IT WOULD take a huge swing to dislodge Labour from power in Bury, Wigan and Salford.

The Labour party in Bury, headed by Cllr John Byrne, has 27 seats, the Conservatives16 and the Liberal Democrats have four.

But in Wigan, the battle facing the opposition is even more fierce. Labour, led by Lord Peter Smith, currently has control of 59 seats. The main opposition is the Community Action Party with five seats, followed by the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives on three each. There are two vacancies.

In Salford, Labour has 51 seats, the Lib Dems are in second place with five and the Conservatives have three. One of the seats is currently taken up by an independent candidate.