LABOUR LOSES CONTROL

Results in full

Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan council is now hung - with no party holding an absolute majority - after the Tories swept up 11 Labour seats and the Liberal Democrats gained Eccleshill when they ousted education chief Susanne Rooney by 151 votes.

The Council has also gained its first ever Green Party member in Shipley West, with David Ford ousting the Labour candidate.

The new make-up of the Council is now 41 seats for Labour, 37 Tory, 11 Lib Dem, and one Green.

It leaves the Council in disarray and early today it was still unclear whether Councillor Ian Greenwood would remain its high-profile leader.

Jim O'Neill, executive member for homes and environment, also lost his seat by just 18 votes to the Tories in Odsal.

It was a night of disappointment across the region for Labour. The Tories took control of Calderdale for the first time in 21 years, in Kirklees the Council remained hung although Labour lost eight seats, in Craven the Tories retained power and in Leeds the Labour Party managed to cling on to power despite losing seats.

In Bradford hugely controversial plans to bring in a private partner to run education in the district could also hang in the balance following the rout.

The Tory group says the controversial proposal will have to be examined closely, but Liberal Democrats were adamant that they would not support the plan which has sparked fury from teachers unions.

But the current reorganisation from three to two tier schooling is not expected to be affected by the result.

Mrs Rooney said she did not believe the schools reorganisation had affected the vote and blamed nasty, personal attacks during the campaign for her loss.

"We have already got the police involved and have lodged our complaint," she said.

Even the University ward - a Labour stronghold - teetered on the brink but was won by Councillor Sajawal Hussain by just 19 votes after a recount.

Today Council Chief Executive Ian Stewart was in talks with senior officers about the constitution of the new council and its operations.

He praised the public for their "exemplary" behaviour despite the tense situation and dramatic results. "We have seen a very close contest and very close results and there has been no trouble whatsoever."

Coun Greenwood said he did not know if he was technically still leader.

He added he did not want a return to the gridlock of the 1980s when it was hung for four years.

Coun Greenwood, said: "We will work for the benefit of the people of the district. We will act thoughtfully and constructively and we won't rush into negotiations. We don't want to make inappropriate decisions in the aftermath of an election. It needs a period of mature reflection."

Jubilant leader of the Tory group Councillor Margaret Eaton, said: "It's better than we even hoped for. It shows that people have confidence in us.

"There will have to be discussion about how the Council will behave and who will lead it."

She said she wanted an open council after years of what she claimed was Labour secrecy. "I will now be looking into drawers and cupboards in City Hall which have been shut to me for ten years."

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "We will be talking collectively over the weekend. It is a very good result for the Liberal Democrats not just in Bradford but over the whole area. I am very pleased."

Councillor John Ryan, who was ousted as leader two years ago by Coun Greenwood, described the results as disastrous.

The Bowling ward councillor who comfortably held his own seat said: "We've had power for ten years or more so it's depressing for the Labour group. The current leadership tried to engage the public with its modernisation programme but they didn't engage as much as they ought to have done."

In Cowling, near Skipton, the margin of victory was just a single vote - after a recount confirmed Independent John Alderson as the victor over Tory Janet Ackroyd.

Schools shake-up not to blame: Rooney

Bradford's education supremo was dramatically ousted last night - the second schools boss to fall at the polls in two years.

Susanne Rooney, Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, was pushed into second and only just managed to avoid the indignity of third place - taking the second spot by just 71 votes ahead of the Tories.

But she denied the result had anything to do with the district's massive schools shake-up and a bid to bring in a private partner to help run schools.

Other big Labour guns to lose to the Tories were Executive Committee member for Homes and Environment Jim O'Neill at Odsal and Labour assistant chief whip Tony Niland who was toppled at Wyke.

Mrs Rooney claimed she had been the victim of a dirty tricks campaign - denied by her opponents - and had police protection throughout her election campaign.

Lib-Dem Alun Griffiths claimed the biggest scalp of the night by beating Mrs Rooney.

Accompanied by her family, including husband Terry, Bradford North MP, she remained calm despite following in the footsteps of former education chairman Jim Flood who was voted out of office last year.

Only 75 minutes after the polls closed at 9pm, Lib-Dem councillor Howard Middleton was declared re-elected for the Bolton ward, which he has represented for four years.

His decisive majority of around 1,000 set the tone for the night's counts at Eccleshill Upper School, where anxious party workers scrutinised piles of voting slips as they were tipped from ballot boxes.

Coun Middleton said: "I'm very pleased. It's very gratifying after four years and I hope I can live up to it in the next four years."

Only seven minutes after the Bolton ward result, the room was hushed to hear the result of counting votes for the Eccleshill ward.

The result mirrored last year's contest, when the Lib Dems polled just over 1,000 votes, Labour were forced into second place with the Conservatives' James Ryder a close third.

A jubilant Alun Griffiths hugged his election agent, the Lib-Dem party leader councillor Jeanette Sunderland, as Mrs Rooney spoke a few words to supporters and others in the room before leaving.

