'Revenge of the Tories' and 'the rise of Independents': The makeup of Wigan ahead of the all-out elections in 2023

When it comes to Wigan, you think of pies, rugby league and its coal mining history. Something else that is ever-present is a Labour dominated council. And that could all change come May 4.

The impending all-out local election means that every seat in Wigan Council is up for grabs, and history says that it is Labour’s to lose as they are currently in power with 61 out of 75 seats in the council chamber. They heavily outnumber their opposite parties as the Conservatives were knocked down to just seven council spots after their group leader lost his seat in Orrell in 2022.

Michael Winstanley and his Conservative party will be hunting to regain that seat in the most western part of the borough as well as hoping for gains elsewhere.

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After feeling “bitterly disappointed” to lose by a 34 vote margin to Labour’s Dave Wood last year, Mr Winstanley will be confident he can make his return in order to make Orrell a Tory stronghold again. Similarly, the Tories will hope to keep their ‘safe seats’ in the Lowton East ward and seek to gain another seat in Standish with Langtree ward.

If the blues were to gain that Standish seat from Labour, that would make it three out of three for council seats in the ward.

On the opposite side of the region, Labour’s greatest threat is the emerging Independent Network who currently control Atherton. The purple group of independents are looking to spread their influence to the newly named wards of Atherton South and Lilford and Tydlesley and Mosley Common.

Independent Andy Brown, who ran against the incumbent Labour man Barry Taylor in 2022, lost out by just over 200 votes in what was then known as Astley Mosley Common. Now the