There are 53 candidates standing in Tameside’s local elections next month when one seat will be up for grabs in each of the borough’s 19 wards. The council is currently dominated by Labour, who hold 51 of its 57 seats, with the remainder taken by the five-strong Conservative group and a lone Green.
Despite Labour’s stranglehold on the authority, councillors in the Hyde wards may fear a backlash from voters over the Clean Air Zone controversy, albeit the plan is now expected to be scrapped in its current form. The contentious Godley Green garden village plans could also cause a headache for Labour in the Hyde wards.
Council leader Brenda Warrington says the 2,000-home development ‘will set an example’, but more than 4,000 people have signed a petition against the scheme. Some seats - including Ashton Hurst and Denton South - are a straight shootout between Labour and the Tories, with no other parties standing.
