WITH the Bolton Council elections taking place on May 5, political reporter Liam Thorp is taking a closer look at some of the key battlegrounds and speaking to the candidates vying for your all-important votes.

THINGS have changed quite dramatically in Little Lever and Darcy Lever in recent years.

Prior to the 2014 local elections, the ward was considered relatively safe for the Labour party, which held all three seats.

But when UKIP’s Paul Richardson unseated Maureen Connell to become the party’s first councillor in Greater Manchester, he set something in motion in the area.

The following year and it was Mrs Connell’s husband Tony who lost his seat to UKIP — in the shape of former Labour man Cllr Sean Hornby.

So it is no surprise that this year UKIP has made capturing the third Little Lever and Darcy Lever seat its top target and is putting great effort into unifying the ward under its control.

But standing in their way is Labour councillor, trade union organiser and former soldier David Evans, who is hoping his hard work and core values will see him retain his seat.

The 55-year-old, who was elected in 2012, said: “We have been fighting against a backdrop of austerity since my election and trying to squeeze every last drop out, it has been very difficult.

“But I have done a huge amount of casework in that time for individuals, covering issues like roads, refuse and housing — you name it, I have done it.

“That work is what I am trained to do as a union organiser — that work is in my DNA.

“It is easy to sit back and complain but I just get stuck into the graft of council work and I like to think I am judged on results.

He added: “One thing I have worked really hard on is the idea of the new Little Lever library and community centre and I am hoping to see that come to fruition.”

UKIP is pinning its hopes on former Tory candidate Rees Gibbons, who switched parties after the last elections.

He said he is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Cllrs Richardson and Hornby and has been impressed by their work in the ward.

He said: “I have watched what has happened since we elected two UKIP councillors in Little Lever and they have done more for this village and answered and solved more problems for people than I ever saw from Labour.

“They have worked really hard and I feel that the people are behind them and I want to be part of that.”

He added: “I am well known in the village as I ran the Jolly Carter pub for more than 30 years and I was also the finance governor at the former Little Lever school.

“Little Lever and Darcy Lever have been starved of investment and I want to change that — I am an honest and straight forward bloke and I will tell it how it is.”

Hoping to make it more than a two-horse race in the ward will be veteran Liberal Democrat campaigner and local activist Eric Hyde, who regularly campaigns on issues in the area.

The 72-year-old said: “I have been a member of the party for more than 50 years and have stood for the past 10 years in Little Lever.

“The party has been through some difficulties recently and I think the only place to rebuild from is the grass roots.

“I have lived in Little Lever for more than 40 years and care a lot about the place and have always worked hard for the people.

“If I was to become a councillor then I feel I could do even more to help people.

“I think some of the main issues here include the amount of money being spent in the ward, traffic issues and the need to repair some of the main roads in the village.”

For the Green party, production manager Ed Dunsdon will be standing.

He said: “I am standing for the Green Party because I believe in a fairer and more equal society.

“I am standing in Little Lever and Darcy Lever to give people the opportunity to vote for a party that represents their values and principles.”

The list is made up by Tory Anne Elliott, the only woman on the ballot paper, who is hoping to continue the ward's tradition of strong female representation. 

She said: "I'm not on an ego trip. The type of councillor I want to be is one at the heart of the community, working with residents and local groups, campaigning to protect services and fighting for increased funding to create new facilities."

"But these elections are about different priorities for our neighbourhoods. The Conservative pledge of spending £10million of reserves on repairs to streets and pavements in residential areas is going down well in Little Lever, as is our proposal for extra money on street cleansing and a return to a weekly collection of the grey bin."

"But the message that has to be got across is that Conservatives offer the only real opposition to Labour in Bolton."

Tomorrow we look ahead to the fight for Kearsley.