Lib Dems lose Devon and Cornwall

CORNWALL’S Liberal Democrats slumped to defeat in elections to the brand new supercouncil that will run all the county’s services.

Public anger at the abolition of the county’s six district councils translated into a swing away from the party at Thursday’s elections for the 123 seats on the new authority.

A big showing by Independent candidates alongside the Lib Dem rump denied the Conservatives overall control after votes were counted yesterday.

In South East Cornwall the parties were neck and neck, with nine Tories and seven Lib Dems. Independents, who did well throughout Cornwall, only managed one seat in the area.

Former Saltash Mayor Derek Holley, standing as an Independent, won 47 per cent of the vote in Pill ward.

Mebyon Kernow made advances in its homeland, taking Callington, Camborne South and St Enoder.

Green Party hopes of a breakthrough were dashed when they failed to claim a hoped-for seat in St Ives, where Tim Andrewes ran Conservative Joan Tanner a close second.

Plymouth’s Roger Creagh-Osborne, for the Greens, came a poor third behind the Conservative Olive Eggleston and Barbara McTaggart of the Lib Dems.

The new Cornish authority was born on April 1 this year, but was run by members of the old county council until this week’s elections.

Surveys last year showed that some 82 per cent of Cornish voters opposed the plan to do away with district councils and run the entire county through a unitary authority based in Truro.

Sheryll Murray, who will contest the South East Cornwall parliamentary seat for the Conservatives at the next General Election, welcomed the result.

“I’m absolutely delighted that four years ago we were down to one Conservative seat from South East Cornwall on the old county council and now we have nine.

“It shows that people do want to vote for change, and they are putting their faith in the Conservative Party to deliver more for less,” she said.

“People want responsible councillors who will deliver according to the available resources rather than empty promises.”

Mrs Murray, who was a county councillor for Rame until she lost her seat in 2005, welcomed the Conservative victory there by George Trubody. “It’s all looking good as a springboard for turning South East Cornwall blue at the next General Election.”

THE Conservatives stormed to power in Devon County Council, leaving the Liberal Democrats in tatters.

A comfortable nine-seat Liberal Democrat majority was swept away by a sea of blue.

The Conservatives took 41 of the 62 county divisions, leaving just 14 for the Liberal Democrats.

The Lib Dem hold on Tavistock was broken early in the day after county councillor Roy Connelly stood as an Independent. Alison Clish-Green, the Lib Dem candidate, was beaten into second place by the Conservative Debo Sellis.

Near Plymouth, the Conservatives also gained Yelverton Rural, with their candidate, Philip Sanders, taking over 39 per cent of the vote.

In Ivybridge, Lib Dem Keith Baldry failed to oust the Conservative Roger Croad, in an early sign that the Tories were on the march.

Labour – which clung on to Exeter – came fourth behind the Green Party in Ivybridge and its share of the vote plummeted across the county.

Totnes Greens won their first seat on the county council, when Paula Black narrowly ousted the Lib Dem Geoff Date.

John Hart, the Conservative group leader in the county, said: “I had expected us to be the largest party in the county, but I hadn’t expected the landslide we got.

“There is now no such thing as a safe parliamentary seat. I can foresee that the number of Conservative MPs coming out of Devon at the next General Election will increase dramatically.”

Mr Hart was hoping to be reconfirmed as party leader at a meeting this morning.

