The Sentinel

Lots to talk about after the elections

The elections in Newcastle ended with the Conservati­ves retaining control of the borough council with an increased majority. Voters elected 25 Tory councillor­s, while Labour only managed to win 19 seats. assesses some of the most interestin­g results...

- Phil Corrigan

CLOSEST RESULT POSSIBLE IN CRACKLEY & RED STREET

If you’ve ever wanted proof that ‘every vote counts’ in elections, look no further than Crackley & Red Street, which went down to the wire.

Two seats were up for grabs in the ward, with Labour’s Joel Edgingtonp­lunkett winning the first after receiving 549 votes.

But it was a dead heat between Conservati­ve Lilian Barker and Labour’s Claire Radford for second place, with both candidates getting 470 votes.

After recounts failed to give either woman the edge, returning officer Martin Hamilton announced that the election would be decided by the drawing of lots.

Two pieces of paper with the candidates’ names were put into a box, and Mr Hamilton randomly picked one out. Lilian Barker’s name was picked out, and she was declared the winner.

MAYOR LOSES SEAT

While being Mayor of Newcastle makes you the official ‘first citizen’ of the borough, it doesn’t protect you from losing your seat in an election – and that is exactly what happened to Ken Owen.

Mr Owen won his Holditch and Chesterton seat as an independen­t in a 2019 by-election, and was chosen to serve as borough mayor in 2020/21 – he joined the Conservati­ve Group last year.

But it was always going to be a challenge for Mr Owen to retain the seat, and he lost comfortabl­y to Labour’s Sue Beeston.

Mr Owen’s year-long term as mayor was due to end anyway on May 18, when a new mayor will be elected.

LIB DEMS WIPED OUT

While the Lib Dems have seen their vote in most parts of North Staffordsh­ire all but disappear over the past decade – largely due to the backlash to the party following the 2010 to 2015 coalition government – they still won three seats in Newcastle in 2018.

This was reduced to two after Audley councillor Ian Wilkes joined the Conservati­ves. And now it has been reduced to zero.

Lib Dem stalwarts Marion Reddish and June Walklate, who had held their Thistleber­ry seats for years, were not selected to contest the ward this time round. The selected Lib Dem candidates Nigel and Hilary Jones were unable to retain the seats, which were gained by the Conservati­ves Robert Bettley-smith and Joan Whieldon.

KIDSGROVE GOES BLUE...

Another impressive win for the Tories came in Kidsgrove & Ravensclif­fe, where their candidates won all three seats – one more than in 2018.

The Conservati­ve vote is continuing to grow across Kidsgrove – at Labour’s expense.

The party retained both its seats in Newchapel and Mow Cop, while making inroads into Labour’s majorities in Talke & Butt Lane. Elsewhere in the borough, the Tories also gained a seat in Silverdale, another former Labour stronghold.

...WHILE BRADWELL GOES RED

But it was better news for Labour in Bradwell, where the party won all three seats, one more than in 2018. Labour also picked up an extra seat in neighbouri­ng Wolstanton.

But sadly for Labour, while the party’s vote share may have increased in other target wards, they didn’t do enough to secure the further gains they needed elsewhere to get a majority on the council.

NO WINS FOR STOP THE STINK

Three candidates from the Stop the Stink campaign against Walleys Quarry landfill site in Silverdale stood as candidates, in Silverdale, Knutton and Thistleber­ry, but none of them were able to get elected.

Tom Currie came the closest in Silverdale with 344 votes, 137 behind Conservati­ve Rupert Adcock. But the Stop the Stink members will feel that they still made their point, and ensured that Walleys Quarry remained a key election issue in those three wards and beyond.

 ?? Picture: Pete Stonier ?? COUNT: The elections at Keele Hall.
Picture: Pete Stonier COUNT: The elections at Keele Hall.
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