Rochdale’s political landscape could be radically transformed next month in the borough’s first ‘all out’ election since 2004. The borough is made up of 20 wards, each represented by three councillors who serve four year terms before standing down or seeking re-election.

During a ‘normal’ election year only a third of the councils 60 seats are up for grabs due to the way the electoral cycle works – with one in every four years being ‘fallow’. But this time a boundary shake-up means every seat is up for election and every councilor – from the leader to opposition back-benchers – needs the backing of voters if they want to hold on to theirs.

At present the council is dominated by Labour, who have 44 councillors, followed by the Tories on 11 and the Lib Dems on 4. Kath Nickson, the only independent, is not standing at this election. But could the council chamber have a very different complexion come May 6?

READ MORE : All the candidates standing in the Oldham council local elections 2022 by ward

While it would no doubt be a massive shock should Labor lose control of the council, opposition groups will also be hopeful of having a bigger say in the year ahead. Labor will naturally be worried that the Clean Air Zone controversy could have an impact at the ballot box, although a similar outcry over the ‘Places for Everyone’ development plan last year appeared to do them little harm.

However, opponents are sure to look to capitalize on a 3.6pc council tax rise which came into force earlier this month. There will be similar concerns for the Tories, who will be nervously waiting to see if voters will punish them for the ‘partygate’ scandal and the growing cost of living crisis.

That could leave the door open for the Lib Dems, who are fielding more candidates than the Conservatives this time round, building on some solid campaigning in their target areas. One place the Lib Dems may expect to do well in is Spotland and Falinge, where Rabina Asghar ran Labour’s Iram Faisal close to finish second last year.

Another key Labour/Lib Dem battleground could be North Heywood, where it is a straight shootout between the two parties. Each is fielding three candidates, with no other party involved in the contest.

Privately, local Tories concede that national headwinds are not in their favour, but remain reasonably confident of holding on to what they have. If they are to make any gains, the group believes Castleton or the Heywood and Middleton wards represent their best chance of success.

There is also a new kid on the block this year, in the form of the Middleton Independents Party (MIP). Only officially registered with the Electoral Commission last month, the party is fielding three candidates in all five Middleton wards – including Hopwood Hall.

In West Middleton this will see the fledgling party taking on council leader Neil Emmott, in a real David versus Goliath clash.

Polls open on May 5, but people must be registered to vote by midnight on Thursday, April 14.

The election count and declaration of results will take place on Friday, May 6.

