Labour loses out after dead heat lottery draw

Labour's slender four-member presence on Kennet District Council was all but wiped out in last Thursday's local council elections.

The only remaining Labour councillor is Margaret Taylor who held on to her east ward seat, polling 498 to take the second of three seats behind Devizes Guardian Tony Duck with 658.

But her husband Ray failed to keep his seat after getting exactly the same number of votes as Conservative Ray Parsons.

The two men had each polled 433 votes for the second of two seats on the south ward and after three recounts nothing could separate them.

Returning officer Mark Boden was forced to consult the election rule book and set up the lottery. He wrote the candidates' names on separate sheets of paper, placed them in a tray and, while Kennet's director of resources Frank Marshall held it aloft, Mr Boden drew one of them out.

Mr Parsons' name came out and Mr Boden declared him the winner.

Mr Taylor accepted the defeat with good grace. He said: "That's the way things go. I wish Mr Parsons all the best. I am disappointed, though, after all the work I have done on Kennet in the last few years. I thought I could have polled a few more votes."

Mr Parsons, who married his long-time friend, Rita Ackland, the previous Saturday, was upset that the lottery had to take place. He said: "This is not the way I wanted to win."

The two men, who have been friends and colleagues on Devizes Town Council despite their political differences, shook hands after the result was announced.

It was a night of surprises for others too. Two prominent Tory district councillors, David Parker at Marlborough East, and John Cooke at Pewsey, failed to be returned. Mr Parker is a former chairman of Kennet District Council and, until the election, Mr Cooke had been chairman of the influential regulatory committee, which rules on planning applications.

Another Tory councillor not to be returned by her electorate was Judith Triggs at Roundway. Although the ward had been increased from one seat to two, neither of them went to Mrs Triggs. They were both taken by Liberal Democrat parish councillors, Geoff Brewer and Katherine Callow, who had canvassed hard in the large and sprawling ward, visiting, they claimed, around 90 per cent of households.

In Devizes South, another Tory, Charles Winchcombe, suffered the indignity of losing his seat, the second time it has happened to him, although he saw his wife Paula returned to her north ward seat.

Of the three major political parties, the Liberal Democrats made the most headway on Thursday. Their lone representative, Bill Cavill, now has two colleagues with whom to confer.

Labour however, lost out badly. Before the election they had four members, all from Devizes. Ian Hopkins was not standing for re-election, but his colleagues Jim Thorpe and Ray Taylor lost their seats.

Colin Hopgood, Susan Buxton, Tim Price and Judy Coom also failed to get elected.

In Ramsbury, popular Independent candidate Susan Findlay topped the poll to return to Kennet with 694.

In neighbouring Aldbourne, Kennet council leader Chris Humphries fought off a challenge from Liberal Democrat Peggy Dow and Labour's Frank Jeffrey to retain his seat.

Independent challenge sweeps the board

INDEPENDENT candidates claimed disillusion with national politics worked in their favour to bring them success in district and town council elections last Thursday.

In Devizes, all five candidates put up by the Devizes Guardians, a group set up in the wake of the felling of five trees in the Market Place, were voted in.

Coun Tony Duck, who took the seat on Kennet District Council left vacant by the death of Coun Dick Breach last year, topped the poll in the Devizes east ward, while environmental consultant Nigel Carter took one of the two seats on the north ward. Another Guardian, Jeff Ody, topped the poll in the south ward, meaning there will be three Guardians on Kennet for the next four years.

Mr Carter said: "We have to acknowledge there is an element of protest vote in the support we have had. The question of the future of the hospital has been paramount in the issues expressed by the people we have talked to, with transport coming a close second."

In Marlborough Nick Fogg romped home in the contest for the Marlborough West ward. His group, Marlborough First, was set up just two weeks before the election to press the town's needs.

Mr Fogg said: "There is a reaction against the politicisation of local councils, which leads to a fall in the standard of people coming forward. They are selected for their political correctness rather than ability."

In Pewsey, long-standing councillor John Cooke was ousted in favour of parish councillor Anne Hayhoe, who has been active in many aspects of community activities, but particularly on health issues.

She said: "People in Pewsey want to keep politics out of local government and they are looking for a change. That worked very much in my favour. I want to thank everyone who voted for me. I went to every house in the village and met some lovely people."

Ex-mayor makes a storming return

THE results of the Marlborough Town Council elections last Thursday were predictable with no surprises.

All the existing members of the council seeking re-election won.

