74 join race for power

AND they’re off — the race is on to be first past the post in the May 6 local council elections.

A total of 74 candidates will fight for a third of the council seats across 20 wards.

The three main parties — Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives — will field candidates in every ward.

And for the first time in Oldham, the Respect Party will field hopefuls in Chadderton Central, Chadderton North, Medlock Vale and Royton South.

The party, made famous by “Celebrity Big Brother” contestant George Galloway, vehemently opposes the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and follows a broadly socialist agenda.

The controversial British National Party will field only one candidate in Crompton and right-wingers England First will stand in St James’s.

Former Mayor of Oldham John Battye will attempt to rejoin the council as he fights for a Labour victory in Failsworth West. Eight independent candidates complete the list.

As it stands, the council is made up of 30 Liberal Democrat councillors, 22 Labour, seven Conservatives and one independent. At next month’s elections, the Lib-Dems will fight to keep 10 seats while Labour have eight places to keep hold of.

The Tories will defend just one seat while independent Councillor Asaf Ali will also fight to retain his place.

Labour are bringing back a host of familiar faces as they attempt to regain control of Oldham Council after losing overall power in 2008.

Former councillors Hugh McDonald, Barbara Dawson, Jean Stretton, Phil Harrison, Dilys Fletcher and Joe Fitzpatrick will be on the campaign trail in the hope of getting re-elected.

Four Lib-Dem cabinet members are hoping to secure their place for the next three years.

John McCann will defend his seat in Saddleworth South and Rod Blyth hopes to retain power in Shaw while finance supremo Lynne Thompson fights to keep her seat in Waterhead and Mohib Uddin battles for victory in Coldhurst.


Local election candidates

THE candidates standing in the May 6 Oldham Council elections are:

ALEXANDRA: *ALI Asaf (Independent), HOWARTH Phil (Independent), IQBAL Raja Amjad (Conservative), LORD Pat (Liberal Democrat), MCDONALD Hugh (Labour).

CHADDERTON CENTRAL: ALI Ikram (Respect), BARNES Robert (Conservative), DAWSON Kevin (Liberal Democrat), *MCLAREN Colin (Labour).

CHADDERTON NORTH: ALI Ibrahim (Respect), BROWNRIDGE Barbara (Labour), *ROGERS Phil (Conservative), TAYLOR Keith (Liberal Democrat).

CHADDERTON SOUTH: QUIGG Lewis (Conservative), RAHIM Fazal (Liberal Democrat), *WRIGGLESWORTH Joy (Labour).

COLDHURST: MALIK Abdul (Labour), MIAH Sharif (Conservative), *UDDIN Mohib (Liberal Democrat).

CROMPTON: *DILLON Philomena (Liberal Democrat), DUNNING David (Conservative), JONES Gareth (Labour), STOTT Alwyn (British National Party).

FAILSWORTH EAST (Labour seat): DAWSON Barbara (Labour), MCDONALD David (Conservative), PARKER John (Independent), SHAW Dorothy (Liberal Democrat).

FAILSWORTH WEST (Labour seat): BATES Warren (Independent), BATTYE John (Labour), CARTRIDGE Neil (Conservative), RENOLD Phil (Liberal Democrat).

HOLLINWOOD: *BARROW Stephen (Liberal Democrat), BERRY John (Independent), HEEKS Ann (Conservative), STRETTON Jean (Labour).

MEDLOCK VALE (Labour seat): HEEKS Ken (Conservative), PAZEER Rafiq (Liberal Democrat), RAHMAN Habibur (Respect), TOOR Yasmin (Labour).

ROYTON NORTH: *CHADDERTON Olwen (Labour), FAIRBROTHER Stephen (Liberal Democrat), FARQUHAR Joe (Conservative).

ROYTON SOUTH (Liberal Democrat seat): FISH Allan (Conservative), HARRISON Philip (Labour), MOSTUFA Zaki (Respect), WISWELL Mari (Liberal Democrat).

SADDLEWORTH NORTH: BELL Aileen (Labour), BYRNE Pam (Conservative), HULME Ken (Independent), *ROUGHLEY Alan (Liberal Democrat).

SADDLEWORTH SOUTH: *MCCANN John (Liberal Democrat), REHMAN Kaiser (Labour), SHELDON Graham (Conservative).

SADDLEWORTH WEST & LEES: *BEELEY Barbara (Liberal Democrat), CHADDERTON Derek (Conservative), FRYER Paul (Labour).

SHAW: BENNETT Phelyp (Conservative), *BLYTH Rod (Liberal Democrat), FLETCHER Dilys (Labour).

ST JAMES: ATHERTON David (Conservative), CLAYTON Andrew (England First Party), *HINDLE Roger (Liberal Democrat), NEWTON Nigel (Labour).

ST MARY’S: CADDICK David (Conservative), HUSSAIN Ajawat (Liberal Democrat), *SALAMAT Ali (Labour).

WATERHEAD: ALLSOPP Stuart (Independent), FITZPATRICK Joseph (Labour), *THOMPSON Lynne (Liberal Democrat), WOLSTENHULME Edna (Conservative).

WERNETH: *AKHTAR Shoab (Labour), ALI Koddus (Independent), BEGLEY Keith (Liberal Democrat), SHAH Basit (Conservative).

* denotes sitting councillor