# 2023 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2023 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council elections took place on 4 May 2023 alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom. One third of seats (17) on Bury Metropolitan Borough Council were contested. Labour retained its control of the council.

## Background

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Bury was a district of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county. The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority was created in 2011 and began electing the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county.
Since its formation, Bury has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control. Councillors have predominantly been elected from the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, with some Liberal Democrat and independent councillors also serving. The council has had an overall Labour majority since the 2011 election.
In the previous election in 2022, where all 51 seats were up for election due to boundary changes, Labour won 29 seats, the Conservatives won 12 seats, Radcliffe First won eight seats, and the Liberal Democrats and an independent won one seat each.
Labour retained control of the council at this election.

## Electoral process

The council generally elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. The election was conducted using the first-past-the-post voting system, with each ward electing one councillor.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Bury aged 18 or over were entitled to vote in the election. People who lived at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, were entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations took place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters were able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

## Council composition

| After 2022 election | After 2022 election | After 2022 election | Before 2023 election | Before 2023 election | Before 2023 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | Party | Seats |
| | Labour | 29 | | Labour | 28 |
| | Conservative | 12 | | Conservative | 12 |
| | Radcliffe First | 8 | | Radcliffe First | 8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | | Liberal Democrats | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 | | Independent | 2 |

## Results summary

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 11 | +3 | 64.7 | 20 | 31 | 60.8 | 22,299 | 46.3 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | 4 | -1 | 23.5 | 7 | 11 | 21.6 | 14,077 | 29.2 | -5.2 |
| | Radcliffe First | 2 | 0 | 11.8 | 6 | 8 | 15.7 | 3,773 | 7.8 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.9 | 1,826 | 3.8 | +3.5 |
| | Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,193 | 6.6 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,627 | 5.5 | -1.4 |
| | English Democrat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 241 | 0.5 | +0.4 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 0.2 | |
| | Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0.1 | |

## Results

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

### Besses

Besses (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Lucy Smith* | 1,567 | 69.1 | +12.1 |
| | Independent | Martyn West | 216 | 9.5 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Antonello Riu | 201 | 8.9 | −13.4 |
| | Green | Cameron Fay | 146 | 6.4 | −8.0 |
| | English Democrat | Stephen Morris | 139 | 6.1 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,351 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 13 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,269 | 28 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Bury East

Bury East (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ummrana Farooq* | 1,223 | 55.9 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Baron | 624 | 28.5 | −9.3 |
| | Green | Lauren Hutchinson | 147 | 6.7 | −5.3 |
| | Reform UK | Kevin Cadwallader | 105 | 4.8 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lewis | 89 | 4.1 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,188 | 25.00 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Bury West

Bury West (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Shahbaz Arif* | 1,596 | 50.1 | +3.7 |
| | Labour | Adnan Chaudhry | 1,112 | 34.9 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Jacqui Connor | 480 | 15.1 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 21 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,188 | 38.00 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elton

Elton (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charlotte Morris* | 1,623 | 48.4 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Luxton | 1,486 | 44.3 | −1.9 |
| | Green | Michelle Sampson | 158 | 4.7 | N/A |
| | Independent | Raymond Solomon | 86 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 137 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,353 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Holyrood

Holyrood (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lynn Ryder | 1,696 | 47.6 | +6.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Wright | 1,446 | 40.6 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Baron | 162 | 4.5 | −5.2 |
| | Green | Peter Curati | 156 | 4.4 | −4.9 |
| | English Democrat | Valerie Morris | 102 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 250 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,562 | 41 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Moorside

Moorside (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Babar Ibrahim | 1,429 | 56.0 | +6.9 |
| | Conservative | Samia Farid | 697 | 27.3 | −9.4 |
| | Independent | Victor Cromwell Hagan | 216 | 8.5 | −0.1 |
| | Green | Karen Lesley Wood | 208 | 8.2 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 732 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 8 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,550 | 30 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### North Manor

