We are extremely pleased with the election results last night.

Both locally and nationally the Liberal Democrats made gains.

Any election when you walk out with more seats than you walk in with is a good one, and this was certainly that.

It is great to see my two of my hard-working colleagues returned – councillors Dave Murphy and Hazel Gloster, in Crompton and Shaw Wards.  They both champion the areas they represent, work hard all year round and are valued group members.

Our gain was in Saddleworth West and Lees by Alicia Marland, who won a seat off Labour and now joins our team there of Mark Kenyon and Sam Al-Hamdani, was the icing on the cake and very well deserved.  She will be an excellent addition to our team.

With nine councillors we continue to be the real opposition to Labour who again had a beating at the polls locally.

Labour really do need to wake up and smell the coffee.  They need to get the basics right – they need to make our Borough safer, cleaner, and greener.  They need to invest in our districts and work with the communities we represent rather than keep doing things to them and making them feel neglected.

These are the issues the public tell us are important and we will continue to champion them at every opportunity.