Election results and full round-up
HE SAID SOME POLITICANS OUTSIDE HIS WARD HAD MARRED ELECTION BUT PRAISED OTHER CANDIDATES
A COUNCILLOR has slammed the actions of some other politicians after accusing them of a campaign of bullying and abuse on social media.
Conservative councillor Philip White kept his Staffordshire County Council seat on the Dove ward, with 2,403 votes. But he slammed what he has described as “social media bullying and abuse” during the campaign.
He said: “It is unfortunate that a good campaign has been marred by social media activity of other politicians from outside the Dove division who have shown the worst of social media bullying and abuse – I am glad our electorate has chosen to reject this.”
He added: “I am delighted to be re-elected so I can serve my residents for another four years.
“My thanks go to the other candidates for a good, clean campaign focusing on the issues. I will be carrying on delivering the major flood reduction scheme and resurfacing in the centre of Rolleston.
“We have just delivered some traffic calming measures in Tutbury and have others planned for areas such as Anslow, Henhurst Hill and Forest Road.”
While the Tories kept their seats, their percentage of total votes dropped from 2017.
Both Labour councillors increased their majority in Burton Town and Burton Tower.
New to the council is Arshad Afsar. This is the newly-elected Labour councillor’s first time on Staffordshire County Council and he represents Burton Town with 1,474 votes. He steps into the shoes of previous Councillor Ron Clarke to continue a Labour hold.
He said: “I am ecstatic. With there being five candidates it was going to be a tough battle.
“I will now sit down with my party and discuss all the issues going forward ... about moving Burton
Library to the market hall, as well as potholes.”
He received 50 per cent of the vote. In 2017, Ron Clarke in 2017 received 43 per cent.
Labour’s Syed Hussain has kept control of his Burton Trent ward, receiving 1,603 votes.
He said: “I am humbled by the support from my residents and will carry on putting the community first. Local issues are my main concerns.
“I will continue with the efforts of road safety, and the work with the vaccinations. We are all in this together. This is my home and I am proud of it.”
Councillor Hussain received 59 per cent of the vote. In 2017, he received 56 per cent.
Conservative Councillor Conor Wileman keeps his seat on Burton Tower with 2,075 votes. He said: “It has been a tough fight and a good campaign.
“I want to say thank you to the constituents who supported me for a third term.
“From day one we got out there and sought to try and solve these problems.”
His Tory colleague Philip White received 58 per cent of the vote, but in 2017 he got 63 per cent.
Tory Councillor Bernard Peters, has been re-elected onto the Horninglow and Stretton ward.
He said: “I would like to thank all the residents of Horninglow and Stretton who supported me in the recent Staffordshire County Council elections re-electing me.
“I look forward to standing up for community and representing residents for the next four years.
“I recognise the trust that they have put in me and I promise to continue to listen and be a strong voice for our community.”
Here are the results for East Staffordshire:
Uttoxeter Rural
CON HOLD
Philip Atkins (Conservative) 2,942 Olly Ragg (Green) 329
Edward Rodway-bowden (Independent) 239
Paul Walker (Labour) 531
Uttoxeter Town
CON GAIN FROM INDP
David Brookes (Independent) 731 Kate Copeland (Green) 547 Richard Grosvenor (Ind) 312 Philip Hudson (Conservative) 1,022 John Mckiernan (Labour) 676 David Brookes loses his seat
Dove CON HOLD
Lewis Anderson (Labour) 1,344 Karen Baldwin (Independent) 151 Lynn Furber (Green) 221 Philip White (Conservative) 2,403
Burton Town LAB HOLD
Arshad Afsar (Labour) 1,474 Simon Hales (Green) 135 Helen Hall (Lib Dem) 256 Becky Talbot (Independent) 227 Colin Wileman (Conservative) 877
Burton Tower CON HOLD
Thomas Hadley (Labour) 756 Carol Sharratt (Greens) 191 Terence Smith (Independent) 486 Conor Wileman (Conservative) 2,075
Burton Trent LAB HOLD
Becky Brady (Conservative) 896 Jaimie Hanyia (Independent) 49 Theodore Hollier (Lib Dem) 91 Syed Hussain (Labour) 1,603 Maire Smith (Green) 83
Needwood Forest CON HOLD
Alasdair Brooks (Lib Dem) 182 Michael Huckerby (Labour) 790 Julia Jessel (Conservative) 2,589 Kelly Rickard (Greens) 278
Horninglow and Stretton CON HOLD
Deneice Florence-jukes (Independent) 623
Shelagh Mckiernan (Labour) 854 Bernard Peters (Conservative)1,654 Robert Sharratt (Greens) 115
DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Derbyshire County Council voting produced a clean sweep for the Conservatives in South Derbyshire after they picked up a key seat in Swadlincote and extending their majority.
