Wigan: the town where the normal party political rulebook doesn’t apply

Because although Labour has been the dominant force in the borough since it was created 50 years ago (and still is), that’s where the similarity to how the partisan political forces are split nationally effectively ends.

The reason? The rise of the independent councillors.

In Wigan – the town synonymous with George Orwell’s book The Road to Wigan Pier which gave a powerful insight into the poverty and deprivation in the town in the 1930s – there are only two Conservative councillors and NO Liberal Democrats.

Currently, there are four councillors grouped as Independent Network and a further five outright Independents representing areas like Hindley Green, Ashton-in-Makerfield and Ince.

Predictably, Labour and Conservative candidates are standing in all of Wigan council’s 25 wards which will return one new councillor on May 2.

The Lib Dems are putting up 15 candidates and the Greens five. Reform UK has four candidates standing, but there are a total of 20 Independent candidates, including five Independent Network and five “Indies” dedicated to specific areas like Leigh South, Leigh and Atherton, Leigh Central, and Shevington. There is also a single Workers Party candidate.

Ahead of polling day Labour are trumpeting their “fully costed budget with no cuts to services or jobs” and pointing to the lowest council tax in Greater Manchester for Wigan residents.

They also say they are continuing to support adult care workers with the Foundation Living Wage as well as expanding apprenticeships and opportunities for young people.

In addition, free weekend car parking in the town centre is continuing and there will be investment into a “cleaner, greener and safer borough”.

Labour is pointing to £1m invested in community projects.

The Conservatives say it is the electorate’s opportunity to give its verdict on how Wigan has been run [by Labour] for the last 50 years.

“Over that time of Labour domination, we have seen proud towns and communities decimated by years of Labour failure,” their statement reads.

“We have a so-called regeneration project in Wigan town centre which only seems to be closing more shops and leading to the Market Hall being empty.”

The statement says it is now time for change. It goes on: “Local Conservative candidates are focusing on the issues that matter to the community – namely fixing potholes and pavements, fighting to protect our green spaces and keeping council tax down and getting a better deal for the local community.”

It calls for a “strong, responsible opposition” to Labour. “That can only come from the Conservative Party,” the statement adds. “Enough is enough and it is time for positive change.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats are hoping to chalk up the election of their councillor since Paul Valentine lost his seat 10 years ago.

Their candidate for Hindley and elections officer is John Skipworth, who said: “We’re not making any election pledges because we don’t know how much money is available for them to be delivered.

“We are very dissatisfied with how Wigan Council is being run because they are not being held properly to account through the democratic process.

"We are currently conducting a rolling residents’ survey through various wards and we are getting some very interesting answers.”

The Independent Network argues that the mainstream political parties are ‘fixated’ by national politics.

Coun James Watson explains their philosophy: “We do not have a party pledge as we are a group of individual independents who make their own pledges.

“We will be standing five candidates in the election. However, we have also been working very closely with, and supporting, many other Independent candidates throughout the borough.”

He says it is their fundamental belief that local politics “is about local people and local issues that affect all our communities.”

He added: “This is something that has been long forgotten by the national parties who are only fixated on Downing Street. Politics should be derived from grassroots issues from the very bottom. This is why the Independents have been so successful in the borough.”