Our West Lancashire

Last updated

Our West Lancashire
AbbreviationOWL
LeaderAdrian Owens
Deputy LeaderIan Davis
FoundedFebruary 2015
Ideology
Colours  Orange
SloganPutting residents first and foremost
West Lancashire Borough Council
4 / 45
Lancashire County Council
0 / 84
Website
ourwestlancashire.com

Our West Lancashire (OWL) is a localist political party [1] in West Lancashire, United Kingdom. [2] As of May 2021 it held 7 seats on West Lancashire Borough Council. [3] The party also unsuccessfully contested seats in West Lancashire on Lancashire County Council, as well. [4] The group claims to have drawn members from all of the major parties in West Lancashire, and claims to "put residents before the party whip". [2] It is one of two localist parties in West Lancashire, alongside Skelmersdale Independent Party.

Contents

History

Our West Lancashire was formed in February 2015 by Adrian Owens, a former Conservative Party councillor, Deputy Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council and candidate for West Lancashire in the 2010 United Kingdom general election, coming second with 17,540 votes, [5] after breaking off from the West Lancashire Conservative group on West Lancashire Borough Council. He was joined by Ian Davis in 2017, who won a by-election on Derby Ward. [6] The group gained a further four seats on West Lancashire Borough Council in the 2019 election.

In 2021, Our West Lancashire gained a further seat in Burscough West which led to the council going to No Overall Control. As a result, Our West Lancashire councillor, Gordon Paul Johnson became Mayor of West Lancashire and committee chairs were shared between all three political groups with Labour retaining the Leadership of the council.

Policies

Our West Lancashire is a localist party, and claims to "put residents before the party whip". [2] Their policies include reducing the number of councillors on West Lancashire Borough Council from 54 to 36, a reduction of a third. They also propose policies such as "revitalising" Ormskirk town centre, replacing the swimming pools in Skelmersdale and Ormskirk and improving West Lancashire Borough Council's free tree scheme. [7] OWL also publish data on councillors' attendance and publish a yearly alternative budget. [8]

The group is opposed to the whipping system. [2]

Electoral performance

The group has contested elections successfully on West Lancashire Borough Council and has unsuccessfully contested elections on Lancashire County Council. The group has never contested general elections, although Councillor Adrian Owens, the current Leader of the group, has formerly been a Conservative Party candidate for West Lancashire and South Ribble in the House of Commons.

West Lancashire Borough Council

Our West Lancashire's first councillor was Councillor Adrian Owens, who broke away from the Conservative Party in 2015. He won re-election in 2016 and 2021. The group gained a second councillor, Ian Davis, in a by-election on the Derby ward in 2017. The group gained a further four councillors – Gordon Johnson, Jane Thompson, Kate Mitchell and Ian Rigby – in the 2019 West Lancashire Borough Council election. The group has complete control of the Derby ward.

In the 2022 West Lancashire Borough Council election, Ian Davis retained his Derby ward seat but the group failed to win any of the other seats that it contested.

In the 2023 West Lancashire Borough Council election, which took place under new boundaries, the party won a seat in Burscough Town ward, with Paul Hesketh being elected. In a deferred election (caused by the death of a candidate before election day), the party won all three seats in Rural South ward, with Ian Rigby, Linda Webster and Thomas Marsh-Pritchard taking OWL to four seats, alonging the party to form an official group on the council. [9]

Lancashire County Council

Our West Lancashire has previously contested elections on Lancashire County Council, on seats in the West Lancashire Borough Council area. The group came third in the Ormskirk and West Lancashire East wards in the 2017 elections. In the 2021 elections, they were second in both wards. [10]

