In a disastrous night for the country as it rocketed rightwards fuelled by fear of Scotland, fear of immigrants, support for austerity , the collapse of the Liberal Democrats and the resignation of 3 party leaders, an oppressive and all pervasive menacing blue tide , tinged with a purple scum, swept back across Somerset tossing aside almost everything in it’s wake.
Only in Bridgwater was the tide stemmed to some extent as Labour fought a hard rearguard action against a massive and unexpected rise in Tory and UKIP votes throwing election statistics into chaos.
Sedgemoor District Council closed ranks with an unassailable 35 Tory councillors including gains in Bridgwater Victoria (Lance Dudderidge) defeating Labour’s Siobhan Wilson and in Fairfax, taking out Labour’s Reg Winslow and wiping out the Lib Dems and Independents in Burnham and Highbridge. Meanwhile Far Right bunch of unknown scaremongers UKIP rode a crest of idiocy into working class areas gaining seats from Labour in Dunwear, where young Portuguese worker Diogo Rodriguez was attempting to defend a Labour seat and in Highbridge, removing that areas last Lib Dem.
In Bridgwater Labour held on to 10 seats, including experienced councillors Mick Lerry in Victoria, Brian Smedley and Kathy Pearce in Westover, Dave Loveridge in Eastover, Leigh Redman in Dunwear,Adrian Moore in Hamp and Graham Granter and Alex Glassford in Fairfax whilst newcomers won seats for the first time such as Wes Hinckes in Hamp and Moira Brown in Eastover.
The only other bright light around the District was the narrow victory of Lib Dem Bill Revans in Petherton.
This makes the balance on Sedgemoor:-
Conservatives 35 (+4)
Labour 10 (-3)
UKIP 2 (+2)
Lib Dem 1 (-1)
Independents 0 (-2)
A breakdown of the seats is as follows;-
Bridgwater, Hamp Ward
- James Cockram (The Conservative Party) – 719 votes
- Andrew Ivor Danniells (The Conservative Party) – 703 votes
- Wes Hicnkes (Labour Party) – 956 votes elected
- Adrian Moore(Labour Party) – 946 votes elected
Bridgwater, Eastover Ward
- Linda Bareham-Stanley (The Conservative Party) – 514 votes
- Moira Brown (Labour Party) – 648 votes Elected
- Michael David Hill (The Conservative Party) – 506 votes
- Camael King – 240 votes
- Dave Loveridge (Labour Party) – 708 votes Elected
Bridgwater Westover Ward
- Barbara Fisher (Liberal Democrats) 373
- Kathy Pearce (Labour Party) 954 Elected
- Jeffrey Searle (The Conservative Party) 767
- Brian David Smedley (Labour Party) 878 Elected
- John Douglas Watts (The Conservative Party) 634
Bridgwater Dunwear Ward
- Pele James Barnes (The Conservative Party): 541
- Lorna Ann Phillippa King (Liberal Democrats): 295
- Christine Louise McGinty (The Conservative Party): 377
- Leigh Paul Redman (Labour Party): 748 Elected
- Diogo Rodrigues (Labour Party): 438
- Richard Scammell (UKIP) 554 Elected
Bridgwater Victoria Ward
- Barrie Clive Crow (The Conservative Party) 654
- Lance John Duddrige (The Conservative Party) 812 Elected
- Mick Lerry (Labour Party) 763 Elected
- Roderick Silvester Sidney Lukins (UKIP) 621
- Siobhan Wilson (Labour Party) 636
Cannington & Wembdon Ward
- Alan James Beasley (Liberal Democrats) 809
- Ann Bown (The Conservative Party) 1455 Elected
- Ian Dyer (The Conservative Party) 1588 Elected
- Allan Jeffrey (Green Party) 546
Bridgwater Wyndham Ward
- Rachael Helen Caswell (The Conservative Party) 1293 Elected
- Peter Ian Johnstone (Liberal Democrats) 476
- Liz Leavy (Labour Party) 620
- Gill Slocombe (The Conservative Party) 1322 Elected
- Caroline Ann Wilkins (Labour Party) 516
Brigwater Fairfax Ward
- Janice Joanna Somers Beasely (Liberal Democrats) 545
- Mike Cresswell (The Conservative Party) 986 elected
- Jim Donoghue (The Conservative Party) 765
- Alex Glassford (Labour Party) 1081 elected
- Graham John Granter (Labour Party) 1135 elected
- Wayne John Pearce (The Conservative Party) 844
- Reginald Charles Winslow (Labour Party) 844
East Poldens Ward
- Ian Richard Horsfield (Green Party) 408
- Duncan McGinty (Conservative Party) 814 elected
