England local elections, May 2015

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

I doubt it; the Beeb aren't even giving new council compositions.  Terrible.

Greater Manchester councils (from yesterday's MEN):

The redwash in Manchester is now complete: Lab 96.  Lab regained Moston from a councillor who was elected under their label but left when the council granted planning permission for a non-league football stadium in his ward.

No changes in Salford.

The Lib Dems have fallen back in Stockport, losing the two Marple wards and Stepping Hill to the Tories.  The Tories and Labour regained seats from defectors in Bramhall South and Davenport respectively, but the Labour to Lib Dem defector in Manor was re-elected under his new colours.  New composition is LD 26 Lab 21 C 13 Heald Green Ratepayers 3.

The Tories increased their majority in Trafford, gaining Broadheath from Labour.

Labour have increased their majority in Rochdale, losing Milnrow to the Lib Dems but gaining Healey from the Tories and Central Rochdale from a defector.

No changes in Oldham or Tameside.

Labour lost ground in Bury, gaining Radcliffe East from a defector but losing Elton to the Tories and Holyrood to the Lib Dems.

In Bolton Labour also lost ground, gaining Hulton from the Tories but losing back to them one of the seats in Westhoughton North (which was a double-header).  UKIP gained Little Lever from Labour [vomits].

Finally, in Wiggin Labour gained Atherton and Bryn from independents while losing Lowton East to the Conservatives.

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

UKIP gained Little Lever from Labour [vomits].

Weird. Is there a story to that?

The UKIP candidate is one Sean Hornby, who is a former Labour councillor for the ward.  He got thrown out of Labour after the Bolton South East CLP campaign fund for 2010 mysteriously disappeared while he was treasurer.

UKIP won here in 2014 as well with an even more charming candidate.  I couldn't vote that year because I moved into the ward after the registration deadline.

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

Bacup is scarier than Royston Vasey.

There are two court cases I'm aware of coming out of these elections:

1. Washwood Heath ward, Birmingham: the Lib Dem candidate is alleging Tower-Hamlets-style undue spiritual influence in favour of the Labour candidate.

2. Kinson South ward, Bournemouth: the Labour runner-up is alleging that some voters were given ballot papers for the wrong ward by mistake.