Paul Tushingham - CAP defector

I believe that local Councillor Paul Tushingham has defected from the Community Action Party and joined the Independent group. I am not surprised at this. Paul Tushingham is following a long line of local Councillors who were once in CAP and are now Independent, including Councillor Don Hodgkinson who has been a member of three parties in his time including the Labour Party. These Councillors also share one thing in common - they never told the electorate that they were leaving the party they stood for at their election.

The Community Action Party has now just one member left in the Council chamber and is finished as a political force. Given the pathetic campaign they ran in Ashton and the consequent drubbing they received from the local electorate Councillor Tushingham has clearly jumped ship because he knows that he has no chance of being re-elected while standing for CAP.

This is pure political opportunism and the voters of Ashton will see this as such at the next local election

Great night for Labour in Ashton

May local election result

Joel Haddley Labour 1595
Walter Carney Independent 710
Leanne Brotherton Community Action Party 626
Marie Winstanley Conservative 344.

Labour gain from Independents

I would like to thank everyone in Ashton who voted Labour and elected our new councillor Joel Haddley.

It was a good night for Labour throughout the Borough – we gained six seats and now have 58 out of 75 seats in the Council.

I would also like to thank Walter Carney the losing candidate for the honourable campaign he fought and would like to wish him well in the future.