"I am proud": Former council leader in political comeback as he's elected to new authority

An unlikely Greater Manchester political comeback has taken place with this year’s local election results.

Former Oldham council leader, Sean Fielding, has been elected to Bolton council. He will represent the Breightmet ward.

The Labour man saw his political career reduced to ruins in 2021, after he lost his Failsworth West seat to Mark Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson is a member of the Failsworth Independent Party.

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Following his win, Mr Fielding said he was 'proud' of his election, and pledged to 'work with local people'. A statement to the MEN said: "I am proud to be one of the two first Labour Candidates to win a local election in Breightmet since 2016.

"It’s no secret I’m a relative newcomer to the Breightmet political scene but I’ve learnt a lot about the community during the campaign. Breightmet is rich in community groups, where people look out for each other, and has a strong sense pride in the neighbourhood.

"Of course, the area is not without its challenges but I look forward to working with local people and organisations, and using the levers afforded to me through being a councillor, to help address them."

In the intervening two years since his loss in Oldham, Mr Fielding moved to Bolton. Official documents for the Breightmet election show his address as being within the town. Like in Oldham, he will serve as a Labour councillor in Bolton.

The party had a good night overall in Bolton, gaining five seats. Conversely, the Conservatives lost seven representatives.

That means Labour are now the largest party in Bolton, with 26 seats, while the Tories now have 17. As the borough has 60 seats in total, it remains under no overall control.

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