Letter to Bury Labour Party Leader Mike Connolly

Dear Councillor Connolly, 

Thanks for your courteous response to our questions before the election and congratulations to your group on taking control of the Council.

We are pleased that you plan to share power through an Executive and to open decision-making processes to public scrutiny. We will encourage individual members to take advantage of this new openness to pursue their own concerns about particular localities or services. As a group, we hope for an ongoing dialogue with you as leader, with members of your executive and with council officers as they implement your decisions. We see this letter as the first step in this dialogue.

We welcome your statement that ‘the transformation strategy’ is ‘dead in the water’ and that service reviews will start from the assumption ‘that services will be delivered in house’. We are pleased to hear of your intention to reverse planned cuts and particularly your commitment to a universal youth service, to the LAPs, to school crossing patrols and park rangers.

Outgoing Bury council leader resigns as Tory boss

The outgoing leader of Bury Council has resigned as the leader of the Conservative group.

Bob Bibby had led the authority for four years but lost control after Labour made six gains from the Tories and Lib Dems in the local elections.

Labour now has 26 councillors, the Tories 20 and the Lib Dems five, with Mike Connolly the new council leader.

A crucial seat was determined by drawing lots when two candidates in Ramsbottom each polled 1,822 votes.

Labour candidate Joanne Columbine beat Tory candidate Robert Hodkinson after they drew straws at the count at Castle Leisure Centre, Bury.

Mr Bibby has said he will stay on as a councillor for Church ward.

This article was reproduced from the BBC

Council Election Results

After the late drama in yesterday afternoons count in Ramsbottom, the Labour Party are now in charge of affairs at Bury Council. As predicted, the Lib Dems got a bit of a kicking nationwide, and lost four seats, to add to four lost by the Tories. These 8 gains boosted the Labour seats to 26, which has created an overall majority. You can get more information from the following links;

BBC News

Bury Times

Overall, this is a good result for our campaign to protect public services in Bury. The Labour Party has given its support to a number of key areas of concern that we raised prior to the election, and we have support in the group from councilors, members and supporters. Our next meeting will be next Tuesday, 10th May, at Bury Met, so please come along to discuss the next stages of the campaign

Liberal Democrats Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

Liberal Democrats - Tim J. Boaden
Constituency - Moorside

Green Party Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

Green Party - Glyn Heath
Constituency - North Manor

Labour Party Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

Labour Party - Mike Connolly
Constituency - East Ward

UKIP Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

UK independence Party - Peter Redstone
Constituency - Pilkington Park Ward

Liberal Democrats Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

Liberal Democrats - Richard Baum (incumbent)
Constituency - St Mary's Ward

English Democrats Response

Last week, Bury Action Group sent out a request to all candidates to answer a number of questions on where their party stands on a number of issues, and how they would approach them if elected.

English Democrats - Stephen Morris & Valerie Morris

Constituency - Besses Ward & Holyrood Ward