Horwich and Blackrod independent town councillors form new political party

A combination of six councillors from the two town councils, including all four Horwich independent councillors, have agreed to join the new party so far.

Other members of the new party belong to online community groups Horwich First and Blackrod First.

The decision was made in a private meeting held last month in which Horwich town councillor Marie Brady was elected party leader and Horwich First members Craig Rotherham and Leanne Gilbert were elected treasurer and secretary respectively.

In the meeting, members chose the name “Horwich and Blackrod First Independents” for the new party.

Cllr Brady said: “The name represents us all. We are Independents who will act together to put our town first.”

Previously, some members of Horwich First stood as independents at town council elections using the descriptions "Independent - Putting Horwich First" or "Horwich First Independent".

However, due to differing rules for borough elections, when Horwich First members have run as candidates for Bolton Council, they have been required to describe themselves simply as "Independent" on the ballot.

The new party has now drawn up a constitution and adopted the “Bell Principles”, a code of conduct that requires independent elected representatives to be free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip.

This means that party leader Cllr Brady will be the party’s main spokesman, but will not dictate how party members vote.

She said: "It will give Horwich and Blackrod a strong local voice. People who put the interests of our towns first.

"This will not be to the detriment of other parts of the borough. We recognise we are part of the borough and have a responsibility to other parts of the borough, but our primary responsibility will be to Horwich & Blackrod residents and ensuring they are properly represented."

Members of the public can now lodge a submission on whether the proposed party or emblem should be registered on the Electoral Commission’s website.

They are hoping that another application to register a party with a similar name will be rejected by the Electoral Commission.

Horwich First used Facebook to ask the people behind the application to come forward and contact them to clarify who they are and the purpose of their actions.

This is the second application made by an unidentified group to register the Horwich First and Blackrod First names.

Members of the group were made aware of an application that was submitted to the Electoral Commission attempting to register the Horwich First name in May.

The first application was rejected following an objection from Horwich First on the grounds that such a name would “likely confuse voters as to effect of their vote”.

Horwich First Community Group has been a force in the town for four years, fighting over issues including development, infrastructure and the environment.

Political newcomers Farnworth and Kearsley First were encouraged to start an online community group by Horwich First before forming a political party and winning three Bolton Council seats in recent local elections.

Cllr Brady said: "At borough level, since the success of Farnworth and Kearsley First in May, Bolton Council is moving closer to no overall control.

"A shift from one-party control to a coalition would lead to more collaborative and effective governance with each councillor representing their ward, not a party."

More than 5,700 people follow the group on Facebook, which its members uses as their primary platform.

In March, Horwich First members asked the community whether they would like to see a new party through a Facebook poll.

A total of 59 per cent of respondents in the poll said that they would rather vote for a Horwich political party than independent candidates.

Blackrod First followed Horwich First’s lead by starting their own Facebook page as a community organisation, although they have a far smaller reach on social media.