 16 seats were contested at the election, with Labour defending 6 seats, the Conservatives 5, Liberal Democrats 4 and the British National Party 1.Among those defending seats at the election was the leader of the Labour group on the council, Mohammed Iqbal in Bradley ward.During the campaign Pendle was visited by the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, both the Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman and the shadow chancellor Ed Balls, and the Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander to support their respective parties.