Local elections 2022: Election night special as Labour holds both Preston and Chorley
and live on Freeview channel 276
In South Ribble, only the Earnshaw Bridge ward was in action with a by-election being held, but we’re also keeping our eye on votes across Lancashire as they come in over the next 24 hours.
Across the country, the results will be seen as a a real indication of how the country feels about Boris Johnson’s Conservative government.
LIVE: Preston and Chorley results, reaction and how it unfolded
Key Events
- Only one by-election in South Ribble
- Preston City Council ward will to be represented by trio of female councillors
As for South Ribble...
South Ribble Borough Council stages elections only once every four years.
Unlike its Central Lancashire neighbours in Preston and Chorley, South Ribble elects its entire 50-strong membership in one go. It last did so back in 2019, meaning that people will not be invited to the polls again until May 2023.
The exception is for residents in the Earnshaw Bridge ward, where a by-election is being held to elect a replacement for long-serving councillor Bill Evans, who passed away back in March.
On the agenda in Chorley
There are contests in all of the borough’s 14 wards, and like Preston, it’s to elect a third of its total number of councillors.
It is a return to the usual system for the district, which last year held an all-out election for the entire council following the introduction of new ward boundaries and a reduction in the total number of councillors.
What’s happening in Preston
There are contests in all of the city council’s 16 wards, with the authority electing a third of its total number of councillors as part of an electoral cycle in which it stages polls in three out of every four years.
A single councillor will be selected in each of the three-member wards, with the exception of Brookfield, where two winners will be crowned - one of whom will replace veteran councillor John Browne, who died in March after serving almost 39 years at the town hall.
Two hours to go
Polls close at 10pm.
Prestonand Chorley councils have returned to traditional overnight counting of the votes this year, having totted up the totals during daylight hours in 2021 due to the additional complications caused by the Covid restrictions in place at the time.
The results are expected to be declared during the early hours of Friday morning. The Post will have a reporter at both counts and will bring you the declarations from individual wards - and the overall result for the authority as a whole - live here on our website.
Parties pitch
Ahead of polling day, we invited you the Preston parties involved to both submit manifestos and take part in a major video debate.
Labour group and council leader Matthew Brown said: “Whilst we have a Conservative Prime Minister that lies and broke rules we all followed during the pandemic, Labour in Preston stands for a different set of values. Labour has 17 fantastic candidates hungry to transform our communities so more share in Preston’s success. Our local election manifesto, ‘Preston for the Many’, is underpinned by six key pledges to tackle the cost of living and build community wealth. We are delighted to unveil a policy programme unequivocally on the side of working people specifically aimed at tackling the cost of living crisis.”
Conservative group leader Sue Whiitam said: “We work hard in our local community to help our residents – we listen and we care. It has been adifficult two years for the majority of us and currently, although slowly coming out of the pandemic, we still have a lot of work to do. The cost of food and fuel is hitting people hard and even though it is out of our local control, we will do all we can to help residents get the help and support they need. Preston has always been a proud city and we want to make sure that we get the best for Preston and all its residents.”
Liberal Democrat group leader John Potter said: “Liberal Democrats don’t have safe seats or easy victories in elections - every win is born out of hard work and commitment to local communities. I’m proud of our campaigners, candidates and councillors putting in such huge efforts all year round. Following the disruption of Covid, our activists have knocked on the doors of thousands of residents, fought for the issues that matter to them and dealt with complex and personal pieces of casework. If you elect a Liberal Democrat, you get a hard working community champion, not just a politician.
The Green Party’s campaigns officers in Preston, Helen Disley, said: “The Green Party have common sense policies to tackle the cost of living crisis and create new jobs in retrofitting homes and generating renewable energy. Policies focus on the wellbeing of people and planet, not increasing profits for the few. For a fairer, greener community, vote for the Green Party.”
More of what matters to you...
Fulwood’s John and Beverley Godfrey were also voting based on local issues. John said: “What’s bothering me is the amount of new houses being built and the lack of infrastructure, such as surgeries, schools and roads.”
Another couple, who asked not to be named, said: “We usually vote on local issues, but this time it’s different. We want to make a point to Boris Johnson that we’re not happy with what he’s doing.”
Some more views can be found HERE
Do you know who your local councillor is?
In today’s LP news bulletin, we asked you if you knew who your local councillor was on polling day.
It’s fair to say the response was mixed, as it was on our Facebook page.