It's a few weeks now since the local elections and time to reflect. I blogged previously on the fate of the Lib Dems in those elections and mentioned new councillors who won seats on 5 May. Now seems a good time to look at those who were not successful in their election bid in 2011.
Barnabas Shelbourne was up for election in Byfleet. He was only elected back in 2010 but took his seat in a by-election, where the previous councillor had only one more year left to run. Barnabas is a youth worker and brought his expertise in this area to the Council. He had a fresh and enthusiastic approach and it is sad that he lost the seat. Barnabas was also a great support to the other Lib Dem councillor in Byfleet, Anne Roberts. Anne works tirelessly for her area and is well known there. Having Barnabas to work alongside Anne meant the team could do so much more for Byfleet. Campaigning to save Byfleet Libary was one example of the team in action. Barnabas' contribtion included an excellent letter in the News and Mail in praise of this local facility. As a father with a young son Barnabas also played a key part in raising concerns about the way in which extra spaces were to be provided at the local primary school.
Philip Goldenberg, a past councillor with a long political history, was standing in Goldsworth East. Philip is a formidable political operator and the Conservative party clearly feared his return to the council chamber. A large part of a leaflet was devoted to personal attacks. Against this sort of campaign and a slight upturn in the Labour vote Philip was not elected.
In Knaphill Lisa Harding put up an amazing fight. Despite being a first time candidate Lisa did an incredible job, whether working hard on the ground talking to residents and delivering literature or gaining publicity in both the local papers and the online world. Lisa was a fantastic candidate. Her background, growing up in East London, and her work for a national charity, mean she has both an empathy with people at all levels and a wider social conscience. Lisa fell victim to the double whammy of a surge in the Conservative vote and a well known local councillor. There was no more Lisa and her team could have done. It is a real pity that she is not a part of our council group. We are however using her many skills as secretary to the Lib Dem group. She is already scaring us with a new level of organisation not seen for some time in the group.
The Maybury and Sheerwater seat was a three cornered fight with the Conservatives just ahead of Labour and Lib Dem Ajmal Latif running close behind. Ajmal is a keen and energetic young man who put a lot into his campaign. He is welll known across the area and I hope he will be back to try his hand again in future.
Mark Hanley in Horsell West was late into the fray of candidature but he did all that was asked of him and put up a creditable fight in Horsell. Again the vote was affected by both the wider increase in Conservative vote and a well known councillor.
Over in Horsell East the Sanderson dynasty continued with James Sanderson (son of former Horsell West councillor Richard) taking up the Lib Dem mantle. James has past council experience having held a seat in Tower Hamlets when he lived in London. Horsell East tends to be a seat where the votes could almost be weighed rather than counted for the Tories and this year was no different.
A similar situation exists in West Byfleet where Bill Woolf worked very hard over many months but the Conservative majority inevitablty prevailed and in Pyrford where a veteran candidate Andy Grimshaw flew the Lib Dem flag. Past Lib Dem councillor Diana Landon ran again in St Johns and Hook Heath and made a creditable showing.
Sunday 22 May 2011
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Conservative Domination
I am increasingly of the view that Conservatives would love to have single party rule. They have a huge majority on Surrey County Council and use it to every advantage. The voice of Surrey residents is ignored at every turn.
Three recent events are indicative of a total rejection of public views and use of a majority to ignore others:
- Surrey Conservatives rejected a petition of over 26,000 Surrey residents who objected to being charged to park near local shops. Those at the annual meeting of the county council, where the petition was barely discussed. report that Tory county councillors spent much time in electing themselves to positions and committees and self congratulation but little time on the parking petition.
- Byfleet Library is planned for closure and replacement by a "Big Society" initiative. Byfleet residents have objected and been ignored. They have pointed out that the library was closed during some of the period in which usage was measured. Pleas for a "recount" have been ignored.
- Woking currently has equal numbers of Conservative and Lib Dem county councillors. County councillors for each areas sit on a Local Committee. Despite the current equal share of seats (subject to a by-election) the Tories refused to support Lib Dems for either chair or vice-chair of this committee.
