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May 6 2011
Labour has comfortably held its five Wythenshawe seats in what has been a dismal night for the Liberal Democrats losing all the wards they were defending including leader, Simon Ashley's.

In Wythenshawe, the Lib Dems finished fourth in four of the wards behind the Tories and the UK Independence Party.

And in Northenden, where the Lib Dems were hoping to return a third councillor to the seat which has previously been too close to call, Labour's Richard Cowell romped home.

Last year, Northenden was won by the Lib Dems by just 25 votes and in the previous election there were just eight votes in it.

At the beginning of the night fomer planning boss Richard Cowell said he was nervous about his prospects of returning to the council, but he need not have worried. He held the seat with a majority of 876 votes.

He said: "It is a very humbling experience and it is a great privilege to serve as a councillor. There is a lot of work to do. I will put my heart and soul into representing the people of Northenden, Northern Moor and Benchill."

In Baguley, Brooklands, Sharston and Woodhouse Park, Labour's Paul Andrews, Sue Cooley, Joyce Keller and Barbara O'Neil held the seats, with the Lib Dem candidates finishing fourth behind the Tories and UKIP.

Lib Dems also suffered badly elsewhere in the city losing 11 seats including leader Simon Ashley's who had predicted heavy losses. He had said: "It doesn't look good for us, but I wont take it personally."

However, by the time at it was announced that Peter Cookson had taken the Lib Dem leader's Gorton South seat he was no-where to be seen. A new leader will be chosen from the remaining opposition councillors which include Northenden's Martin Eakins and Mary Di Mauro, although the favourites for the hotseat will be from current deputy leader, Paul Shannon, Jackie Pearcey, or Marc Ramsbottom.

Labour activists said the Lib Dems association with the coalition government which has imposed swingeing cuts on Manchester was a major factor in their demise. They said claims that the council had implemented the cuts in services for political reasons when they didn't need to, did not wash with the voters.

WYTHENSHAWE ELECTION RESULTS
Baguley
Paul Andrews (LAB) 1702
Chris Cassidy (UKIP) 229
Mike Dagley (GREEN) 109
Yvonne Donaghey (LD) 116
Ralph Ellerton (CON) 353
Lynn Worthington (TUSC) 74

Brooklands
Sue Cooley (LAB) 1876
Nathan Gilbert (UKIP) 254
Peter Maxson (LD) 201
Eithne Quinn (GREEN) 143
Stephen Woods (CON) 764

Northenden
Danielle Brannon (UKIP) 172
Richard Cowell (LAB) 2111
Chris Gibbins (GREEN) 166
Dave Nuttall (LD) 1235
Phillip Page (CON) 272

Sharston
Eugene Cassidy (UKIP) 222
Shari Holden (TUSC) 70
Joyce Keller (LAB) 1845
Dane Lam (GREEN) 133
Jim McCullogh (CON) 505
Dave Page (LD) 138

Woodhouse Park
Sarah Harding (LD) 83
Stephen McHugh (CON) 306
Kathlene Molteno (GREEN) 96
Barbara O'Neil (LAB) 1756
Pamela Shotton (UKIP) 174