Candidates have been declared in all seats across Somerset for the County Council Elections on May 4th and here in Sedgemoor it’s the key battleground for Labour to make gains in a straight fight with our Tory rulers.
In the 12 Sedgemoor seats it’s currently 10 Conservative against 2 Labour. Of the other parties UKIP and Greens have failed to make any County gains here ever and the Lib Dems were wiped out some years ago.
County Labour Leader Leigh Redman, speaking from his Bridgwater South seat , said “Labour can have a strong voice in the next County Council by making gains here where we already have 2 County Councillors, 10 District Councillors and 14 Town Councillors.”
“We already hold Bridgwater North and South and we need to take other seats to drive a wedge between the Tories and Lib Dems at County and gain a controlling influence. Labour has 12 strong candidates around Sedgemoor – 6 men and 6 women and I’m confident we can make gains.”
Only Labour can take Tory seats in Sedgemoor
In the 12 Sedgemoor seats Labour, Tories and Lib Dem are standing in every one whilst UKIP are standing in just 5 and the Greens in only 1. In Bridgwater North the Tory vote is already threatened by a schism in their vote as longstanding Conservative member David ‘Blue Owl‘ Preece is standing in his own right.
Bridgwater Town Council Leader Brian Smedley said “Last time round it was UKIP that split the vote and stopped Labour taking all 4 Bridgwater seats, but this time round they’re not standing anywhere around Bridgwater, even in seats where they achieved substantial votes last time. This maybe because they’ve got nothing left to campaign on since the Brexit vote but it definitely means Labour can take the fight directly to the Tories and regain all the Bridgwater seats. I would appeal to people NOT to be diverted down the LibDem route as we’ve wiped them out here already and any rise in their vote will help keep the Tories in. Around the County the LibDems have tried to say ‘vote for us to keep the Tories out’ but history shows that when the people voted LibDem in 2010 the first thing they did was put the Tories back in Government. I’m sure we won’t get fooled again.”
Battleground Sedgemoor May 4th 2017
BRIDGWATER EAST AND BAWDRIP
HALL, David The Conservative Party Candidate*
RODRIGUES, Diogo Labour Party Candidate
SENIOR, Mike Liberal Democrats
BRIDGWATER NORTH AND CENTRAL
BARNES, Pele The Conservative Party Candidate
CLARK, Nikki Green Party Candidate
LOVERIDGE, Dave Labour Party Candidate*
NICKOLLS, Anthony Liberal Democrats
PREECE, Dave Independent
BRIDGWATER SOUTH
DUDDRIDGE, Lance John The Conservative Party Candidate
KELLY, Daniel Alexander Liberal Democrats
REDMAN, Leigh Paul Labour Party Candidate*
BRIDGWATER WEST
BOWN, Ann Elizabeth The Conservative Party Candidate*
HEYWOOD, Tony Labour Party Candidate
PHILLIPS, Michelle Denise Liberal Democrats
NORTH PETHERTON
BROWN, Richard James The Conservative Party Candidate*
GRENFELL, Jane Labour Party Candidate
REVANS, Bill Liberal Democrats
CANNINGTON
CASWELL, Mike The Conservative Party Candidate
DILLAMORE, Jill Ann Liberal Democrats
KING, Philip St Lawrence Labour Party Candidate
HUNTSPILL
CHADWICK, Chelsea Joan Labour Party Candidate
HARVEY, Phil Liberal Democrats
HEALEY, Mark The Conservative Party Candidate*
HIGHBRIDGE AND BURNHAM SOUTH
CORKE, Lorna Irene Bromley U K Independence Party (UKIP)
PARKES, John David Liberal Democrats
SCANLON, Lucy Labour Party Candidate
WOODMAN, John Charles The Conservative Party Candidate*
BURNHAM ON SEA NORTH
BURRIDGE-CLAYTON, Peter The Conservative Party Candidate*
HOBBS, Brian Royston U K Independence Party (UKIP)
MURPHY, Mike Liberal Democrats
PRICE, Colin Michael Labour Party Candidate
BRENT
FILMER, Bob The Conservative Party Candidate
GORE, Tony Liberal Democrats
MARSDEN, Janty Labour Party Candidate
WILLIS, David Robert U K Independence Party (UKIP)
CHEDDAR
HIMS, Helen Dorothy U K Independence Party (UKIP)
SCANLON, Norma Labour Party Candidate
SHABAN, Tim Liberal Democrats
TAYLOR, Nigel Philip The Conservative Party Candidate
KING ALFRED
BETTY, Anthony John Edward U K Independence Party (UKIP)
HUXTABLE, David John The Conservative Party Candidate*
MORGAN, Lynne Labour Party Candidate
MUNT, Emma Liberal Democrats