Rebecca McGladdery (Independent), Shaid Mushtaq (Lab).


Chadderton Central: Colin McLaren (Lab), Robert Barnes (Con), Louie Hamblett (Lib-Dem), Vivien Swift (UKIP).


Chadderton North: Barbara Brownridge (Lab), John Christopher Berry (UKIP), Paul Martin (Con), Keith Wilson (Lib-Dem).


Chadderton South: Joy Wrigglesworth (Lab), Steve Connor (UKIP), Kevin Dawson (Lib-Dem), Eileen Hulme (Con), Melodey Walker (Green).


Coldhurst: Abdul Malik (Lab), Sean Curley (Con), Md Shahid Miah (Independent), Keith Pendlebury (Lib-Dem).


Crompton: Currently held by Philomena Dillon (Lib Dem). Not standing.

Phelyp Bennett (Con), Derek Fletcher (UKIP), Catherine Hunter (Green), Dave Murphy (Lib-Dem), Ken Rustidge (Lab).


Failsworth East: Norman Briggs (Lab), Adam Robert Carney (Con), Bill Cullen (Lib-Dem), Andrew David Rossall (Green), Joan Spencer (UKIP).


Failsworth West: John Battye (Lab), Warren William Bates (UKIP), Jean Betteridge (Green), Steven Cox (Con), Enid Firth (Lib Dem), Sam Pennington (Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts).


Hollinwood: Jean Stretton (Lab), David Caddick (Con), Martin Dinoff (Lib-Dem), Thomas Edwin Eddleston (UKIP).


Medlock Vale: Yasmin Toor (Lab), Jean Eddleston (UKIP), John Charles Hall (Lib-Dem), Zulfiqar Mohammed (Con).


Royton North: Currently held by Olwen Chadderton (Lab). Not standing.

Kevin Allen (UKIP), Shaun Michael Duffy (Lib Dem), Lewis Quigg (Con), Hannah Roberts (Lab).


Royton South: Marie Ann Bashforth (Lab), Angie Farrell (Lib-Dem), Allan Fish (Con), Jackie Garnett (UKIP), Jim Stidworthy (Green).


Saddleworth North: Alan Roughley (Lib-Dem), Angela Michelle Clark (UKIP), Paul Fryer (Lab), Nicola Jeffery Sykes (Con), Nikki Kirkham (Independent).


Saddleworth South: John McCann (Lib-Dem), Lesley Brown (Independent), Pam Byrne (Con), Ian Manners (Lab), Chris Shyne (UKIP).


Saddleworth West and Lees: Barbara Beeley (Lib-Dem). Not standing.

Neil Allsopp (Con), Robert Allsopp (Lib-Dem), Stephen Gordon Hewitt (Lab), Peter Klonowski (UKIP), Oliver Thompson (Green).


Shaw: Rod Blyth (Lib-Dem), Peter Brown (UKIP), Judith Haughton (Con), Hermione Andromeda Lostwithiel St John Spiggott (Lab)


St James (two seats) Roger Hindle (Lib Dem), second seat vacant, Ginny Alexander (Lab), Stephen Barrow (Lib-Dem), Angela Carol Cosgrove (Lab), Joseph Christopher Fitzpatrick (UKIP), Roger Mark Pakeman (Green), Muriel Taylor (UKIP), Edna Wolstenhulme (Con).


St Mary’s: Ali Aqeel Salamat (Lab), David Atherton (Con), Sharon McGladdery (Lib-Dem), Miranda Meadowcroft (Green).


Waterhead: Currently held by Lynne Thompson. Not standing.

Sarah Afzaal (Con), Riaz Ahmad (Lab), Linda Dawson (Lib-Dem), Nicholas Adam Godleman (UKIP).


Werneth: Shoab Akhtar (Lab), Michele Stockton (Con), Ron Wise (Lib-Dem).