LABOUR is back in control of Burnley Council - after a six-year hiatus – in a victory which surpassed even their wildest ambitions.

And the last remaining British National Party councillor, Sharon Wilkinson, has been ousted from her Hapton with Park seat - leaving the far-right group without any representation at a borough level for a decade.

Eight gains were made by the red rose party overall and the rout means that Coun Julie Cooper, who easily defended her own Bank Hall seat, will now be endorsed as the authority’s leader.

Lib Dems in Burnley have squarely blamed their defeat on the party’s troubles nationally – and insist it is not a reflection of their achievements locally since 2006.

RESULTS

  • BANK HALL Julie Cooper (Lab)*: 1011 Trevor Kirkham (Lib Dem): 246 Lab hold Turnout: 29%
  • BRIERCLIFFE Brian Cooper (Lab): 434 Margaret Lishman (Lib Dem)*: 768 Susan Nutter (Con): 151 Lib Dem hold Turnout: 29.4%
  • BRUNSHAW Lian Pate (Lab): 863 Linda White (LD)*: 436 Lab gain Turnout: 26.6%
  • CLIVIGER WITH WORSTHORNE Tom Commis (UKIP): 298 Andrew Newhouse (Con): 456 Paula Christine Riley (Lib Dem): 441 Brian Tomlinson (Lab): 365 Con hold Turnout: 36.3%
  • COALCLOUGH WITH DEERPLAY Charles Bullas (Lib Dem)*: 718 Samuel McLachlan (Lab): 464 Lib Dem hold Turnout: 29.5%
  • DANESHOUSE WITH STONEYHOLME Saeed Chaudhary (Lab): 1571 Mohammed Malik (Lib Dem)*: 805 Lab gain Turnout: 61%
  • GANNOW Justin Birtwistle (Lib Dem)*: 474 Derek Dawson (BNP): 137 Betsy Stringer (Lab): 710 Lab gain Turnout: 30.3%
  • GAWTHORPE David Carter (Lib Dem): 152 John Cave (BNP): 192 Andy Tatchell (Lab)*: 930 Lab hold Turnout: 26.9%
  • HAPTON WITH PARK Jonathan Barker (Lab): 724 Stuart Leyland (Lib Dem): 243 Sharon Wilkinson (BNP)*: 423 Lab gain Turnout: 30.1%
  • LANEHEAD Bill Brindle (Lib Dem)*: 463 Stephen Large (Lab): 831 Michael McHugh (UKIP): 184 Philip Nutter (Con): 124 Lab gain
  • QUEENSGATE Martyn Hurt (LD): 685 Arif Khan (Lab): 996 Lab gain 39.2%
  • ROSEGROVE WITH LOWERHOUSE Lynne Briggs (Lib Dem)*: 464 Marcus Johnstone (Lab): 719 Paul McDevitt (BNP): 150 Lab gain Turnout 27.6%
  • ROSEHILL WITH BURNLEY WOOD Paul Campbell (Lab): 725 Karen Heseltine (Lib Dem)*: 586 Craig Ramplee (UKIP): 151 Lab gain Turnout: 32.5%
  • TRINITY Stephanie Forrest (Lib Dem): 302 Tony Lambert (Lab)*: 588 John Rowe (BNP): 102 Lab hold Turnout 23.8%
  • WHITTLEFIELD WITH IGHTENHILL Kathryn Haworth (Lib Dem): 441 Matthew Isherwood (Con): 478 Janice Swainston (Lab): 471 Christopher Vanns (BNP): 147 Con hold Turnout: 31.9%

PRE-ELECTION BACKGROUND: In Burnley, the Liberal Democrats are in control, currently holding 21 seats out of 45.

But Labour has wheeled out the big guns with Shadow Cabinet member Yvette Cooper and Helen Jones visiting town recently.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also paid a flying visit to Burnley.

In a surprise move, Lib Dem party agent Darren Reynolds will not be contesting Queensgate and, as has been previously announced, Conservative leader Peter Doyle is standing down at Whittlefield with Ightenhill.

Key battlegrounds are expected to be Gannow, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood, Brunshaw and Daneshouse with Stoneyholme.

Liberal Democrats Jim Pilling and Tim Nuttall, and Community First’s Alan Neal are currently the kingmakers in Rossendale, with Labour on 17 seats and the Conservatives on 16.

Former Tory cabinet members Jason Gledhill and Nicola May are not standing again, but Conservative leader Darryl Smith is contesting Eden ward with Labour’s Janice Johnson.

Burnley candidates

  • BANK HALL Julie Cooper (Lab)* Trevor Kirkham (Lib Dem)
  • BRIERCLIFFE Brian Cooper (Lab) Margaret Lishman (Lib Dem)* Susan Nutter (Con)
  • BRUNSHAW Lian Pate (Lab) Linda White (LD)*
  • CLIVIGER WITH WORSTHORNE Tom Commis (UKIP) Andrew Newhouse (Con) Paula Christine Riley (Lib Dem) Brian Tomlinson (Lab)
  • COALCLOUGH WITH DEERPLAY Charles Bullas (Lib Dem)* Samuel McLachlan (Lab)
  • DANESHOUSE WITH STONEYHOLME Saeed Chaudhary (Lab) Mohammed Malik (Lib Dem)*
  • GANNOW Justin Birtwistle (Lib Dem)* Derek Dawson (BNP) Betsy Stringer (Lab)
  • GAWTHORPE David Carter (Lib Dem) John Cave (BNP) Andy Tatchell (Lab)*
  • HAPTON WITH PARK Jonathan Barker (Lab) Stuart Leyland (Lib Dem) Sharon Wilkinson (BNP)*
  • LANEHEAD Bill Brindle (Lib Dem)* Stephen Large (Lab) Michael McHugh (UKIP) Philip Nutter (Con)
  • QUEENSGATE Martyn Hurt (LD) Arif Khan (Lab)
  • ROSEGROVE WITH LOWERHOUSE Lynne Briggs (Lib Dem)* Marcus Johnstone (Lab) Paul McDevitt (BNP)
  • ROSEHILL WITH BURNLEY WOOD Paul Campbell (Lab) Karen Heseltine (Lib Dem)* Craig Ramplee (UKIP)
  • TRINITY Stephanie Forrest (Lib Dem) Tony Lambert (Lab)* John Rowe (BNP)
  • WHITTLEFIELD WITH IGHTENHILL Kathryn Haworth (Lib Dem) Matthew Isherwood (Con) Janice Swainston (Lab) Christopher Vanns (BNP)

*Asterisk indicates current incumbent.