She blamed nasty, personal campaigning for the loss of her seat, saying: "We have already got the police involved and have lodged our complaint."

Anonymous posters had appeared in the Eccleshill area during the campaign.

Mrs Rooney added there was no link between the controversial and troubled schools reorganisation and her defeat.

"My integrity will always stand," she said.

Dr Griffiths said: "We have not done anything nasty or underhand. I can only assume she is referring to some of the unpleasant posters and stickers personally attacking her. That's nothing to do with us."

And Lib-Dem leader Jeanette Sunderland said any negative campaigning had been nothing to do with the Lib-Dems.

As election agent, she had been contacted by the police about the anonymous posters. She had told police that any Lib-Dem campaigning carried the official logo.

Dr Griffiths, a former parliamentary candidate for Bradford West, added the schools shake-up had played some part in his party's victory but he believed work all year round had proved crucial for voters.

How the shocks went on and on

Bradford Council's Labour group was left trying to pick up the pieces after a night of political disaster which saw the loss of its stranglehold over City Hall.

Talks are expected to be held in the near future between the groups which have spent the past decade at loggerheads.

The volatile Toller ward was among the Tory gains on the night which saw seat after seat fall across the district.

Queensbury ward was lost to the Tories after Lady Mayoress Councillor Christine Mason was deselected by the party and replaced by Gordon Winter.

Labour's assistant chief whip Tony Niland also lost his Wyke ward seat to Tory Robert Reynolds, and the shocks went on and on for Labour.

The election blow comes at a time of major reorganisation for a council which has just adopted cabinet-style rule with a powerful executive committee making key decisions.

Its make-up is almost certain to be changed to reflect the new constitution of the Council.

Councillor Ian Greenwood described the rout as "a national phenomenon" which happened in a government's mid-term.

He added the turnout indicated that there had been a lot of Labour voters had abstained.

Gloom spoils two Labour victories

Labour had two hard-fought victories to celebrate at Bowling Community College - but supporters still looked shell-shocked.

Former Bradford Council leader Councillor John Ryan and Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq found it hard to raise a smile despite hanging onto their seats.

And there was an upset in the Undercliffe ward, where the Conservatives ousted Labour's Steven Barnbrook.

Tension had mounted at the college during the evening with Tories hopeful of springing at least one surprise.

In the event Coun Ryan and Coun Khaliq clung onto Bowling and Bradford Moor respectively.

But the biggest cheer from the packed public gallery at the count came when it was announced that arm-wrestling expert Intkhab Alam had won Undercliffe for the Tories. "People are so fed up with the Labour councillors and the Labour Government," he said.

Coun Ryan said he was disappointed by the low turn-out in Bowling and elsewhere which had contributed to Labour's bad night.

And Coun Khaliq said that controversy over the schools review had also been a factor.

John Hardy, secretary of the Bradford and Shipley Conservative Federation, said: "It will be good for the parties to have to work together for two years.''

Packed house for Toller count

There were exuberant scenes at a packed Toller Lane count attended by 400 people - but no repeat of the violence which marred the contest two years ago at St George's Hall.

Conservative Arshad Hussain won a close battle with Labour rival Imran Hussain. Liberal Democrat Christine Reid was third.

The turnout was estimated at 30 per cent - one of the highest in the district. Intense local interest in the contest was reflected in the numbers of people who arrived at the Thornton Recreation Centre to hear the result declared.

Tight security surrounded the count with the 400-strong crowd kept in a separate area away from the counting. Proceedings were watched by police and private security guards.

Although emotions ran high there were no confrontations and the Labour and Conservative candidates - and their supporters - embraced and shook hands after the declaration.

Winner Mr Hussain, who represented Toller ward for four years before losing his seat in 1999 to Labour's Amir Hussain, said: "This has been a very fair election and I'd like to thank everyone who helped me and supported me. "

Toller Lane police, who worked with parties to stop a repeat of disturbances at the ward count in 1998 when riot police were called in to stop fighting at St George's Hall, today praised the conduct of candidates and their supporters.

Dave gets the green light after 10th fight

It was tenth time lucky for Green candidate David Ford, a 39-year-old house husband who never gave up and finally triumphed in Shipley West.

After a tense count he beat Conservative candidate David Servant by just under 200 votes to an ecstatic reception from his wife Katherine and party members.

But it was Labour who felt the blow the keenest. It was their ward but former chairman of the education authority Jim Flood could only manage third place.

Votes cast were: D Ford (Green) 1,859; D Servant (Conservative) 1,639; J Flood (1,256); R. Craig (Lib Dem) 266.

A delighted Mr Ford said: "I think this result sends a message that people don't have to vote for the main parties. We have proved there are alternatives.''

In Bingley, Tory David Heseltine annihilated Labour's Eileen Sinclair. One of Bradford's youngest councillors ten years ago when he last triumphed, his victory means all six councillors in Bingley and Bingley Rural are Conservative. Phyllis Petit, a councillor since 1984, was returned to Bingley Rural with her largest majority ever, her 2,479 votes dwarfing all her opponents.

Results in full

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