Conservatives retain majority but Liberal Democrats make gains in Tadley and Kingsclere
The Conservatives have retained overall control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council but with a reduced majority after they lost four seats in the election.
After today’s (Friday) count, the Tories have 29 of the 54 seats across the 18 wards, Labour remain on 10, the Liberal Democrats have increased from five to seven, and Basingstoke and Deane Independents (BDI) have increased from five to eight.
It was a particularly successful day for the Liberal Democrats in the northern wards, as Jo Slimin won the Tadley and Pamber seat from Conservative Derek Mellor, and Kerry Morrow beat Maria Higson – who had been put forward after Geoff Poland chose not to stand – in the Tadley North, Kingsclere and Baughurst ward.
Elsewhere, Bramley is now ruled by two BDI councillors and one Conservative after Tony Durrant – the chairman of Bramley Parish Council – beat Conservative Simon Mahaffey.
Conservative Sam Carr held on to his Evingar seat.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, Jo Slimin – who was previously on the borough council in 2002-2003 and 1994-1998 – said the Liberal Democrats would continue to work hard to make improvements each year.
She said: “We’ve gone back to where we were last year – we were the magnificent seven.
“It shows that there are people out there who are still supporting the Liberal Democrats and there are lots of things the Liberal Democrats want to do.
“The next step is to improve even more.
“We’ve got another election next year, and another the year after.
“If we can make small steps each time, I’m sure there are areas in Basingstoke that look promising for us.
“At one time we were the second party and we need to get back to that.
“One thing about Liberal Democrats is that they work hard all year round, they don’t stop, and we’ll carry on doing that.”
The Conservative leader of the council, Simon Bound, wasn’t too disheartened with the result.
He said: “What’s happened here is a mixed result – there’s no one clear message.
“We’re still in overall control of the council, people do want us to continue doing a great job as a Conservative administration.
“Labour lost a seat in Basingstoke, and we’ve lost seats in some more rural areas, so overall mixed but not a surprise in some respects with the national picture.”
On how today’s results correlated with his expectations ahead of the count, Mr Bound said: “Our results happened last year when we had the boundary change, so in some respects our expectations are sort of suspended because this is the first time we’ve done thirds on the new boundaries.
“In some respects it does follow what was expected, because last year there was a significant vaccine and Brexit bounce.
“I’m quietly positive we’re in quite a strong position to carry on running the council.”
The election was held for the first time since last year’s boundary changes, when there was an all-out election for the new 54 seats across 18 wards.
The councillors who received the third highest number of votes were up for re-election, and those who have been elected today will now serve a four-year term.
For more reaction to the election, see NewburyToday and the Newbury Weekly News next week.
For the full results, see below:
Basing and Upton Grey (CON hold)
- Kate Tuck (CON) - 1947 - ELECTED
- Holly Samantha Hopgood (LAB) - 550
- Richard Lilleker (LD) - 435
- Anna-Marie Moynihan (HI) - 210
Bramley (BDI gain from CON):
- Tony Durrant (BDI) - 1330 - ELECTED
- Simon Mahaffey (CON) - 938
- Sarah Packman (ADF) - 175
Brighton Hill (LD hold):
- Andrea Bowes (LD) - 937 - ELECTED
- Olivia Phipps (LAB) - 561
- Poonam Gurang (CON) - 537
- Lucy Dean (HI) - 171
Brookvale and Kings Furlong (LAB hold):
- Michael Howard-Sorrell (LAB) - 1000 - ELECTED
- Kishor Patel (CON) - 806
- Francesca Maritan (LD) - 584
Chineham (CON hold):
- Jenny Vaux (CON) - 1263 - ELECTED
- Jonathan Jenkin (GRN) - 553
- David Bell (LAB) - 235
- Scott Lawrence (LD - 235
Eastrop and Grove (LD hold):
- John McKay (LD) - 1415 - ELECTED
- Effie Grant (CON) - 415
- Kieran Kerswell (LAB) - 336
- Priya Brown (WE) - 156
- Alexis Smith (HI) - 79
Evingar (CON hold):
- Samuel Carr (CON) - 1535 - ELECTED
- Pauleen Malone (LD) - 909
- Phil Heath (HI) - 329
Hatch Warren and Beggarwood (CON hold):
- Samir Kotecha (CON) - 741 - ELECTED
- Tom Cusack (LAB) - 461
- Stacy Hart (WE) - 410
- Julian Jones (BDI) - 360
- Marion Wolstencroft (LD) - 181
- Stephen Philpotts (GRN) - 155
- Spencer Cleary (HI) - 68
Kempshott and Buckskin (CON hold):
- Hayley Eachus (CON) - 1173 - ELECTED
- Kim Taylor (LAB) - 823
- Stavroulla O'Doherty (LD) - 260
- William Farrington (GRN) - 221
- David White (HI) - 117
Norden (BDI gain from LAB):
- Paul Basham (BDI) - 1020 - ELECTED
- Steve Rolfe (LAB) - 651
- Satya Sookhun (CON) - 315
- Jardine Barrington-Cook (LD) - 96
Tadley and Pamber (LD gain from CON):
- Jo Slimin (LD) - 1277 - ELECTED
- Derek Mellor (CON) - 1178
- Richard Musson (GRN) - 240
- Charlotte Bennett (HI) - 225
Tadley North, Kingsclere and Baughurst (LD gain from CON):
- Kerry Morrow (LD) - 1617 - ELECTED
- Maria Higson (CON) - 1497
Whitchurch, Overton and Laverstoke (BDI gain)
- Chloe Ashfield (BDI) - 2082 - ELECTED
- Stephen Williams (BDI) - 1734 - ELECTED
- Lucy Sloane (LD) - 700
- Linda Stepney (LD) - 674
- Johanna Perry (CON) - 609
- Michael Barham (LAB) - 324
