THE loss of four senior councillors is the main interest in the borough, but would-be Blackburn Labour MP Kate Hollern and sitting Darwen Tory Jake Berry will be analysing every vote.

For the trends evident in tomorrow’s council polls will be a good indicator of what might happen at next year’s general election.

Borough leader Coun Hollern will be keen to see her partner John Roberts win Marsh House.

She will also want to evidence that a lot of Tory foot-slogging on the streets of Blackburn gives no indication that the economic revival and the loss of Jack Straw’s personal vote does not harm her chances of succeeding the retiring veteran at Westminster.

In Darwen, MP Berry wants no Labour advances to affect his chances of re-election.

The Liberal Democrats have abandoned Blackburn to concentrate on hanging onto their safe wards in the town in the face of the party’s collapse in the national opinion polls.

The sad death of the much-loved Dorothy Walsh should not affect Labour winning both the vacant posts in Higher Croft ward, but does open the prospect of borough deputy leader Andy Kay coming second in the vote and having just a two-year term instead of four.

Veteran LibDem Chris Thayne’s retirement could be a disaster for his party increasing Mr Roberts’ chances of seizing Marsh House for Labour.

Tory Jim Hirst quitting should not prevent his Tory successor candidate Imtiaz Ali retaining the safe Beardwood with Lammack ward.

The retirement of stalwart Florence Oldfield will also have no impact on Labour’s iron grip on Ewood.