Our West Lancashire, the Independents on West Lancashire Borough Council are celebrating after gaining seats from Labour and Conservative in Thursday’s local elections and recording their highest ever number of votes.

In Burscough Bridge and Rufford, Paul Hesketh unseated Conservative Jayne Rear to become the first Independent councillor for the ward, while in Ormskirk East, community activist Janet Ingman unseated Labour deputy leader, Adam Yates by 35 votes in a hard-fought contest.

Our West Lancashire polled nearly 5000 votes in the seven wards in which they stood, a record number of votes for Independents in West Lancashire.

Reacting to the news, OWL Group Chairman, Adrian Owens who was himself elected to the Rural South ward with almost 50% of the vote said: “We stood candidates in more wards than ever before and received more votes than ever before in these local elections, unseating Labour and Conservative councillors in the process.

The main parties need to realise that residents are not ‘voting fodder’ to corral into voting the ‘right’ way every election, only then to be forgotten about until next time.

The Labour-run Council needs to be more inclusive and transparent. They should involve all political groups in their councillor working groups for example.

"No-one has a monopoly of good ideas as some in local Labour seem to think. I hope they will now listen seriously to residents' concerns and seize the opportunity to harness the talent and positivity that exists on their doorstep.”

Cllr Owens concluded by calling on residents to get involved with Our West Lancashire.

He said: “West Lancashire is full of experienced and well informed residents, and in OWL we put residents first and foremost. I hope more local people will join OWL as we play an increasing part in local council affairs.”

The results mean that the council Independents have swelled their numbers to five councillors.

Pictured after the declarations are l - r: Mark Brown, Cllr Adrian Owens, Cllr Janet Ingman, Cllr Paul Hesketh, Cllr Ian Rigby, Cllr Linda Webster, and Peter Banks

And that's Janet with her son, Jack - a politician in the making?