South East Cornwall results

Callington

Andrew Long (Mebyon Kernow) 777 54%

John McQuillan (Con) 387 27%

Sharon Davidson (Lib Dem) 262 18%

Turnout 39%

Gunnislake

Russell Bartlett (Con) 512 30%

Dorothy Kirk (Ind) 324 19%

Matthew Waterworth (Lib Dem) 323 19%

Sam Gardner (UKIP) 288 17%

Nigel Miles (Green) 209 12%

Shar Daw (Ind) 67 4%

Turnout 48%

Kelly Bray

Jim Flashman (Con) 669 43%

Vicki Good (Lib Dem) 407 26%

Robin Woods (UKIP) 343 22%

Glenn Renshaw (MK) 151 10%

Turnout 47%

Liskeard Central

Jay Schofield (Lib Dem) 674 55%

Mike Critchley (Con) 543 45%

Turnout 33%

Liskeard North

Jan Powell (Con) 284 47%

Roger Holmes (MK) 184 30%

Matthew McTaggart (Lib Dem) 137 23%

Turnout 43%

Liskeard South and Dobwalls

Mike George (Lib Dem) 832 57%

Sue James-Smith (Con) 510 35%

Alan Cook (BNP) 115 8%

Turnout 44%

Lostwithiel

Peter Shakerley (Con) 581 31%

Robert Peareth (Ind) 460 24%

Julie Tamblin (MK) 270 14%

Ken Robertson (Ind) 253 13%

Richard Binstead (UKIP) 167 9%

Deborah Earl (Lib Dem) 159 8%

Turnout 49%

Looe East

Armand Toms (Con) 930 69%

Jeff Hill (UKIP) 152 11%

Jennifer Kettles (Lib Dem) 151 11%

Kathrina Ring (Ind) 116 9%

Turnout 47%

Looe West and Lansallos

Edwina Hannaford (Lib Dem) 653 42%

Brian Galipeau (Con) 611 39%

Tony Winter (UKIP) 303 19%

Turnout 49%

Rame

George Trubody (Con) 682 34%

Rebecca Lingard (Ind) 553 27%

Peter Nicholas (Lib Dem) 385 19%

Russ Smith (UKIP) 264 13%

Jeremy Evans (MK) 141 7%

Turnout 52%

St Germans

Olive Eggleston (Con) 821 51%

Barbara McTaggart (Lib Dem) 424 26%

Roger Creagh-Osborne (Green) 361 22%

Turnout 47%

Saltash Burraton

Bryan Preston (Lib Dem) 618 52%

David Yates (Con) 436 37%

Godfrey Richard Allen (Green) 138 12%

Turnout 39%

Saltash Essa

Bob Austin (Lib Dem) 718 60%

Dennis John Dicker (Con) 476 40%

Turnout 37%

Saltash Pill

Derek Holley (Ind) 651 47%

Joe Ellison (Con) 453 33%

Fran Knight (Lib Dem) 282 20%

Turnout 41%

Saltash St Stephens

Colin Riches (Lib Dem) 614 56%

David Carter (Con) 486 44%

Turnout 32%

Torpoint East

Brian Hobbs (Lib Dem) 584 47%

John Crago (Con) 458 37%

Bob White (UKIP) 204 16%

Turnout 40%

Torpoint West

Mike Pearn (Con) 576 49%

Eric Parkin (Lib Dem) 335 29%

Bob White (UKIP) 255 22%

Turnout 36%

Results, in order, show: Name, party, number of votes and percentage of vote.

Devon results (close to Plymouth)

Ashburton and Buckfastleigh

Con hold

*Stuart Barker (Con) 2,333 48.1%

John Nutley (Lib Dem)1,359 28.0%

Robert Somerville (Green) 910 18.8%

Richard Branston (Lab) 205 4.2%

Turnout 46.1%

Bickleigh and Wembury

Con hold

*John Hart (Con) 2,154 56.3%

Hugh Williams (UKIP) 777 20.3%

Christine Ramsay (Lib Dem) 483 12.6%

Stephen Casemore (Green) 286 7.5%

David Taplin (Lab) 107 2.8%

Turnout 41.5%

Ivybridge

Con hold

*Roger Croad (Con) 1,772 51.2%

Keith Baldry (Lib Dem) 831 24.0%

Alison Green (Green) 430 12.4%

David Trigger (Lab) 408 11.8%

Turnout 37.2%

Kingsbridge and Stokenham

Lib Dem hold

* Julian Brazil (Lib Dem) 2,063 45.7%

Beth Coombes (Green) 336 7.5%

Rufus Gilbert (Con) 1,951 43.3%

John Whitby (Lab) 123 2.7%

Turnout 54.8%

South Brent and Dartington

Con hold

* Trevor Pennington (Con) 2,015 45.4%

Catherine Pannell (Lib Dem) 1,229 27.7%

Tony Greenham (Green) 876 19.7%

Ray Harrington (Ind) 296 6.7%

Turnout 49.6%

Tavistock

Con gain

Debo Sellis (Con) 1,348 27.4%

Ted Sherrell (Ind) 1,307 26.6%

Alison Clish-Green (Lib Dem) 1,077 21.9%

George Mudge (UKIP) 600 12.2%

*Roy Connelly (Ind) 416 8.5%

Michael Sparling (Lab) 142 2.9%

Turnout 46.8%

Totnes Rural

Paula Black (Green) 1,224 32.2%

*Geoff Date (Lib Dem) 1,207 31.8%

Michael Hicks (Con) 1,025 27.0%

Christopher Robillard (Lab) 314 8.3%

Turnout 45%

Yealmpton

Con hold

* William Mumford (Con) 2,184 47.4%

Arran Vidal-Hall (Lib Dem) 1,196 26.0%

Eileen Germain (UKIP) 761 16.5%

Georgina Weaver (Green) 442 9.6%

Turnout 51.1%

Yelverton Rural

Con gain

Philip Sanders (Con) 1,954 39.2%

Glen Kennedy (Lib Dem) 1,720 34.5%

Andrew Mudge (UKIP) 1,041 20.9%

Alison Young (Lab) 247 5.0%

Turnout 49.4%

  State of the parties in Devon:

Conservative: 41

Lib Dem: 14

Labour: 4

Green: 1

Independent: 2

   Results, in order, show: Name, party, number of votes and percentage of vote. Elected councillor in bold type.

* > sitting councillor