Prior to the election, the Conservatives
had 36 councillors on Derbyshire County Council and Labour had 24.
Now, they have 45 seats and Labour 14. The Liberal Democrats have four seats and the Green Party has one.
Labour lost its seat in Swadlincote North to the Tories, who held on to Swadlincote Central and Swadlincote South and completed a clean sweep of South Derbyshire.
Gary Musson, Tory councillor for Swadlincote Central, said he was “very pleased” with the result and for the party to get a “clean sweep” in South Derbyshire.
The Conservatives also held on to Hilton, where the winning candidate Julie Patten dedicated her victory to her husband, who died earlier this year.
She said in her victory speech: “My biggest supporter is not with me but I am delighted after what has been a very difficult time. I really appreciate the continued support.”
Aston, Melbourne, Linton and Etwall and Repton also stayed blue completing a Tory clean sweep across the district.
Here are the results for South Derbyshire:
Swadlincote Central Con HOLD
Gary Musson (Conservative) 1,304 Alan Jones (Labour) 932 Sylvia Dearing (Greens) 116 Turnout: 23.94%
Swadlincote South Con HOLD
Roger Redfern (Conservative) 1,457 Louise Mulgrew (Labour) 798 Jude Boynton (Greens) 207
Turnout: 24.94%
Swadlincote North CON GAIN
Peter Smith (Conservative) 1,081 Sean Bambrick (Labour) 997 votes
Linton CON HOLD
Stuart Swann (Conservative) 1,477 Dan Pegg (Labour) 985 votes Amy Wheelton (Independent) 753 Turnout: 33.67%
Hilton CON HOLD
Julie Patten (Conservative) 1,985 Julie Jackson (Labour) 541 Grahame Andrew (Lib Dem) 275 Martin Wall (Greens) 247 votes
LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
There was a shock in Forest and Measham when the Tories took the seat from Labour. Conservative Robert Ashman took 1,620 votes from Labour’s Sean Sheahan who came second with 1,114 votes.
The Green Party’s James John Harrison received 200 votes; Liberal Democrat Yorick Lynch received 69 votes; and Reform UK’S Mick Gee received 62 votes, with a total turnout of 31.45 per cent.
Conservatives held on to Ashby, with Conservatives John Geoffrey Coxon receiving 1,964 votes, in front of Labour’s Debra Louise Jackson with 1,190 votes.
The Green Party’s Carl Cheswick Benfield received 508 votes; Liberal Democrats’ Sheila Wyatt for 168 votes; Freedom Alliance’s Claire Louise O`callaghan received 89 votes while Reform UK’S Adam Rowland
Tilbury received 46 votes, with a turnout of 38.74 per cent.
STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
THE Conservative Party has retained control of Staffordshire County Council with an increased majority.
With all 62 seats contested, the Conservatives won 57 compared to Labour’s four, with the remaining seat being taken by an Independent.
Ballot papers were counted at the eight boroughs and districts across the county, following the count on Friday for the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
Alan White, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: “I thank everyone who stood as a candidate or worked to make this election happen in difficult circumstances.
“I am delighted that the people of Staffordshire have again placed their trust in us to continue delivering essential services in our communities.
“We will continue to create the conditions for economic growth in Staffordshire, attracting new employers and supporting new ones as we recover from the pandemic.
“At the same time we will work with our communities to focus on their needs and support them to live happier, healthier, independent lives.”
This is the fourth consecutive fouryear term in charge of the County Council for the Conservatives following election successes in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
The Conservatives entered the election holding 50 seats, with 10 for Labour and two independent councillors.
In total, 243 candidates stood in 60 divisions for election to the 62 seats (CRT) available.
With 32 seats needed to provide a majority in the council chamber, the result was: Conservative: 57;
Labour, Labour & Co-operative Party: 4
Independent: 1
The results included the Conservatives winning six seats from Labour, including at Burntwood North and Chadsmoor in Cannock Chase and Keele, Knutton and Silverdale in Newcastle, plus a seat from an Independent councillor in the Uttoxeter Town division.
John Henderson, chief executive of Staffordshire County Council, was the returning officer. He said: “Staffordshire County Council’s annual budget is more than £500 million and our work touches everyone’s life in one way or another.
“It’s vital that local people debate local issues and determine how the county council goes about its business. So I was very pleased to see every seat contested by multiple candidates and I thank them all for their time, effort and commitment to the democratic process.”
■■Police Commissioner votes: P4