Councillors

NameWardTook OfficeLeft Office
Adrian Owens Derby 20152023
Rural South 2024Incumbent
Ian Davis Derby 20172023
Jane Thompson Scott 20192023
Gordon Paul Johnson Derby 20192023
Kate Mitchell Knowsley 20192023
Ian Rigby Bickerstaffe 20192023
Rural South 2023Incumbent
George Clandon Burscough West 20212023
Paul Hesketh Burscough Town 20232024
Burscough Bridge and Rufford 2024Incumbent
Thomas Marsh-Pritchard Rural South 20232024
Linda Webster Rural South 2023Incumbent
Janet Ingman Ormskirk East 2024Incumbent

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Lancashire</span> District of Lancashire, England

West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town is Skelmersdale. The district borders Fylde to the north, over the Ribble Estuary; South Ribble, Chorley, and Wigan to the east; St Helens, and Knowsley to the south; and Sefton to the south and west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burscough</span> Town in West Lancashire, England

Burscough is a town and civil parish in the district of West Lancashire, Lancashire, England. The town is located approximately 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north-northeast of Liverpool and 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Preston. Its northern part is called Burscough Bridge, and was originally a separate settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

West Lancashire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Following the resignation of Labour MP Rosie Cooper on 30 November 2022, the seat was won by the party's candidate Ashley Dalton in the by-election held on 9 February 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosie Cooper</span> British politician (born 1950)

Rosemary Elizabeth Cooper is a British health official and former politician. Cooper was a Liberal and later Liberal Democrat member of the Liverpool City Council from 1973 until 1999, when she joined the Labour Party. After leaving the council the following year, she was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for West Lancashire from 2005 until her resignation in 2022, when she was named chair of the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lathom</span> Human settlement in England

Lathom is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England, about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Ormskirk. It is in the district of West Lancashire, and with the parish of Newburgh forms part of Newburgh ward. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 914. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes through Lathom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormskirk (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1983

Ormskirk was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as a division of the parliamentary county of Lancashire. The constituency boundaries were changed in 1918, 1950, 1955 and 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Lancashire Borough Council elections</span>

West Lancashire Borough Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time. West Lancashire Borough Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan district of West Lancashire in Lancashire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing three councillors.

The 2002 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 1. The Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from Labour.

The 2003 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

The 2004 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 West Lancashire District Council election</span> 2006 UK local government election

The 2006 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 West Lancashire District Council election</span> 2008 UK local government election

The 2008 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skelmersdale</span> Town in England

Skelmersdale is a town in the West Lancashire district, in Lancashire, England, on the River Tawd, 6 miles (10 km) west of Wigan, 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813. The town is known locally as Skem.

The 2010 West Lancashire Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of West Lancashire Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Pendle Borough Council election</span> 2007 UK local government election

The 2007 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Pendle Borough Council election</span> 2012 UK local government election

The 2012 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Hyndburn Borough Council election</span> 2021 UK local government election

A by-thirds Hyndburn Borough Council local election, was held on Thursday 6 May 2021. Approximately one third of the local council's 35 seats fall up for election on that day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roby Mill</span> Village in England

Roby Mill is a village in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. The estimated population is 405.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 West Lancashire Borough Council election</span> 2018 UK local government election

The 2018 West Lancashire Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect West Lancashire Borough Council members in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. Labour retained control of the council, while gaining two seats from the Conservatives, with localist party Our West Lancashire gaining one seat in Derby from the Conservatives.

A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of West Lancashire was held on 9 February 2023, following the resignation of incumbent member of Parliament Rosie Cooper. She announced her resignation in order to take up the job as chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Ashley Dalton held the seat for Labour.

References

  1. "View registration". Electoral Commission . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Our West Lancashire – About us". Our West Lancashire. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. "Your Councillors". West Lancashire Borough Council . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. "Lancashire County Council: Elections". Lancashire County Council . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. "Election 2010". British Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. "Election results archive – West Lancashire Borough Council". West Lancashire Borough Council. 17 July 2020.
  7. "Policies". Our West Lancashire. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. "Information". Our West Lancashire. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. "Election results for Rural South, 22 June 2023". democracy.westlancs.gov.uk. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. "Lancashire County Council: Elections".