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.”

The Bolton News: Ayyub Patel at the vigil

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.”

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He explained why he left the Conservatives and opted to run as an independent.

He said: “I have left the Conservatives.

“I tried to influence it to see if the local party would support ceasefire motions.

“The community wanted a ceasefire, I wanted a ceasefire, that wasn’t forthcoming, I felt that the party wasn’t supporting it.”

He added: “It was a surprise to win but a positive surprise.

“The priority for me is local concerns but I will address national issues as residents want me to."