Reform give Labour a 'bloody nose' after winning Rochdale council by-election

Reform has given Labour a ‘bloody nose’ after winning the council by-election in neighbouring Rochdale.

Jordan Tarrant-Short is now Reform’s second elected Greater Manchester councillor after taking the Balderstone and Kirkholt seat.

Coun Tarrant-Short bested the six other candidates, taking 766 votes out of 2,362 – 142 more than Labour’s runner up, Leanne Greenwood. 

Speaking after his victory, the newly elected Coun Tarrant-Short said: “Ecstatic is how I feel. 

“It is an amazing win and it really shows the political apathy in the area. 

"I can’t wait to start working with the people of Balderstone and Kirkholt. 

“I think people are fed up with the two main parties and they wanted a different choice.

"Reform is the choice for the normal working class people.

“This seat has been one of the safest for Labour in the past 50 years, so for me winning this is a real bloody nose for them.”

The newly-elected councillor believes that both him and Allan Hopwood, who won the Longdendale council by-election in Tameside last month, will be the first of many Reform politicians in the city-region.

Tension was in the air at the count in Kirkholt Community Church.

There were accusations of ‘skullduggery’ and calls for a full recount, but the gap in votes between Reform and the other parties muted those shouts.

In the election build up, there was a strong sense that the winds of change were coming to the ward, which has been a happy hunting ground for Labour in recent years. 

After Elsie Blundell decided to resign following her return from maternity leave to focus on her new role as Heywood and Middleton MP, the Workers Party and Reform were initially seen as Labour’s closest rivals. 

That turned out to be true as they took the top three spots on the night.

But it was Reform who won claimed victory to take the vacant seat on the council.

It was a miserable night for Labour, who felt the hit from the Labour government’s drop in popularity.

As the votes came in, the reds present on the night gave the look of tired inevitability and acceptance that defeat was coming.

Following the result, current Balderstone and Kirkholt councillor and cabinet member, Coun Danny Meredith, said: “Unfortunately, we didn’t win this evening.

"It was a close run fight between ourselves and Reform. 

“We will continue to work for the residents of Balderstone and Kirkholt.

"Congratulations to the new councillor.”

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