A newly elected independent councillor in Bolton has said he is committed to issues in his constituency Ayyub Patel formerly served as a Conservative representing Rumworth. He won the seat in a by-election in September 2022 . But on a bad night for the party locally and nationally in May 2023 he was not returned to the town hall.
This year he stood as as an independent candidate in the same ward. Mr Patel left the Conservative Party due to its national stance on Israel and its refusal to call for a ceasefire. On election night he gained 1,990 votes, more than 500 clear of Labour candidate Hanif Adia who polled 1,244 votes.
As he won Mr Patel said: “This is a win for Palestine.” But he has also said he is committed to local issues in Rumworth. He said: “The main issues for me are antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping, waste management, issues with refuse collection, the police’s presence here, drugs are still an issue.
“My priorities are local priorities. “I will be in the Deane area trying to see if we can address some of these issues.” He also said he had been working with the Rumworth Community Alliance to clear up litter in the area in a project running from May 7 to May 20.
He said: “It is a local community of volunteers, we have the mosque and schools involved.” Read more: MPs and councillors speak at Palestine vigil Read more: Bolton local election results in full Read more: Backlash for Bolton Labour in 2024 election results He explained why he left the C.