Three recent events are indicative of a total rejection of public views and use of a majority to ignore others:
- Surrey Conservatives rejected a petition of over 26,000 Surrey residents who objected to being charged to park near local shops. Those at the annual meeting of the county council, where the petition was barely discussed. report that Tory county councillors spent much time in electing themselves to positions and committees and self congratulation but little time on the parking petition.
- Byfleet Library is planned for closure and replacement by a "Big Society" initiative. Byfleet residents have objected and been ignored. They have pointed out that the library was closed during some of the period in which usage was measured. Pleas for a "recount" have been ignored.
- Woking currently has equal numbers of Conservative and Lib Dem county councillors. County councillors for each areas sit on a Local Committee. Despite the current equal share of seats (subject to a by-election) the Tories refused to support Lib Dems for either chair or vice-chair of this committee.
Looking back on local elections
Local elections are over for another year (although if you live in the St Johns, Brookwood or Hermitage and Knaphill South areas of Woking you have a county by-election on the 19 May).
Results for the Liberal Democrats across the country were not great (understatement alert). Losses to Labour in the North of England had been anticipated. Few people predicted the rise in both Conservative and Labour vote in the South.
So what happened in Woking?
It was a bad night for Labour. Milliband's men had hoped to get at least one seat on Woking Council after several years absence. They failed. In Maybury and Sheerwater they came close. In other seats with a traditional Labour vote they finished in third place, behind both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.
The Conservatives had a good night. They held all but one of their seats and gained seats from the Lib Dems in Byfleet and Goldsworth Park. Pyrford went back to the Conservatives having been held by an Independent, orginally elected as a Conservative, since 2008. They moved to second place in Old Woking. Woking Council now has a Conservative majority. Conservative Leader Kingsbury said at the count that Woking Conservatives would now be able to do what they wanted to do. No change there then.
UKIP appeared to have high hopes and targetted Old Woking in particular. They made little impact, taking last place in Old Woking. I was surprised to see that Labour got a higher vote share than UKIP all but one of Woking's wards for the first time in several years. In that one ward UKIP and Labour tied for vote share.
And so to the Lib Dems. Well we lost two seats but we gained one seat - Kingfield and Westfield - from the Conservatives. Will Forster gained this seat against campaigns from the Tories, Labour, UKIP and a small independent party. In Old Woking another new councillor Louise Morales held off a three party challenge to hold the seat for the Lib Dems. Over in Goldsworth Park Amanda Coulson was elected in a by-election. We held our own in Maybury and Sheerwater in another three way fight. Overall Woking Lib Dems are down one seat. A performance comparable with councils we run in the South East such as Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
Results for the Liberal Democrats across the country were not great (understatement alert). Losses to Labour in the North of England had been anticipated. Few people predicted the rise in both Conservative and Labour vote in the South.
So what happened in Woking?
It was a bad night for Labour. Milliband's men had hoped to get at least one seat on Woking Council after several years absence. They failed. In Maybury and Sheerwater they came close. In other seats with a traditional Labour vote they finished in third place, behind both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.
The Conservatives had a good night. They held all but one of their seats and gained seats from the Lib Dems in Byfleet and Goldsworth Park. Pyrford went back to the Conservatives having been held by an Independent, orginally elected as a Conservative, since 2008. They moved to second place in Old Woking. Woking Council now has a Conservative majority. Conservative Leader Kingsbury said at the count that Woking Conservatives would now be able to do what they wanted to do. No change there then.
UKIP appeared to have high hopes and targetted Old Woking in particular. They made little impact, taking last place in Old Woking. I was surprised to see that Labour got a higher vote share than UKIP all but one of Woking's wards for the first time in several years. In that one ward UKIP and Labour tied for vote share.
And so to the Lib Dems. Well we lost two seats but we gained one seat - Kingfield and Westfield - from the Conservatives. Will Forster gained this seat against campaigns from the Tories, Labour, UKIP and a small independent party. In Old Woking another new councillor Louise Morales held off a three party challenge to hold the seat for the Lib Dems. Over in Goldsworth Park Amanda Coulson was elected in a by-election. We held our own in Maybury and Sheerwater in another three way fight. Overall Woking Lib Dems are down one seat. A performance comparable with councils we run in the South East such as Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
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