# 2012 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2012 Rochdale Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in the North West, England. This was on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections. The Labour Party won 17 of the 20 seats with 53% of the vote, with the other three going to the Conservative Party with 27% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats lost all 11 of their seats up for re-election with 15% of the vote. This election marked the return to the council of former Leaders Richard Farnell and Allen Brett. It also produced Rochdale's youngest ever councillor in Liam O'Rourke.
These results also led to the resignation of local Liberal Democrat leader Wera Hobhouse.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 42
* Conservative 13
* Liberal Democrat 5

## Election result

Rochdale Local Election Result 2012 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 15 | 7 | 0 | +7 | | 53.3 | 26,265 | +2.5 |
| Conservative | 5 | 3 | 0 | +3 | | 26.6 | 13,140 | +0.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 10 | -10 | | 15.1 | 7,572 | -2.3 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 302 | +0.6 |
| English Democrat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 215 | +0.4 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 216 | +0.1 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 302 | -3.1 |

## Ward results
### Balderstone & Kirkholt ward

Balderstone & Kirkholt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Farnell | 1,582 | 65.8 | +18.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pat Colclough | 638 | 26.6 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | Christine Akram | 183 | 7.6 | −5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 944 | 39.3 | +26.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,403 | 33 | +3 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Bamford ward

Bamford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jane Gartside | 1,253 | 41.5 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Hobhouse | 1,057 | 35.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Daniel Meredith | 708 | 23.5 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 6.5 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,018 | 39 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Castleton ward

Castleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Billy Sheerin | 1,728 | 75.1 | +26.4 |
| | Conservative | Ronald Crossley | 313 | 13.6 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Smith | 259 | 11.3 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,415 | 61.5 | +35.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,300 | 30 | −3.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Central Rochdale ward

Central Rochdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Iftikhar Ahmed | 2,337 | 71.2 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Miah | 665 | 20.3 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Nauman Hayee | 280 | 8.5 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,672 | 49.4 | −11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,382 | 43 | −4 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### East Middleton ward

East Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Boriss | 1,439 | 72.9 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative | David Smith | 372 | 18.9 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clarice Cooper | 162 | 8.2 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,067 | 54.1 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,973 | 25 | −3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Healey ward

Healey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shaun O'Neill | 1,251 | 45.3 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Lee Durrant | 1,137 | 41.1 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Bailey | 376 | 13.6 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 114 | 4.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,764 | 35 | +1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Hopwood Hall ward

Hopwood Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Linda Robinson | 1,227 | 59.5 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Peter Winkler | 498 | 24.1 | +0.1 |
| | National Front | Peter Greenwood | 216 | 10.5 | +10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Georgina Whitaker | 122 | 5.9 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 729 | 35.3 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,063 | 25 | −6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Kingsway ward

Kingsway :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shakil Ahmed | 1,724 | 63.2 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Clayton | 474 | 17.4 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Rifat Mahmood | 316 | 11.6 | +0.5 |
| | English Democrat | Ricky Akehurst | 215 | 7.9 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,250 | 45.8 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,729 | 33 | −1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Littleborough Lakeside ward

In 2008 Peter Evans stood in this ward as a Liberal Democrat.
Littleborough Lakeside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Hartley | 1,081 | 50.7 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Peter Evans | 1,050 | 49.3 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31 | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,131 | 28 | −3 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Milkstone & Deeplish ward

In 2008, Mohammad Sharif stood in this ward for the Liberal Democrats.
Milkstone & Deeplish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Terence Linden | 1,840 | 56.9 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative | Mohammad Sharif | 1,224 | 37.9 | +19.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liz Thirsk | 169 | 5.2 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 616 | 19.0 | −26.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,233 | 42 | −4 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Milnrow & Newhey ward

Milnrow & Newhey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allen Brett | 1,200 | 45.3 | +7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Davidson | 1,046 | 39.5 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Keith Taylor | 402 | 15.2 | −10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 154 | 5.8 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,648 | 34 | +2 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Norden ward

Norden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Gartside | 1,624 | 67.6 | +10.4 |
| | Labour | Dobir Miah | 604 | 25.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Natasha Akhtar | 175 | 7.3 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,020 | 42.4 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,403 | 31 | −9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### North Heywood ward

North Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liam O'Rourke | 1,193 | 55.4 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tony MacSparran | 785 | 36.5 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | David Garnett | 174 | 8.1 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 408 | 19.0 | −12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,152 | 28 | n/c |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### North Middleton ward

Maureen Rowbothan stood for the ward in 2008 as a Labour candidate.
North Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pat Greenall | 883 | 44.4 | −22.0 |
| | Independent | Maureen Rowbotham | 694 | 34.9 | +34.9 |
| | Conservative | David Harris | 251 | 12.6 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Proctor | 162 | 8.1 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 9.5 | −32.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,990 | 25 | +3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Smallbridge & Firgrove ward

Jean Ashworth stood for the ward in 2008 as a Liberal Democrat.
Smallbridge & Firgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Amna Mir | 1,509 | 63.8 | +7.2 |
| | Conservative | Jean Ashworth | 654 | 27.7 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Clegg | 201 | 8.5 | −12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 855 | 36.2 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,364 | 29 | −1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### South Middleton ward

South Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Joinson | 1,375 | 54.1 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Teresa Fitzsimons | 1,049 | 41.3 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Wilkins | 119 | 4.7 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 326 | 12.8 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,543 | 33 | −5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Spotland & Falinge ward

Spotland & Falinge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shefali Begum | 1,123 | 35.8 | −3.7 |
| | Independent | Carl Faulkner | 902 | 28.8 | +9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Sajid | 803 | 25.6 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | James Oldham | 309 | 9.9 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 221 | 7.0 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,137 | 39 | +6 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Wardle & West Littleborough ward

Wardle & West Littleborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ashley Dearnley | 1,569 | 69.5 | +5.6 |
| | Labour | James Brown | 536 | 23.7 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rosemary Jones | 153 | 6.8 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,033 | 45.7 | +10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,258 | 31 | −6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### West Heywood ward

West Heywood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Lambert | 1,319 | 67.2 | +0.0 |
| | UKIP | Warren Mitchell | 302 | 15.4 | +15.4 |
| | Conservative | Jane Howard | 215 | 11.0 | −12.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Ridley | 126 | 6.4 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,017 | 51.8 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,962 | 23 | −1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### West Middleton ward

West Middleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lil Murphy | 1,606 | 82.2 | +6.0 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Chapman | 267 | 13.7 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Cooper | 80 | 4.1 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,339 | 68.6 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,953 | 27 | +4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |