Labour close to complete control in city after gaining five more seats

Bradford is still a ‘hung’ council though Labour is still comfortably out in front of the Conservatives and Lib Dems with 44 seats.

The party gained the Bowling & Barkerend seat saying goodbye to deputy Lord Mayor Coun Mohammed Jamil. They also snatched Keighley Central wards from the Conservatives and took Manningham and Windhill & Wrose wards from the Lib Dems. The Eccleshill seat, vacated by Lib Dem councillor Carol Beardmore was also won by Labour.

That means the Tories are the next largest party with 29 seats, the Lib Dems 11, Green Party three, the BNP two, with one Independent.

The closest result came in Keighley Central, where Labour’s Kaneez Akthar triumphed over his Conservative opponent Zafar Ali by 78 votes, following a recount.

Veteran councillor, Ian Greenwood, the Labour group leader said talks would begin with the two major opposition groups “over the next few days” on an attempt to form a working majority.

His colleague, Coun Ralph Berry, added: “We need to get to 46 votes to run the council. At the moment we are a minority Labour administration. I am sure we will get that majority next year.

“ It is up to the leader but if the Greens are prepared to back our regeneration policies and those designed to protect the most vulnerable then it may be that we can do a deal with them.”

Senior Conservative councillor Chris Greaves said: “I am disappointed by the result, very disappointed, I think we deserved better.

“We enjoyed a pretty successful record in Bradford but we lost control last year. It’s a shame that the BNP representation could not have been eaten into but there it is.

“One thing that does surprise me is that the Lib Dems seem to have hung on surprisingly well in Bradford compared to what has happened in some other places.”