Longridge with Bowland, which covers a large area of the Ribble Valley north of Preston, will see a new Lancashire county councillor elected when the county goes to the polls on Thursday (1 May).

Longstanding Conservative incumbent, Rupert Swarbrick, will not be standing again. He was the cabinet member for highways. In the 2021 election he secured 2,370 votes, with the next nearest candidate being Labour’s Karl Barnsley with 746 votes.

And with the spectre of the Ribble Valley potentially being drawn into a new East Lancashire Council dominating the minds of some candidates, for others it is about giving rural areas a voice at a time when many feel that small towns, such as Longridge, are struggling to cope with scores of new houses being built but not necessarily the same investment in wider infrastructure.

Read more: Leading politicians clash over elected mayor for Lancashire and idea of referendum

Where is Longridge-by-Bowland?

The division starts from Longridge in the western side and then runs through much of the Forest of Bowland. You can use this tool on the Lancashire County Council website to see where your voting division is in the LCC elections.

Who are the candidates?

We asked each candidate to complete the following three questions – so you can see more about them, why they are standing and what they believe in. They appear in alphabetical order.

Four candidates replied to our requests for information, with Blog Preston unable to get a response from the Liberal Democrats’ Peter Lawrence or Green Party candidate Adam McMeekin by the time of publication.

Ian Duxbury (Reform)

Tell us about yourself…

I’m Ian Duxbury, a learning and development specialist with more than 30 years of experience. A father of four, with nine (soon to be 10) grandchildren, I’ve lived in the Ribble Valley all my life, with the last 27 of those being in Longridge.

Why are you standing?

Because I care about the people in this fantastic part of the country. Decent, honest, hardworking folk who simply aren’t getting the services they deserve in exchange for their hard-won cash. Money’s being spent on totally the wrong things. Lancashire County Council would rather spend over £520,000 on ‘ergonomic’ chairs (rather than ordinary office chairs) rather than repairing potholes. This benefits no-one whom they purport to represent.

In addition, Labour’s plans to turn the area into a unitary authority presided over by a mayor is something that no-one has been told about, not asked whether this is something they want and certainly didn’t vote for. One of the reasons it’s being proposed by this Labour government is because it wants to get its hands on Ribble Valley’s reserves and increase council tax  across the board to fund deprived boroughs like Blackburn and Burnley, which is effectively a ‘levelling down’.

Why should people vote for you?

I’m trusting that people will see that our county and country desperately need to break away from the old two-party system, each of which fails then blames the other. Parties where people are career politicians, going from university into a minor role in Westminster and finally ending up as an MP.

I’m in no way a career politician, just an ordinary guy who can’t stand back and see what’s happening to our farmers, pensioners and this colossal wastage. If, in five or ten years’ time, my granddaughter looks at me and asks ‘What did you do to stop all this?’, I cannot look her in the eye and say ‘nothing’. That’s why I’m here and asking my community to vote Reform UK on 1 May.

Stuart Hirst (Conservatives)

Tell us about yourself…

I am a law graduate and have worked in industry (paper manufacturing and print) for over 40 years, with over 30 years running my own business.

I am now semi retired and am married to Elaine, a former NHS podiatrist, with two adult children and have recently relocated to live in Chipping after 25 years in Wilpshire.

An elected Ribble Valley borough councillor since 2003, I have served at a senior level including four years as council leader, six years as deputy leader and was mayor in the Jubilee year of 2022.

Why are you standing?

Given the government’s intention to abolish Ribble Valley along with all other councils over the next two to three years in Lancashire, I want to use my experience to assist the efforts to find the best alternative configuration which will safeguard the future of the Ribble Valley and this division and reflect the overwhelming wish of the residents not to be forced into a monolithic East Lancashire unitary council run from Blackburn. The most obvious alternative would be ‘Option 4’ which combines Ribble Valley with Lancaster and Preston.