North Manor (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Khalid Hussain* | 1,571 | 42.5 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | John Southworth | 1,489 | 40.3 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Charlie Allen | 501 | 13.5 | −9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ewan Arthur | 137 | 3.7 | −15.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,698 | 45 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Pilkington Park

Pilkington Park (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Rubinstein | 1,557 | 48.2 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | Nick Jones* | 1,177 | 36.4 | −7.9 |
| | Independent | Shadman Zaman | 237 | 7.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Chlöe Thomas | 129 | 4.0 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Foss | 94 | 2.9 | N/A |
| | Communist | Dan Ross | 37 | 1.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 380 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 9 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,231 | 43 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Radcliffe East

Radcliffe East (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radcliffe First | Mary Walsh* | 1,329 | 60.2 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Sally-Ann McGill | 636 | 28.8 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Carol Bernstein | 175 | 7.9 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Heather Sharples | 66 | 3.0 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 693 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,206 | 27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Radcliffe First hold | Radcliffe First hold | Swing | | |

### Radcliffe North & Ainsworth

Radcliffe North & Ainsworth (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jo Lancaster* | 1,279 | 38.7 | +3.0 |
| | Radcliffe First | Ken Simpson | 1,218 | 36.8 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | Richard Jamieson | 731 | 22.1 | −1.8 |
| | Green | Gary Kirkley | 80 | 2.4 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 15 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,308 | 35 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Radcliffe West

Radcliffe West (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radcliffe First | Mike Smith* | 1,226 | 56.9 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | Josh Harcup | 669 | 31.1 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | Shirley Balfour | 193 | 9.0 | −4.9 |
| | Green | Mary Heath | 47 | 2.2 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kamran Islam | 19 | 0.9 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,154 | 26 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Radcliffe First hold | Radcliffe First hold | Swing | | |

### Ramsbottom

Incumbent councillor Spencer Donnelly was suspended from the Labour Party in September 2022 and sat as an independent for the remainder of his term.
Ramsbottom (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gareth Staples-Jones | 2,062 | 56.4 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative | Ian Strachan | 1,296 | 35.5 | −4.7 |
| | Green | Waleed Hamdan | 149 | 4.1 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Bristow | 147 | 4.0 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 766 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 16 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,654 | 40 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | | |

### Redvales

Redvales (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shaheena Haroon* | 1,558 | 63.7 | +18.7 |
| | Conservative | Greg Keeley | 456 | 18.6 | −22.4 |
| | Independent | Dave Bentley | 306 | 12.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Paul Johnstone | 126 | 5.2 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,102 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,446 | 28 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Sedgley

Sedgley (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Debbie Quinn* | 1,896 | 70.1 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Stefano Zuri | 591 | 21.8 | −3.8 |
| | Green | Glyn Heath | 218 | 8.1 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,305 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 28 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,705 | 28 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St. Marys

St. Marys (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Sean Thorpe* | 1,852 | 62.6 | +19.4 |
| | Conservative | Jihyun Park | 427 | 14.4 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ugonna Aiphodimma Edeoga | 426 | 14.4 | −13.8 |
| | Green | Nick Hubble | 254 | 8.6 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,425 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 19 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,959 | 34 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Tottington

Tottington (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Iain Gartside* | 1,219 | 40.5 | −3.3 |
| | Labour | Sam Turner | 821 | 27.3 | +1.6 |
| | Independent | Wendy Warrington | 765 | 25.4 | N/A |
| | Green | Beth Dunkerley | 134 | 4.5 | −9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cristina Tegolo | 71 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 398 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,010 | 38 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Unsworth

Unsworth (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tahir Rafiq* | 1,807 | 57.5 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Ryan Johnson | 945 | 30.1 | −9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Hankey | 198 | 6.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Laura Thomas | 194 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 862 | | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 22 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,144 | 37 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

## Changes 2023–2024

* James Mason, elected for Radcliffe First, left the party in January 2024 and was subsequently disqualified as a councillor in April 2024 for non-attendance.