The battle for Pendle

Pendle Borough Council is a Lib Dem led hung council with a third of he seats up for election on May 6. The share of the Council Tax taken by Pendle on Band D is £240 - in Conservative controlled Ribble Valley it is £141. Pendle are freezing the Council Tax this year which is welcome - but that is against a background of years of inflation busting rises.

Of the relevant 20 wards for the Pendle constituency there were eight which went to the Conservatives when last contested. Five went to Labour. Five to the Lib Dems. One to an independent and one to the BNP. Good luck to the Conservative candidate Andrew Stephenson.