2019 Fenland District Council election

2019 Fenland District Council election
← 2015 2 May 2019 (2019-05-02) 2023 →
All 39 seats to Fenland District Council
20 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Party Conservative Independent
Last election 34 seats, 59.9% 3 seats, 11.0%
Seats won 26 10
Seat change Decrease 8 Increase 7
Popular vote 12,972 5,140
Percentage 54.2% 21.5%
Swing Decrease 5.7% Increase 10.5%
  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Party Liberal Democrats Green
Last election 2 seats, 5.6% 0 seats, 4.7%
Seats won 2 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1
Popular vote 2,662 1,618
Percentage 11.1% 6.8%
Swing Increase 5.5% Increase 2.1%
Winner of each seat at the 2019 Fenland District Council election
Council control before election


Conservative

Council control after election


Conservative

The 2019 Fenland District Council election took place on 2 May 2019 for all 39 seats of the Fenland District Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.

In these elections, twelve councillors were returned unopposed, with Fenland District Council topping the Electoral Reform Society's list of 'rotten boroughs'.[1]

Summary

Background

In recent months a number of prominent Tories had failed to win selection for wards they had held in many instances for several years. Some of these stood as independent candidates. Nick Meekins standing as an independent took David Oliver's seat. Cllr Michelle Tanfield retained her Elm and Christchurch seat along with Will Sutton as independents.[2]

UKIP did not put up any candidates this election - former UKIP county councillor for Wisbech North ward (2013-2017), Paul Clapp said he felt he could "achieve more outside of the political system than in it". The local Green Party said it had "pushed hard" to field more candidates, but found "limited interest". The Labour candidate Martin Field (March East ward), felt uncontested seats were "bad for democracy". Labour had not a candidate standing in every seat in Fenland since 1995. Liberal Democrat candidate (Parson Drove & Wisbech St Mary), Gavin Booth said: "The state of national politics now puts people off and this has caused a lot of apathy for local politics, which is a shame."

Two Independent councillors Virginia and Michael Bucknor stepped down, after 12 years in local politics, due to Mrs Bucknor's ill health.[3] A former conservative councillor Andy Maul took one of the two seats they were vacating. A number of former Tory councillors standing as independents gained seats across the district, collectively they are forming the largest opposition for many years.[4]

Election result

2019 Fenland District Council election[5]
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 39 26 0 8 Decrease 8 66.6 50.1 12,646 –9.8
  Independent 15 10 7 0 Increase 7 25.6 20.4 5,140 +9.4
  Liberal Democrats 5 2 1 1 Steady 5.1 10.5 2,662 +4.9
  Green 5 1 1 0 Increase 1 2.7 12.8 3,236 +8.1
  Labour 5 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 6.5 1,554 –4.6

Ward results

12 seats were uncontested.[6] (* denotes sitting councillor)

Bassenhally (Whittlesey)

Bassenhally (2 seats)[7][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Boden* Unopposed N/A N/A
Conservative Kay Mayor* Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Benwick, Coates and Eastrea

Benwick, Coates and Eastrea (2 seats)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alex Miscandlon* 395 39.7
Independent Bob Wicks 381 38.3 N/A
Conservative Graham Costello 372 37.4
Independent Maria Goldspink 291 29.3 N/A
Independent Stephen Goldspink 274 27.6 N/A
Turnout 994 28.71
Conservative hold Swing
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Birch (Chatteris)

Birch [9][6](1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Benney Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Clarkson (Wisbech)

Clarkson [10][6](1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Lynn Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Doddington and Wimblington

Doddington and Wimblington [11][12](2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Connor* Unopposed N/A ±0.0
Conservative Maureen Davis* Unopposed N/A ±0.0
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Elm and Christchurch

Elm and Christchurch (2 seats)[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Will Sutton* 451 46.3
Independent Michelle Tanfield* 444 45.5
Conservative Phil Webb 291 29.8
Conservative Pete Wheeler 282 28.9
Green Victoria Bunting 213 21.8
Turnout 975 26.25
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Kirkgate (Wisbech)

Kirkgate (1 seat)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Patrick 230 56.2 N/A
Conservative Garry Tibbs* 179 43.8 −10.1
Turnout 22.44
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Lattersey (Whittlesey)

Lattersey (1 seat)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Bristow 407 66.3 +66.3
Labour Jes Hibbert 207 33.7 N/A
Turnout 29.28
Conservative hold Swing

Manea

Manea (1 seat)[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Charlie Marks 404 54.2 N/A
Conservative Emma Kujat 258 34.6 −32.9
Green Robert White 84 11.3 N/A
Turnout 37.55
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

