Bin the Ball, Ditch the Leader: Why Bury Tories are tearing themselves apart deselecting Cllr Russell Bernstein ahead of 2026 local elections

The Bury Conservative Association is facing significant internal upheaval, which has been further inflamed by the recent deselection of its leader, Councillor Russell Bernstein, ahead of the 2026 local elections.

This development has intensified longstanding tensions within the association, which have been simmering since the loss of the Bury parliamentary seat by former MP James Daly.

Following his defeat, Daly removed “MP” from his public Facebook profile but continued to actively promote Conservative Party values and his views locally.

This reportedly irritated Cllr Bernstein, who saw it as interference in local party matters. Matters escalated when a formal complaint was lodged against Cllr Bernstein concerning the content and tone of WhatsApp messages he had sent to Daly.

Tensions between senior roles within the association and sitting councillors have been growing for months. One notable casualty of the discord was the Mayor’s Charity Ball, which was cancelled after the fundraising committee was disbanded amid internal conflict. It is understood that the fallout involved individuals working against the Bernsteins. For context, Carol Bernstein – Cllr Bernstein’s wife – currently serves as the Mayoress of Bury for the municipal year 2024/25.

One of the more divisive issues within the association has been the proposal to split Bury South from Bury North. A source told Roch Valley Radio:

“Bury South needs to be removed from the association and split up because it costs us too much money to run, and we’re not getting that seat back anytime soon. The resources need to go to Bury North.”

These comments raise serious questions about the future direction and unity of the Bury Conservatives, especially given that Cllr Bernstein is currently the only Conservative councillor representing Bury South.

In a statement to Roch Valley Radio on Tuesday afternoon, Cllr Bernstein said:

I am obviously very disappointed that my application to stand as a Conservative Candidate for the 2026 Local Elections was unsuccessful. 

When one considers I am the first sitting Conservative councillor in living memory not to be given the opportunity to seek Ward approval to stand in a local election one has to reflect on the reasons and motivation of the people making the decision.  

I believe on the balance of probability the reason for my unsuccessful application to stand is due to the fact that I have stood up on behalf of the majority of Conservative Councillors to senior personnel within Bury Conservatives Association who behave contrary to the views expressed recently by Kemi Badenoch in which she made clear her desire to renew and to also encourage the ability to speak freely. Opposition to the values expressed by Kemi are not just purely the poison of left wing progressivism as Kemi claimed but are also the oxygen breathed by a cabal of senior officers within Bury Conservatives.

Examples of issues which lead to my unsuccessful application include highlighting a kangaroo court verdict regarding a complaint made by the former Bury North MP and his wife regarding a personal WhatsApp message (November 2024) I sent in which I asked “why are you poking your nose in stuff that you no longer have an democratic mandate to do” this was in reference to the former Bury North MP’s Facebook post regarding the Ramsbottom Town Plan. 

The former Bury North MP and his wife made a complaint to Bury Conservatives Association about my WhatsApp message and a hearing was subsequently held which I was not aware of (the wife of the former Bury North MP was in attendance at the meeting) until I was notified by email of the verdict. This action goes against all the principles of natural justice, a position the Association Chairman chose to defend over a period of a couple of weeks. I as one would expect stood firm against the complaint and as important the way it was so poorly handled with no regard for sound governance or natural justice. Eventually the former Bury North MP and his wife dropped their complaint.

Another issue which has been pursued and caused significant problems is the Association Chairman’s decision not to take appropriate action to remove the current Deputy Chairman (Political) due to the reputational risk he poses to Bury Conservatives. The risks are his criminal background (this is a matter of public record) and what many consider continual inappropriate business conduct. These risks resulted in The Mayor and Mayoress of Bury standing the Deputy Chairman (Political) down as Chair of the Mayor's Charity Committee.

I am the proud Jewish Leader of Bury Conservatives Councillor group who has stood up to prejudice and bullying all my life. I believe that there are voices probably silent to date in Bury Conservatives and wider who stand for the values and have the moral compass which myself and my Councillor colleagues believe are fundamental to making a difference to the people we all serve, values which the cabal that exists within Bury Conservatives Officers would not recognise. Heartened by the outpouring of support I have received to date I am intending to stay around Bury Conservatives for as long as is possible to do all I can to shift a culture of self-interest to one that as Kemi said can have the confidence to speak the truth. I suspect one of the initial challenges is for people in the cabal to recognise the truth and not use it as revenge for someone standing up for what’s right.

Amid these internal disputes, sources within the association and council suggest that Cllr Jack Rydeheard has emerged as a potential successor to Cllr Bernstein as leader of the Conservative Group in Bury Council.

Pictured, left, Councillor Jack Rydeheard

He has reportedly garnered growing support from fellow Conservative councillors and association members. However, when asked by Roch Valley Radio several weeks ago about rumours of a leadership challenge, Cllr Rydeheard denied any intention to pursue the role, despite being widely seen as a frontrunner should a change occur. 

The deselection of the party leader ahead of the 2026 local elections has deepened divisions within the group and its association members, leaving a climate of uncertainty and unrest.

Speaking to Roch Valley Radio, one Bury resident shared their view on the situation, saying:

They are lovely people and don't deserve this... fingers crossed it all sorts itself out. So very sad for them both – they’ve dedicated so much of their time to support residents of Bury.

The leader of Bury Council, Cllr Eamonn O'Brien posted on X: 

Sad to see this news. We may be political opponents and have genuine disagreements, but Russell is a highly respected & popular Councillor amongst all members. His approach to scrutiny, debate and disagreement shows the best of politics, his deselection shows the worst of it.

As the party navigates this turbulent period, much will depend on how it chooses to address the internal strife and prepare for the elections ahead. The outcome of these internal deliberations may well determine whether the party can present a united and credible alternative to Bury's electorate in 2026.

Roch Valley Radio also approached former Bury North MP James Daly for comment regarding the allegations made in Cllr Bernstein’s statement. He did not respond by the time of publication.

When approached for a right of reply, Bury Conservative Association declined to comment at this stage.