YESTERDAY morning there was a sense of drama and a tinge of a new dawn about Bolton Council.

What happened on May 2 in the borough mirrored the picture in the rest of the country . . . frustrated by Brexit, or the lack of it, voters turned to the independents for some promise of integrity and the hope of change from new politicians untrammelled by fixed, or fudged, party lines.

So Labour and the Conservatives were punished across the country, Labour more so in Bolton, where the leave-voting majority of voters have been unimpressed by Jeremy Corbyn hedging his bets on leaving Europe in the hope of a bigger personal prize of securing a General Election.

Then again the local picture could be nothing to do with Brexit . . . maybe voters just want to have a go themselves, don't want to fall in with Labour or the Tories, and instead have played a part in the undeniably energetic rise of the independent parties.

Farnworth and Kearsley First and Horwich and Blackrod First are on the march, with seven councillors between them. Along with the six Lib Dems, 13 could prove to be a lucky number for Bolton citizens hoping for a change of government in the town hall. Depending on where those 13 councillors decide to play their hand, the Tories could find themselves in power in some form of coalition.

It's all to play for this weekend, and we wait to see who will hold the reins this time next week.