Local council elections are taking place across Greater Manchester (and elsewhere) on 4 May – including in Bury.
Here’s your guide to what you need to know.
What election is taking place in Bury?
It’s a local council election – they’re taking place in many places across the country, including in the borough of Bury.
When elected, councillors have a four-year term in office. A third of Bury Council’s 51 seats are up for grabs by candidates.
Who can vote in the elections?
Those over 18 can vote in the local elections, providing that they are British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU Citizen living in the UK, or a British Citizen over sees, as well as a resident of an address in Bury.
Voter registration has now closed, though – if you’re not on the electoral register, you won’t be able to vote.
Who is standing for election in Bury?
Seventy-two candidates are standing for election across Bury’s 17 wards.
Labour, the Conservatives and the Green Party have put candidates forward for every ward. The Liberal Democrats will fight in eight of them.
The Radcliffe First party has three candidates in the election.
Dan Ross of the Communist Party is a candidate in Pilkington Park and Kevin Cadwallader of the Reform Party is a candidate in Bury East. They are both the sole candidates from their respective parties in Bury.
Six independent candidates are running in Bury’s wards.
What does the current council look like in Bury?
In the ‘all out’ elections last year, which saw all 51 council seats up for grabs, Radcliffe First made major progress in the town.
But across all of Bury’s wards, Labour hold a majority with 29 seats. The Conservatives follow them with 12 seats and Radcliffe First has eight. In these elections, the rise of Radcliffe First drew plenty of attention.
What are the issues being debated in Bury?
There are numerous local issues that councillors are campaigning on that vary from ward to ward. This includes everything from the state of the roads to council tax.
Radcliffe First promises to not allow developments on the green belt area around the Elton reservoir, as well as developing the town centre.
Writing in the Bury Times, Labour candidate James Frith said: “This local election, a Labour government would freeze council tax for this year, funding councils with the proceeds of a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants.”
The Conservative Nick Jones, for Pilkington Park, tweeted: “One year on and the roads in Bury are still on par with a golf course. More needs to be done. Vote Conservative to fill the potholes and resurface the roads.”
Dan Ross of the Communist Party campaigns for the freezing of food prices, job creation and NHS pay restoration.
When and where can I vote?
Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm. You can find your nearest polling station here.
Voters need to remember a form of photo ID like their passport or driving licence. The 2023 local elections are the first to take place after new legislation requires voters to have this ID.
Votes will be counted on 5 May in Bury. Last year results came in between 5pm and 8pm.
Photo: Bury Market by David Dixon / CC BY-SA 2.0