March East

March East (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Clark* 581 38.6
Conservative Mark Purser 520 34.6
Independent Fred Yeulett* 514 34.2
Independent Andrew Pugh* 485 32.2
Conservative Raymond Jack 483 32.1
Green Andrew Crawford 408 27.1 N/A
Labour Martin Field 403 26.8
Labour Katharine Bultitude 400 26.6
Turnout 1,505 25.72
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

March North

March North (3 seats)[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Mike Cornwell* 524 42.9
Conservative Steve Count* 471 38.6
Conservative Kim French 449 36.8
Green Ruth Johnson 389 31.9
Conservative Peter Thompson 379 31.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Court* 365 29.9
Liberal Democrats Silke Ibbotson 295 24.2
Turnout 1,221 22.27
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

March West

March West (3 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rob Skoulding* 1,008 64.8
Conservative Jan French 847 54.5
Green Simon Wilkes [20] 524 33.7
Conservative Kit Owen* 510 32.8
Labour Matthew Routledge 369 23.7
Turnout 1,555 27.47
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Green gain from Independent Swing

Medworth (Wisbech)

Medworth[21][6] (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steven Tierney* Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Octavia Hill (Wisbech)

Octavia Hill (2 seats)[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samantha Hoy* [23] 639 64.0
Conservative Susan Wallwork 487 48.8
Independent Peter Freeman 420 42.1 N/A
Labour Clayton Payne 175 17.5
Turnout 998 24.58
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary

Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary (2 seats)[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gavin Booth* 815 70.1
Liberal Democrats Sarah Bligh* 722 62.1
Conservative Rita Drinkwater 350 30.1
Conservative Dean Rogers 268 23.0
Turnout 1,163 29.20
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Peckover (Wisbech)

Peckover (1 seat)[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Nick Meekins [26] 292 57.3 +18.3
Conservative David Oliver* 218 42.7 −18.3
Turnout 28.19
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Nick Meekins rejoined the Conservatives in 2021.[27]

Roman Bank

Roman Bank (3 seats)[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samantha Clark* 927 65.7
Conservative Michael Humphrey* 859 60.8
Conservative Chris Seaton* 794 56.2
Liberal Democrats Diane Cutler 465 32.9 N/A
Turnout 1,412 27.48
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Slade Lode (Chatteris)

Slade Lode (1 seat)[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Daniel Divine 248 60.0 N/A
Conservative Florence Newell* 165 40.0 +40.0
Turnout 20.57
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

St Andrews (Whittlesey)

St Andrews [30][6](1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Mason* Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Staithe (Wisbech)

Staithe [31][6](1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Topgood Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Stonald (Whittlesey)

Stonald (1 seat)[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Denise Laws* Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

The Mills (Chatteris)

The Mills (1 seat)[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anne Hay Unopposed N/A ±0.0
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

Waterlees Village (Wisbech)

Waterlees Village (2 seats)[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Billy Rackley 449 51.4
Independent Andy Maul 440 50.4 N/A
Conservative Aigars Balsevics [35] 384 44.0
Independent Ray Pearson 266 30.5 N/A
Turnout 873 22.42
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Independent gain from Independent Swing

Wenneye (Chatteris)

Wenneye (1 seat)[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Murphy* Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Cambs Times". www.cambstimes.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Fenland elections". www.cambstimes.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Uncontested". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Independents draw first blood". www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Local election". Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Election results" (PDF). fenland.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Bassenhally" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  8. ^ "Benwick" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  9. ^ "Birch" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  10. ^ "Clarkson" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  11. ^ "Doddington" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  12. ^ Declaration of Result Uncontested Fenland District Council Wards
  13. ^ "Elm" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  14. ^ "Kirkgate" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  15. ^ "Lattersey" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  16. ^ "Manea" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  17. ^ "March East" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  18. ^ "March North" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  19. ^ "March West" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  20. ^ "Simon Wilkes". www.greenparty.org.uk.
  21. ^ "Medworth" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  22. ^ "Octavia Hill" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  23. ^ "Samantha Hoy". www.issuu.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Parson Drove" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  25. ^ "Peckover" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  26. ^ "Nick Meekins". www.wisbechstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Former Mayor". www.wisbechstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  28. ^ "Roman Bank" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  29. ^ "Slade Lode" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  30. ^ "St Andrews" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  31. ^ "Staithe" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  32. ^ "Stonald" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  33. ^ "The Mills" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  34. ^ "Waterlees Village" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.
  35. ^ "Mayor banned". www.lincolnshirelive.go.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  36. ^ "Wenneye" (PDF). www.fenland.gov.uk.