Burnley Council elections 2023: Labour is on the up in Burnley, says party leader

Labour defended six seats in this year’s Burnley Council elections. They also gained two more of the 15 seats up for grabs across Burnley and Padiham, taking Rosegrove with Lowerhouse and Rosehill with Burnley Wood.

The Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens all won two each, and the Burnley and Padiham Independent Party took one.

Coun. Afrasiab Anwar, who represents Bank Hall, claims the group’s “master plan” to transform the borough into a university town has led to an increase in votes.

Commenting on the election results, Coun. Anwar said: “I’m absolutely delighted because when I became the leader in 2021, we’d had a trajectory of losing seats. But in 2021, we stopped losing seats.

“It’s a fantastic day for us as a group. We’re seeing the numbers go up. Our vote share is increasing, compared to the Conservatives. [So] I’d say it’s time for a [general] election.”

"We’ve started to turn the tide and make gains. I think it’s because we have a vision for the town to make it a university town.

"We want to work on delivering and consolidating our master plan and making sure we attract new businesses, drive the economy and invest in skills and jobs.”

Labour now has a total of 21 seats on the council but does not have overall control, which requires 23. Talks will need to be held over whether the Labour and Liberal Democrats coalition will continue.