LABOUR seized back control of Warrington Borough Council today after five years of a Lib-Dem Tory coalition, making a total of six gains – all from the Lib Dems.
The margin of victory delighted Labour leader Terry O’Neill as the six gains gives his group a “workable majority.”
The Lib Dem vote collapsed across Warrington but they managed to hold off strong challenges from the Conservatives in Lymm, Stockton Heath and Appleton but with greatly reduced majorities.
The Conservatives successfully held on to Culcheth. The Labour gains came at Bewsey and Whitecross, Great Sankey North and Great sankey South, Latchford West, Poulton North and Whittle Hall.
A total of 67 candidates contested 20 seats, with Labour and the Conservatives fighting all 20 seats and the Liberal Democrats 18. In addition there were five Green Party candidates, three UK Independence Party and one British National Party.
One of the big casualties of the night was Liberal Democrat deputy mayor, Cllr Ted Finnegan (pictured right) at Latchford West.
Meanwhile voters also had the opportunity of voting in the national referendum on an alternative voting system with the result being announced later today.
Top picture shows Labour members celebrating their six gains led by Faisal Rashid who won at Whittle Hall.
A worried Roy Smith fears the worst as he loses Great Sankey North to Labour.
Labour’s Paul Bretherton had no need to look so worried after holding Rixton & Woolston.
Video interview with victorious Labour Leader Terry O’Neill.
Lib-Dem leader Ian Marks reflects on a bad night for his party
Results:
Appleton:
Paul Carter (Lab);655
Phil Marshall (Cons); 1745
Peter Walker (Lib Dem). 1861
Bewsey and Whitecross:
Jonathan Levy (Cons); 230
Steve Parish (Lab);1576
Mike Philips (BNP);115
*Bob Timmis (Lib Dem).450
Birchwood:
*Chris Fitzsimmons (Lab);1789
Christine Oliver (Lib Dem);310
Judith Wise (Cons).1105
Burtonwood and Winwick:
Frank Allen (Cons); 656
*John Joyce (Lab).1406
Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft:
*Sue Bland (Cons); 1958
Merril Cummerson (Lib Dem);468
Chris Vobe (Lab).1598
Fairfield and Howley:
Sandra Bradshaw (Lib Dem);215
*Tony Higgins (Lab);1178
Ileyne Hutchinson (Cons); 429
Lyndsay McAteer (Green). 195
Grappenhall and Thelwall:
*Mike Biggin (Lib Dem);1543
Roger Cawthorne (Cons);990
Helen Dutton (Lab); 833
Richard Vaughan (UKIP).194
Great Sankey North:
Stephanie Davies (Green); 114
David McNeilage (Cons); 345
Dan Price (Lab);858
*Roy Smith (Lib Dem).807
Great Sankey South:
Sam Baxter (Cons);633
Jean Carter (Lab); 1629
Jim Regan (Lib Dem).848
Latchford East:
*Hans Mundry (Lab);1471
Tim Price (Lib Dem); 165
Lance Reah (Cons).272
Latchford West:
*Ted Finnegan (Lib Dem); 857
Matthew Harris (Cons);229
Maureen McLaughlin (Lab);971
Mike Smith (Green). 106
Lymm:
James Ashington (UKIP); 291
*Ian Marks (Lib Dem);1624
Harish Sharma (Cons);1505
Su Williams (Lab).1207
Orford:
Edgar Davies (Lib Dem);139
*Kate Hannon (Lab); 1879
Brian Lambert (Cons).364
Penketh and Cuerdley:
*Linda Dirir (Lab);1842
Peter Elton (Cons). 1221
Poplars and Hulme:
Bob Haskew-Jones (Lib Dem);182
John Leslie (Cons);353
*Steve Roberts (Lab).1694
Poulton North:
Mark Chapman (Cons);426
Graham Friend (Lab);1442
*Colin Oliver (Lib Dem).1204
Rixton and Woolston:
Nigel Balding (Cons);906
*Paul Bretherton (Lab);1611
Diana Grylls (Lib Dem);150
Ross Lloyd (Green). 188
Stockton Heath:
*Celia Jordan (Lib Dem);817
Laurence Murphy (Lab);617
Stephen Taylor (Cons); 755
Kenneth Wilson (Green). 123
Westbrook:
Derek Clark (UKIP);113
Jan Davidson (Lab);792
Stefan Krizanac (Lib Dem);515
Robert MacLaren (Cons).480
Whittle Hall:
Stephen Bradley (Cons);802
Faisal Rashid (Lab); 1285
*Judith Wheeler (Lib Dem).1021
*Denotes sitting councillor.
16 Comments
Midnight +1….. nothing yet
5am. Still nowt!
Wait a minute! It’s on the BBC website. LibDem lose 6 seats to Labour. Labour gain overall control with 34 out of 57 seats.
Sorry Inky – had to do too many things at the same time and the results came in very late!!!
Why Sankey South elected a labour Candidate that lives in Appleton is beyon me.
that will be 2 Lab councillors you will not see on the ward
You had lots more to type getting the full results up there. I only had to dash off the result!
The electorate appear to have spoken loud and clear in Sankey South, Jim – since your “non-local” Labour opponent polled almost double your own vote. I assume you’ll be changing your screen name first thing in the morning????
Hmmm I wonder why ConDem have been wiped off in Warrington. The last year should answer that! MInd you Labour isn’t any better as they closed down a thriving and successful school i.e. Woolston High. You’re all too busy buying duck houses to care about community needs!
Could be a good thing or a bad thing. It will certainly wipe the complacent smirks off the face of the Lib-Dems.
Perhaps we can now get back to looking after the Communities of ALL ages by working with those Communities instead of closing everything down to save a few pence.
It was the ConDems that closed Woolston High
That sounds like a sore loser!
I stand corrected :o) Thanks swede.
One bright spot amongst the gloom, Helen Jones' son and heir failed to dislodge Sue Bland from Culcheth & Croft.
She will be looking for a safer seat for him next time round
Correction – David McNeilage received 345 votes in Great Sankey North, not 343.
“Councillor Jim Regan”…anyone can shove out template leaflets with standard stories of LibDem councillors pointing at dog foul on pavements, pointing at potholes, etc. The LibDems ran the Town Hall for the last 5 years so why didn’t you and your mates do something about it? I want someone who will actually do a decent job and stand up for us. Cllr Liz Smith (LibDem councillor for Sankey South) and Cllr Mike Biggin (LibDem councillor for Grappenhall) were both on the Executive Board and they refused to vote against libraries in their own wards being closed. That surely says it all! Twice you have stood for re-election in Sankey South and twice you have LOST… maybe you should get the hint.
instead of looking at the national picture you should look at what has been done on a local level. These were LOCAl Elections
Also give your correct name