Some big political heads could roll if Reform UK repeats its success in last year’s Lancashire County Council elections in May 7’s Burnley borough polls.

Nigel Farage’s part won four of the six seats up for grabs for the upper-tier authority in 2025. Now it hopes to make major gains on the district council.

Council leader Afrasiab Anwar expects to hang on to his Bank Hall ward and hopes the four candidates linked to his Burnley Independent Group will win increasing its representation on the council from 11 to 12.

In November it took two council seats from Labour in by-lections caused by the resignations of Syeda Kazmi who joined George Galloway’s Workers Party and Fiona Wild who quit the council after condemnation for saying “good riddance” after right-wing American political figure Charlie Kirk was shot dead.

Burnley Council elections are taking place on Thursday, May 7.

placeholder image — Burnley Council elections are taking place on Thursday, May 7.

They won the other two county council contests last year.

Also up for election are Conservative group leader Jamie McGowan in Hapton with Park, Labour deputy leader Sue Graham in Lanehead, Green Party boss Jack Launer and former Liberal Democrat MP Gordon Birtwistle in Coalclough with Deerplay.

The latter’s party colleague and former former Director General of Age Concern. Gordon Lishman, has ceded his safe Briercliffe ward to his daughter Pippa and will fight the more precarious Rosegrove with Lowerhouse instead.

With the Burnley Independent Group, the Green Party and the LibDems who make up the coalition administration that runs the council at the moment avoiding each other’s sitting councillors in the election they will hope to keep control.

But Labour and Reform UK who are fielding candidates in all 15 wards hope to scupper that hope.

And confusion over the status of Independent Rafakat Ali in Lanehead where Coun. Anwar’s group is backing LibDem Asif Raja may help that.

Currently Labour has 13 councillors, the Burnley Independent Group 11, the Conservatives seven, the Liberal Democrats seven, the Greens five and Reform UK two.

There are 63 candidates standing across the 15 wards.

Former Tory leader turned Reform UK boss Coun. Alan Hosker is hopeful of winning seven or eight seats – including that of its former LibDem sitting councillor Geoff Sumner in Rosehill with Burnley Wood.

Coun. Hosker said: “We might win more but it is going to be very tight in some wards.”

Former UKIP member Mr McGowan said: “I hope I can stay as councillor for Hapton with Park but I have no idea what will happen on May 7. Politics is so volatile at the moment.”

The Greens will be hoping the momentum built up by their Gorton and Denton Parliamentary by-election victory in February will help them at least win back the two wards they lost in 2024.

Labour’s Mrs Graham said: “Canvassing has been very positive but it is in the lap of the Gods. No-one ever knows till election day.”

Certainly Labour would love the win some wards back from the Burnley Independent Group whose original members quit the party over its stance on the Gaza conflict causing a bitter local political rift which shows no sign of easing.

Bank Hall: Mohammed Alkas Ali — Labour; Afrasiab Anwar — Independent; Trevor Williams — Reform UK.

Briercliffe: Pete Coles — Labour; Pippa Lishman — Liberal Democrat; Susan Margaret Nutter — Conservative; Mark Poulton — Reform UK.

Brunshaw: Josh Graham — Reform UK; Jack Launer — Green; Maison McGowan-Doe — Conservative; Millie Towers — Labour.

Cliviger with Worsthorne: Gail Barton — Labour; Frank Bartram — Liberal Democrat; Simon John Bonney — Conservative; Affan Khan Burki — Green; Gavin Theaker — Reform UK.

Coalclough with Deerplay: Gordon Birtwistle — Liberal Democrat; Abbey Hartley — Conservative; Tom Pickup — Reform UK; Jeffrey Slee — Labour.

Daneshouse with Stoneyholme: James David Harrison — Labour; Shah Hussain — Independent; Eddie Kutavicius — Reform UK; Muhammad Shahid Mahmood — Liberal Democrat.

Gannow: Daniel Sam Armitage — Labour; Alex Hall — Green; Neil Mottershead — Conservative; Angela Radcliffe — Reform UK.

Gawthorpe: Alun Lewis — Labour; Edward Lee Swift — Green; Victoria Taylor — Reform UK; Rhys Williams — Conservative.

Hapton with Park: Elaine Julie Cotterell — Labour; Steve Keogh — Reform UK; Jamie McGowan — Conservative; Sue Price — Green.

Lanehead: Raf Ali — Independent; Sue Graham — Labour; James Halstead — Reform UK; Andrew Robert Newhouse — Green; Asif Raja — Liberal Democrat.

Queensgate: Zulkernehn Hayat — Independent; Carol Lukey — Labour; Javad Mokhammad — Liberal Democrat; Felix Nowell — Reform UK.

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse: Christopher Paul Bridges — Green; Arthur Gordon Lishman — Liberal Democrat; Kate Mottershead — Conservative; Liam Thomson — Reform UK; Daniel Thomas Andrew Tierney — Labour.

Rosehill with Burnley Wood: Laura Coles — Labour; Dale Joseph Ferrier — Conservative; Kathryn Haworth — Liberal Democrat; Fin Hewitt — Green; Jeff Sumner — Reform UK.

Trinity: Julie Ann Hurt — Green; Dylan Edward Rea — Labour; Kev Shackell — Reform UK.

Whittlefield with Ightenhill: Janet Hall — Green; Helen Frances Heap — Independent; Charlie Allen Hindle — Labour; Mike John Steel — Conservative; Chris Weekes — Reform UK.