UKIP second in 12 out of 20 wards

Lucky Kenderdine, Iram Ramzan, Robbie Gill, Ken Bennett and Richard Hooton

THOUGH UKIP failed to gain any seats at the Oldham Council elections on Friday, the party put a candidate in all 20 wards and came second in 12.

Joe Fitzpatrick, who came second in St James with 1,260 votes, said the party was disappointed with the outcome.

Mr Fitzpatrick, beaten by Labour’s Angela Cosgrove by 533 votes, said: “We have to recognise the Labour party did well locally. On a national level, it’s a disaster for UKIP to lose its leader when we were hoping to get a couple of seats.”

But Mr Fitzpatrick said results wouldn’t deter him from standing again: “We’re here for the long term.”

UKIP’s Joan Spencer, who came second in Failsworth West with 1,420 votes, also failed to win a seat in Failsworth East last year. She said she might stand again.

She said: “Thank you to all the people who did vote for me. I believe it’s a hard ward to win.”

The current UKIP councillors in Oldham Council are Warren Bates, in Failsworth West, and Peter Klonowski, in Saddleworth West and Lees.