Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
Seven candidates will ask for votes from residents of the Claremont ward in a by-election on 1 October 2026.
It’s an extremely high-profile by-election for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it comes after the death of Cllr Ivan Taylor, who all but the most vile Facebook trolls have had nothing but respect for since his passing earlier this year.
Secondly, it is a test of Reform UK’s electoral pull in a place where they clearly prioritise and expect to make gains - with arguably their most high-profile local candidate hoping to win his first election after two parliamentary defeats in 2024.
And thirdly, it is a test of how Andy Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister has lifted Labour’s chances in the North West in particular.
It is a battle of two outlooks on Claremont - where the Reform UK candidate Mark Butcher has been either highlighting real problems or talking down the area, depending on your viewpoint.
The crime rate in particular has been used on the campaign trail - and not entirely unreasonably - so we’ve put those figures to the test along with the words of the man saying them.
Blackpool briefing
🍺 Police are calling for the review of a Blackpool pub’s licence after a stabbing incident occurred there after a live screening of the tense World Cup match between England and Argentina.
The licence review of the Boars Head, on Preston Old Road, will be made by Blackpool Council’s licensing panel on September 16.
The Force says the disturbing incident and previous ones raise serious questions about the pub’s premises licence.
The incident occurred on July 15, when England were knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina after a 1-2 defeat.
Later in July, long-serving Boars Head landlady Karen Bracegirdle announced on social media that she was leaving the pub after seven years at the helm.
After thanking regulars for their long support, she stated: “In light of recent events, along with ongoing issues over the past couple of years involving antisocial behaviour and noise complaints from the surrounding area—matters that have been completely beyond our control—the licensing authorities have recommended a change in management with immediate effect.”
Managing group Dobiere Pub Group has been approached for a comment.
💷 Blackpool’s Illuminations are famous the world over but the council is looking to borrow £90,000 to provide lighting for the building where they are stored and repaired.
The Illuminations Service has been based at the Lightworks building, on Amy Johnson Way, since 2010, after moving from the old depot on Rigby Road.
The council is also seeking a loan of an additional £230,000 to purchase vehicles and plant for the Illuminations Service.
The authority plans to borrow £320,000 for the two projects combined, in addition to interest payments of £43,250 for a total bill of £363,250.
The proposals are that this will be paid in instalments over a period between 2027 and 2036.
This arrangement is what is known as ‘prudential borrowing’, a self-regulated system that allows local authorities to borrow money for long-term capital projects without needing central government consent.
Blackpool Council’s Executive Committee, which is the main decision-making group responsible for the day-to-day management, policies, and services, will meet on Monday (September 14) to consider the proposals.
🛎️ The future of a large and prominent hotel on Blackpool seafront remains uncertain after the operators went into liquidation.
The 46-bedroom Skye Oceans Hotel at 333-335 Promenade, Blackpool, closed in the summer when operators Skye New Oceans Ltd, who has taken over in 2021, went out of business.
However, that company is part of a larger enterprise, Skye Hotels Ltd, which is still operating and has a number of other hotels under its umbrella across the North West.
Although the hotel is still listed as operational for bookings on certain travel sites, such as Top-Hotels-Uk.com, Companies House lists Skye New Oceans Ltd status as ‘liquidation’ and the phone numbers no longer ring out.
The hotel’s last’s review on Trip Advisor, where it had mixed notices ranging from good to very poor, was back in February.
Skye Hotels Ltd was contacted regarding future plans for the hotel, which one Trip Advisor reviewer described it as having “so much potential” but needing a revamp.
The truth about crime levels in Claremont - dubbed the Bronx by Mark Butcher
By Michael Holmes
Claims about crime in Claremont - which Reform candidate Mark Butcher has branded “the Bronx” - may not tell the full story, analysis of official police figures by The Blackpool Lead suggests.
While the area has been dubbed “the middle of lawless Britain” by Butcher as he vies to take a seat at the town hall in a by-election early next month, The Blackpool Lead’s analysis found that more than a quarter of police reports were linked to nightlife hotspots.
Some 27.7% (969) of the 3,499 reports to Lancashire Police from August last year to July this year were linked to Queen Street and The Strand, which are packed with pubs and bars, or nearby nightclubs.
And the most commonly reported offences over the past three years are those often associated with the nighttime economy - violent and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour.
Meanwhile, robberies have dropped by more than half, while burglaries, theft from a person and drug offences have also fallen.
The analysis adds context to figures recently released by a property data website, which said Claremont had the highest crime rate in the north west, with 349 offences per 1,000 people, which Butcher said “backs up exactly” what he has been saying on the campaign trail.
Making law and order a focus of his campaign, Butcher a week earlier gave an even higher figure - 427 offences per 1,000 people - and said Claremont has the “highest crime anywhere in the UK”.
In a video on the T Explore TV YouTube channel, he said that “after nine, 10 o’clock, this is the Bronx”, saying it is the “middle of lawless Britain” and dangerous after dark.
Dressed in a patterned shirt and sunglasses, he said: “You cannot walk down this street, here.”
For direct comparison purposes, Lancashire Police was asked for the latest crime statistics per 1,000 people, but the force did not provide them, initially saying they would need to be requested under freedom of information laws, before later saying they may not be held.
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw’s office said it did not have the figures.
Blackpool Council said context “is important” when looking at crime rates, which are worked out per head of the resident population and according to where offences are recorded.
A spokesperson said: “In a major visitor destination such as Blackpool, these calculations do not take account of the millions of people who visit the town each year.
“This is particularly relevant in Claremont ward, which includes a number of busy visitor, nightlife and transport locations, including Walkabout, Queen Street, Ma Kelly’s, Blackpool North railway station and the Metropole.
“Recorded incidents associated with these locations will involve people who are visiting the area, but they are still counted locally against Claremont’s resident population.”
Butcher told The Blackpool Lead: “When I compared conditions in Claremont to ‘the Bronx’, it was a forceful metaphor referring to the documented levels of crime, anti-social behaviour and environmental neglect affecting parts of the ward.
“It was not intended to insult residents. My criticism is directed at the problems residents are being forced to endure and the authorities’ failure to address them - not at the people of Claremont.”
He continued: “I believe firmly in holding offenders accountable while also recognising that early intervention, stable homes, positive role models, education and proper addiction support can prevent young people from being drawn into crime.”
Butcher’s focus on crime has prompted questions, especially after his appearance in a documentary that described him and his family as having been “feared” figures on the Grange Park estate.
A voiceover said: “As a child in Blackpool, Mark grew up far from the attractions of the seaside in the poorest parts of the town in the middle of the Thatcher years, when poverty had already exploded.
“At the time, the restaurateur and his family were feared offenders.”
Butcher was then shown telling the makers of the programme, which is available on YouTube, albeit not in the UK, that his family members were known as “The Butchers”.
Walking through the area, dressed in a tracksuit top and body-warmer, Butcher told the TV crew: “You start off with petty crime; you’re stealing bikes, you’re robbing cars.
“And then you move on. You move up the ladder and you go from one stage to another.
“And so that’s what happened.”
In a statement to The Blackpool Lead, published in full above and at the bottom of this article at his request, Butcher said he was “not admitting that I personally stole bicycles, robbed cars or committed the offences described”, but was instead giving a “general description of the environment and progression into crime”.