Labour have a tight grip on the socialist stronghold that is Salford council – but some close contests are expected in the city at the local elections this week.
The ruling group currently hold 52 out of the 60 seats at the council while the Conservatives have seven with only one up for election on Thursday (May 5). Salford's only Lib Dem councillor - Andrew Walters who was elected last year - has now left the party to run as an independent in Kersal and Broughton Park.
Last year, the Tories hoped to win all three council seats in this ward which is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, but only managed to retain two. After pulling off a shock victory for the Lib Dems in 2021, Coun Walters will need to beat the Tories and Labour to keep his seat in this three-horse race – although Labour sources admit they are the least likely to win of the three.
READ MORE: All the candidates standing in Salford for local elections 2022 by ward
Labour also secured a surprising win in Worsley and Westwood Park last year. Once comfortable territory for the Conservatives, the addition of Westwood Park to this ward in 2021 helped Labour councillor Tony Davies win a seat.
However, having come third at the all-out election last year, he will have to defend that seat which the Tories are 'quietly confident' about winning back. The Conservatives say the green belt and the Clean Air Zone are the big issues in this ward where Labour sources says the result is expected to be 'tight'.
Next door in Boothstown and Ellenbrook, Salford's Tory group leader Les Turner came close to losing to Labour, beating them by less than 100 votes. But the Conservative councillor who switched seats after moving outside the city's boundaries may have been affected by the 'Burnham bounce' which saw Labour benefit from the Greater Manchester mayor's popularity last year.
The Lib Dems have been targeting the new Quays ward where their candidate Alex Warren was around 100 votes away from securing the third position. But he was more than 400 votes away from first place and with only one seat available this time he must beat Labour councillor Phil Tresaden to come top.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments
Walkden South was jointly the closest contest at last year with Labour's Irfan Syed beating Conservative candidate Lewis Croden by six votes in the end. Labour sources say they are 'miles ahead' here, while the Conservatives say they have an 'outside chance' of securing a seat in this once Tory-held ward.
Core Independents came equally close to winning a seat in Cadishead and Lower Irlam last year, losing by just six votes while in Higher Irlam and Peel Green they lost by a massive margin and their only councillor was unseated. But for the first time since 2018, the independent group which won support after campaigning against developing Chat Moss has no candidates standing.
The Greens came closest to winning a seat in the new Blackfriars and Trinity ward at the last local elections and came second at a by-election in November. Labour expect Coun Roseanna Wain to retain the seat which she won with more than half of the votes from a historically low turnout of just 10.1 pc.
Together with the Lib Dems, Labour have a candidate standing for each seat, but the Conservatives failed to field candidates in four of the council wards. The Greens have 16 candidates standing in total, while the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Women’s Equality Party and Britain First each have one too.