I also want to use my experience of successfully leading Ribble Valley as the most effective low tax, no debt, high service level council to maintain sound financial management of LCC.

I’d like to continue to improve all aspects of connectivity – highways, public transport and broadband – to assist in economic development – particularly for farmers and hospitality businesses in the rural economy, and want to ensure that physical and community investment matches development in Longridge and our rural communities.

Why should people vote for you?

I have a proven track record of community service to ward residents in over 30 years of service.

I have valuable direct experience of political leadership in local government at a senior level and believe I can work with officers and members effectively to achieve outcomes which serve residents and the Ribble Valley in the current period of change. And I have the energy, commitment and time to discharge my duties if elected.

Kieren Spencer (Labour)

In a few words, tell us about yourself…

I’m Kieren Spencer, a proud Longridge local who’s been campaigning for our community since I was a teenager. I co‑founded a charity that offers activities for disadvantaged residents and today I serve as both your town and borough councillor. I live here, I care about here and I’ve devoted much of my spare time throughout life to making Longridge and surrounding areas an even better place to call home.

Why are you standing?

Nothing would make me happier than continuing to represent our little corner of Lancashire at County Hall. I want to be your an approachable representative and a strong voice on the issues that matter most to residents— like fixing potholes, raising school standards, improving public transport and breathing new life into our high streets.

Why should people vote for you?

I feel like I know this area inside out because I’ve spent hundreds of hours on doorsteps and in our village halls and community events listening to what locals want from a county councillor. I’ve already shown I can deliver results at a charity co-founder and councillor. I will remain visible, hands‑on and always focused on priorities that matter most to people who live here.

Robert Walker (Independent)

In a few words, tell us about yourself…

My name is Robert Walker and I’m standing as an independent candidate for Longridge with Bowland in the upcoming Lancashire County Council elections.

I was born and raised in Longridge and have lived in Chipping for the past 18 years with my wife and four children. I have run a small printing business in Longridge for 14 years, after leaving my Job at Preston City Council. My whole family live and work within Longridge with Bowland, and I am passionate about this area thriving. 

I have been on Longridge Town Council for over two years now and for much of that time I have been the chair of the Budget and the Staffing Committee. I am also the planning lead, as well as being on the estates committee and other groups, such as the VE Day celebration planning group. I have just been voted in as the deputy mayor for the 2025/26 term. 

Why are you standing?

I really enjoy making community projects happen, whether it be as a town councillor or as a caring resident. Some of these projects include the Longridge branch of the Men’s Shed, which I founded and run, and I’ve just secured a plot of land for a ‘cmmunity and well-being garden’ in the centre of Longridge. 

This desire to serve the community has led to me putting myself forward as a candidate for Longridge with Bowland in the upcoming LCC elections. Our four children have all been educated in Longridge and Chipping and as proud as we are of the schools we see there is a need for more investment, especially when you consider that hundreds of new houses have been built in Longridge.

St Cecilia’s and Longridge High school are about to open new blocks in September to accommodate more pupils from Longridge with Bowland and beyond, but the area’s infrastructure also needs to move in line with these changes. I will fight for every opportunity for my area at Lancashire County Council.

Why should people vote for you?

We all want good roads, effective transport systems, the best education possible for our children and good economic growth which bring employment opportunities, this goes without saying. However, as the only independent candidate standing, I am the only one that can think purely about Longridge with Bowland, its needs and improvements that can be made, without considering or being restricted by National agendas, which will apply to the other candidates.

If elected every single decision I make or vote that I take will be based on the best interests of the town (and the surrounding area) that I grew up in and love and not for a national party’s best interests.

When is the vote?

The local elections take place on Thursday 1 May with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm.

We will then have full coverage of the local election results as the counting takes place on Friday 2 May. We should expect to know the overall outcome by Friday afternoon.

I’m not in Preston or South Ribble…

You can see the full list of candidates for each area on the county council website. You can also see our breakdown of the candidates for Wyre, Fylde, Ribble Valley and Chorley.

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