A full list of candidates standing in Rochdale has now been published

Balderstone & Kirkholt

Jordan Eves – Green

Laura Grabowska – Freedom Alliance

Judith Jones – Liberal Democrats

Philip Massey – Labor and Co-operative Party

Daniel Meredith – Labor and Co-Operative Party

Mudassar Razzaq – Conservative

Michael Smith – Conservative

Elsie-Jane Wraighte – Labor and Co-operative Party

bamford

Sultan Ali – Labor

Steve Anstee – Conservative

Rosie Choudhury – Labor

Siobhain Cunnane – Liberal Democrats

Peter Diestler – Liberal Democrats

Zarah Kauser – Liberal Democrats

Brian Meredith – Labor
Angela Smith – Conservative

Patricia Sullivan – Conservative

Edward Whittaker – Green

Castleton

Darren Bayman – Conservative

Aisling-Blaise Gallagher – Labor

Sajid Hashmi – Liberal Democrats

Beverly Heyworth – Liberal Democrats

David Jones-Conservative

Sarah Kisa-Smith – Liberal Democrats

Aasim Rashid – Labor

Stephen Sanderson – Conservative

Billy Sheerin – Labor Party

Central Rochdale

Zaheer Abbas – Liberal Democrats

Ali Ahmed – Labor

Iftikhar Ahmed – Labor

Zulfiqar Ali – Liberal Democrats

Leonard Branton – Conservative

Steven Scholes – Conservative

Mohammed Sheraz – Liberal Democrats

Sameena Zaheer – Labor

East Middleton

Elizabeth Atewologun – Labor

Paul Beswick – Middleton Independents Party

Kathryn Bromfield – Labor

Connor Hibbert – Green

Terry Smith – Labor

Dylan Williams – Middleton Independents Party

Bernard Wynne – Middleton Independents Party

healey

Mark Alcock – Liberal Democrats

Tricia Ayrton – Labor

Shin Ingram – Liberal Democrats

Safina Kauser – Liberal Democrats

Andrew Neilson – Conservative

Shaun O’Neill – Labor

Shah Wazir – Labor

Hopwood Hall

Jacqueline Beswick – Conservative

Susan Emmott – Labor

Matthew Glaysher – Middleton Independents Party

Peter Hodgkinson – Labor

Alan McCarthy – Conservative

Caitlin O’Mara – Middleton Independents Party

Matthew Roughsedge – Conservative

Gavin Vitler Middleton Independents Party

Carol Wardle – Labor

Kingsway

Shakil Ahmed – Labor

Daalat Ali – Labor

Mark Hollinrake – Green

Ibrahim Khalil – Conservative

Rachel Massey – Labor

Barrie Nicholson – Liberal Democrats

Chariss Peacock – Liberal Democrats

Sharon Taylor-Liberal Democrats

Littleborough Lakeside

Tom Besford – Labor

Lynn Butterworth – Conservative

Kate Clegg – Liberal Democrats

Janet Emsley – Labor

Julian Farnell – Labor

Daniel Nuttall – Conservative

Guy Otten – Green

Peter Reed – Conservative

Milkstone & Deeplish

Hassan Ali – Liberal Democrats

Mohammad Arshad – Labor

Paul Ellison – Conservative

Jacqueline Holt – Conservative

Salina Javid – Liberal Democrats

Shahid Mohammed – Labor

Aiza Rashid – Labor

Mohammed Zaman – Liberal Democrats

Milnrow & Newhey

David Bamford-Liberal Democrats

Allen Brett – Labor

Irene Davidson – Liberal Democrats

Steve Endacott – Conservative

Leanne Greenwood – Labor

Andy Kelly-Liberal Democrats

Alexander Royle – Labor

Norden

Tony Bennett – Labor

Anne Colgan – Liberal Democrats

Colette Duszczyk – Liberal Democrats

James Gartside – Conservative

Mike Holly – Conservative

Farhat Kamzi – Labor

Iain Macdonald – Labor

Stephanie Robertson – Liberal Democrats

Peter Winkler – Conservative

North Heywood

Iain Donaldson – Liberal Democrats

Richard Eden-Maugham – Liberal Democrats

Jennifer Kelly – Liberal Democrats

Liam O’Rourke – Labor

Bev Place – Labor

Peter Rush – Labor

North Middleton

Peter Allonby – Middleton Independents Party

David Bold- Conservative

Neil Butterworth – Labor

Alan Godson – Green

Keely O’Mara – Middleton Independents Party

Sara Rowbotham- Labor

Donna Williams – Labor

Lee Wolf – Middleton Independents Party

Smallbridge & Firgrove

John Blundell – Labor

Aftab Hussain – Labor

Latafat Hussain – Liberal Democrats

Eleanor Kelly – Liberal Democrats

Dean Larder – Liberal Democrats

Amna Mir – Labor Party

Eileen Taylor – Conservative

South Middleton

Bernard Braiden – Conservative

Adam Cornett – Middleton Independents Party

Patricia Dale – Labor

Emma Hezelgrave-Whitworth – Middleton Independents Party

Jo Hezelgrave-Whitworth – Middleton Independents Party

Aaron Slack – Conservative

June West – Labor

Peter Williams – Labor

Spotland & Phalinge

Rabbi Asghar – Liberal Democrats

Mick Coats – Green

Iram Faisal – Labor

Carl Faulkner – Independent

John Kershaw-Conservative

Hammas Majid – Liberal Democrats

Amber Nisa – Labor

Faisal Rana – Labor

Neil Rutter – Green

John Swarbrick – Liberal Democrats

Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough

Ashley Dearnley – Conservative

Jules Howliston – Green

Muhammad Islam – Labor

Hannah Macguire – Green

Vickie Mason – Liberal Democrats

Barbara Miller – Labor

Rina Paolucci – Conservative

Mike Radanovic – Labor

John Taylor-Conservative

West Heywood

Angela Brown – Labor

Christopher Harris – Conservative

Ian Kilgannon – Conservative

Peter Malcolm – Labor

Martin Orson – Conservative

Linda Robinson – Labor

West Middleton

Joan Aspinall Middleton Independents Party

Philip Burke – Labor

Nikki Edwards – Liberal Democrats

Neil Emmott – Labor

Simon Footitt – Middleton Independents Party

Peter Shore – Middleton Independents Party

Jordan Short – Conservative

Susan Smith – Labor

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