Tories victorious in county election
COUNTY Labour leader Robert Sharp has said he is “very disappointed” after the party lost two of its five seats in Charnwood in the Leicestershire County Council elections - including his own.
Eleven out of the 14 seats available in Charnwood went to the Conservatives, with only Jewel Miah in Loughborough East, Betty Newton in Loughborough North and Max Hunt in Loughborough North West winning for Labour.
Mr Sharp narrowly lost out on retaining the Loughborough South seat, with Tory Ted Parton securing 1,329 votes to Sharp’s 1,107.
Mr Sharp told the Echo: “I am very disappointed. I have worked very hard for the Loughborough South ward but it just wasn’t to be.
“Overall, it’s not been a good day for Labour. To go down to six councillors across Leicestershire is very disappointing.
“It’s just a bad time for Labour at the moment. Unfortunately, it was mostly national issues that were talked about on the doorsteps so it was hard to speak about local issues.
“We thought we would keep three, and if it was very bad maybe go down to two.
“But we thought we would hold three and that’s what happened in the end.
“All six Labour councillors that have been elected to the county council are excellent candidates and will really work hard.
“They will provide a Labour voice on the council which is really important; we can’t have a one party council.”
Coun Ted Parton gave an emotional speech following the announcement of his victory, telling the assembled crowd at Loughborough Leisure Centre: “I’d like to dedicate what’s happened today to a group of people whose voices are not heard very often at all.
“To all those people who suffer a major disability or a psychiatric illness who feel they can do nothing in life, I have a very simple message for you because today one of your people, who has, like you, a psychiatric illness, has proved to you all that you can do things in life.
“Because one of your fellow sufferers has today become a county councillor. “You matter.” Coun Jonathan Morgan thanked wife Nicky, Loughborough’s Member of Parliament, after being elected to represent Loughborough South West on the county council.
He told the Echo: “I’m really chuffed. I have always been so proud to represent residents and I now represent even more.
“I look forward to continuing to representing them the best I can.”
When asked if he would ever consider following in wife Nicky Morgan’s footsteps and running as an MP, he said: “No. I’ve seen what it looks like and it’s extraordinary hard work. One in this household is enough!”