Quantocks Ward
- Lindy Booth (Green Party) 766
- Michael Graham Caswell (The Conservative Party) 1458 elected
- Philip S T Lawrence King (Labour Party) 662
- Julie Annette Pay (The Conservative Party) 1605
Puriton & Woolavington Ward
- Valerie Bannister (Green Party) 477
- Alison Jane Hamlin (The Conservative Party) 1052 elected
- Richard Cecil Hampson (Labour Party) 542
- Mark Healey (The Conservative Party) 1204 elected
- Pete Hollings (UKIP) 877
West Poldens Ward
- Charles Graham (Green Party) 545
- Stuart Arthur Kingham (The Conservative Party) 963 elected
Huntspill & Pawlett Ward
- Susanna Louise Peel Craig (Liberal Democrats) 286
- Terry Peers (Green Party) 217
- John Charles Woodman (The Conservative Party) 793 elected
Berrow Ward
- Tony Grimes (The Conservative Party): 799 elected
- Andrew William Nisbet (Liberal Democrats): 443
Kings Isle Ward
- Derek Stanley Alder (The Conservative Party) 1520 elected
- Liz Perry (The Conservative Party) 1592 elected
- Mike Senior (Liberal Democrats) 827
- Josephine Sally Smoldon (Green Party) 792
Axevale Ward
- Jean Margaret Bevis (Liberal Democrats): 1021
- John Henry Denbee (The Conservative Party): 1236 elected
- Jake Flood (Green Party): 562
- Liz Scott (The Conservative Party): 1325 elected
- Tom Scott (Labour Party): 361
North Petherton
- Lucy Miranda Allen (The Conservative Party) 1,874
- Jen Bayford (Green Party) 941
- Alan Sydney Earnest Bradford (The Conservative Party) 2,316 elected
- Marion Denham (Labour Party) 1,155
- Anne Elisabeth Fraser (The Conservative Party) 2,078 elected
- Revans Bill (Liberal Democrats) 1,891 elected
Highbridge & Burnham Marine Ward
- Alan Beech (Labour Party) 499
- Lorna Corke (UKIP) 907 elected
- Forrester Shiela Rachel (Labour Party) 550
- Bill Hancock (Independent) 436
- Fiona Joan Hector (Liberal Democrats) 640
- Janet Anita Keen (The Conservative Party) 937 elected
- Roger Charles Keen (The Conservative Party) 876 elected
- Graham Alan Kennedy (Liberal Democrats) 549
- Tony Lynham 370
- Mike Mansfield 493
- John David Parkes (Liberal Democrats) 599
- James Roughton (The Conservative Party) 564
- Lucy Emily Scanton (Labour Party) 366
- Chris Williams (Independent) 536
Wedmore & Mark Ward
- Polly Costello (The Conservative Party) 1686 elected
- Rosemary Joan Hasler (Liberal Democrats) 1034
- Gabrielle Kathleen Hector (Labour Party) 474
- Will Human (The Conservative Party) 1280 elected
- Dave Wills (UKIP) 391
Burnham North Ward
- Cheryl Lesley Burnett (The Conservative Party) 1,620 elected
- Peter Laurence Burridge-Clayton (The Conservative Party) 1,883 elected
- Paul Herbert (The Conservative Party) 1,256 elected
- Helen Hims (UKIP) 823
- Alexander Begg Lawrie (Green Party) 422
- Beverly Milner Simonds (Liberal Democrats) 1,029
- Tom Nichols (Liberal Democrats) 861
- Victoria Weavell (Liberal Democrats) 79
Cheddar & Shipham Ward
- Peter John Shilton Downing (The Conservative Party) 1765 elected
- Suzanne Mary Green (Liberal Democrats) 1523
- Dawn Hill (The Conservative Party) 1889 elected
- Will Hims (UKIP) 783
- John Outhwait (Liberal Democrats) 1,303
- Jeff Savage (The Conservative Party) 1,720 elected
- Norma Scanlon (Labour Party) 809
Burnham Central Ward
- Maria Clarke (The Conservative Party) 1,367 elected
- Michael Clarke (The Conservative Party) 1,372 elected
- Eve Harriet Courtney (Green Party) 445
- James Donnellan (UKIP) 883
- Mike Facey (Conservative Party) 1,239 elected
- Phil Harvey (Liberal Democrats) 1,076
- Katie Georgina Lawson (Liberal Democrats) 1,029
- Sarah Milner Simonds (Liberal Democrats) 909
Knoll Ward
- Bob Filmer (The Conservative Party) 1888 elected
- Isobel Fotheringham (UKIP) 647
- Andrew Gilling (The Conservative Party) 1,433 elected
- Tony Gore (Liberal Democrats) 922
Congratulations to Mick, Kathy and all the Bridgwater 10. Thank goodness you are there to stand up for real social democracy. And give a thooght to ~Pete Murphy, now on his oown on WSC.
A sad night for us all. Time to start the fightback!
Cheers