LABOUR will “learn the lessons” of an election night that saw the party lose five wards, environment chief Cllr Nick Peel has vowed.

But he says it is important to bear in mind that his party did not do well nationally, as losses were “in line” with performances across the country, as an expected “Labour surge” failed to materialise.

He continued: “In Bolton itself I don’t think you can say there’s one particular issue for us losing five seats. There we separate issues in separate areas of Bolton, but opposition parties seem to have capitalised on what has been a bit of a turbulent year for the Labour group.”

The result leaves Labour with a majority of just two - effectively just one once Cllr Elaine Sherrington takes up her Mayoral duties in May, and is unable to vote.

Cllr Peel, who successfully held Tonge with The Haulgh ward for Labour says changes are already afoot.

“We have a new leadership in place and we’re looking at how we do things at Bolton Council and what the future of the council is going to look like. The message for Labour is to learn lessons and continue to deliver good quality services to the people of Bolton under continuing dire financial situation.”

He says party members will be sitting in down and analysing what went wrong, but believes there is a more fundamental issue to be addressed. “I think we really need to look at what the council to look like in the next few years and how we can shape services better to fit people’s needs.”

Peter Flitcroft, leader of Farnworth and Kearsley First, which took two seats from Labour, dedicated his party’s success to late co-founder Vic Gethin.

He said: “We’re not particularly concerned about the political situation in Bolton. We’re only concerned about the situation in Farnworth and Kearsley. And last nigh our party well and truly made its mark.

“It shows 100 per cent, with the number of people that turned out and voted for us, that they completely and utterly believe in what we are trying to achieve.

“For what started out last year as a group of concerned citizens, with the support of the great people of in the two towns, what we have achieved over the last 12 months is nothing short of a miracle.”

Shows “our message is right”. We can’t say enough about how proud we are of the people who got behind us.

For what started out last year as a group of concerned citizens, with the support of the great people of in the two towns, what we have achieved over the last 12 months is nothing short of a miracle.

“We’ve somehow managed to keep that sense in the town that people are not happy and crystalise that into a political cause.”

The Liberal Democrats’ Cllr David Wilkinson returned to the town hall with a victory in Westhoughton South.

He told The Bolton News that there was now a “very fluid political situation in the borough”.

Cllr Wilkinson continued: “I think days of boroughwide politics which to a certain extent suits the party establishment, the two main ones, is not now there. Local issues will impact quite rightly on local elections.

I think it’s going to be an interesting few years in Bolton, to say the least. I don’t see it dissipating very quickly.

“Obviously it’s highly likely that the Labour Party could, in reality, lose overall control next year, and that brings a whole range of issues into play.”

And he says that Labour has brought many of its current difficulties on itself, by pursuing “a Bolton-centric attitude for far too long”, claiming some councillors failed to pay enough attention to the issues in their own wards and townships.

“Some people want “Bolton” stamped right through the borough from Bromley Cross to Westhoughton and Horwich to Little Lever,” he said.