It was a particularly nail-biting time for Coun Bill Cavill because he is the mayor elect and due to take office at the annual mayor making ceremony on Monday at the town hall.

He was selected as mayor by the retiring council but would not have been able to take office if he had not been re-elected to his east ward seat.

Coun Peggy Dow won the highest number of votes in the east ward with 551, with Coun Marian Hannaford runner-up with 527 and Coun Cavill polling 517.

There were nine candidates for the eight east ward seats and the unsuccessful candidate was Labour's Brian McClintock.

New town council faces in the east ward include Conservative David Parker, who lost his district council seat, Independent Richard Allen, Peter Cossey, who described himself as retired, and Conservative George Worby.

In the west ward, former mayor Nick Fogg topped the poll of nine candidates for eight seats with a massive 885 votes. The runner-up was Merchant's House custodian Michael Gray with 722 votes.

Mr Fogg and Mr Gray stood for a new group calling itself Marlborough First. Its only other candidate, mother-of-two Kate Twisk, polled the lowest number of votes in the west ward and was not elected.

Caroline Jackson from Manton was the only Liberal Democrat gain in the Marlborough town council elections. She polled 641 votes to give her group five of the council's 16 seats compared to the eight seats the party held under the previous administration.

The political makeup of the new council will be: Conservatives, six; Liberal Democrats, five; Marlborough First, two; Independents, two; retired, one.

RESULTS: Elected (* denotes councillor seeking re-election):

East Ward: Peggy Dow (LibDem)* 551, Marian Hannaford (Con)* 527, Bill Cavill (LibDem)* 517, David Parker (Con) 483, Graham Francis (LibDem)* 475, George Worby (Con) 395, Richard Allen (Ind) 387, Peter Cossey (retired) 374. Not elected: Brian McClintock (Lab) 317.

West Ward: Nick Fogg (Marlborough First) 885, Michael Gray (Marlborough First) 722, Stewart Dobson* (Ind) 659, Caroline Jackson (LibDem) 641, Maurice Cooper* (Con) 629, Mel Curtis (Con) 605, Hilary Cripps * (Con) 598, Bryan Castle* (LibDem) 580. Notelected: Kate Twisk (Marlborough First) 550.

There was a 38 per cent turn out in the east ward and 46 per cent in the west ward.

New faces help break the Labour majority

THE Labour Party has lost the overall majority it has held on Devizes Town Council for the last eight years, mainly because of the retirement of many of its stalwart councillors.

Former mayor Tim Price was the only Labour councillor who failed to retain his seat, though well known faces representing other parties will take their places in the council chamber next week.

Among Labour councillors who did not seek re-election were Ian Hopkins, Peter Cousins, Adrian Mills and Theo Williams.

There will be a welcome return for former mayor, milkman Colin Hopgood, who won a seat in the east ward. For the Conservatives, former Army officer and stalwart of the Wharf Theatre, John Leighton, will represent the north ward together with Devizes Guardians candidate Major Wreck Peter Smith.

Another returnee is antiques dealer Judy Coom, who stood down from the town council in the 1998 elections. She will represent the south ward.

Although they lost their Kennet district seats, Coun Ray Taylor and Coun Charles Winchcombe have been voted back on to the town council.

Also back is mayor elect Paula Winchcombe, who will now almost certainly become the town mayor later this month.

Mrs Winchcombe, Conservative, was disappointed by the turnout in the election, which varied from 21 per cent in some district council wards like Tidworth, to a high of 51.8 per cent in Seend where former Tory town councillor Thelma Carr unseated Liberal Democrat Ralph Elia.

Mrs Winchcombe blamed saturation coverage of national politics in the media.

Present mayor Coun Catherine Brown, was pleased with the line-up of the new council.

She said: "You need new faces and fresh blood in a council to keep it vibrant and healthy."

Those elected to Devizes Town Council were: Jane Burton, Guardians, 642; Ray Parsons, Con, 621; Margaret Taylor, Lab, 582; Ray Taylor, Lab, 560; Charles Winchcombe, Con, 553; Julian Beinhorn, Con, 516; Peter Evans, Con, 502; Peter Smith, Guardians, 473; Colin Hopgood, Lab, 469; Noel Woolrych, Lab, 460; Catherine Brown, Lab, 435; Paula Winchcombe, Con, 411; Carol Brewer, Lib Dem, 402; Judy Coom, Lab, 370; John Leighton, Con, 364; Don Jones, Lib Dem, 350; Katherine Welling, Lib Dem, 347.