New Forest Conservatives retain power amid Liberal Democrat revival

THE Conservatives have held on to power on New Forest District Council last night despite a Liberal Democrat revival which saw them take more than a dozen seats last night.

The Tories share of the authority’s 60 seats has dropped from 56 to 46, with the Lib Dems multiplying the size of their group from just two to 13.

Despite winning a big majority on the council of 32, there was a glum mood among Tory candidates as the Brexit deadlock in parliament was blamed by many for their losses.

The big loss of the night for the Tories was James Binns, the cabinet member for leisure and wellbeing and chair of the New Forest East party.

He was tearful at the election at Applemore leisure centre where his Butts Ash and Dibden Purlieu seat went to the Lib Dems.

Tory Peter Armstrong was also defeated in that ward in victories for Cllr Stephanie Osborne and Cllr Malcolm Wade, who is also a county councillor.

There was one Independent win with Cllr Jacqui England defeating Tory Alan Penson to take one of the seats in Lymington Town ward. The other went to Tory Cllr Barry Dunning, a former town mayor.

A surprise result was in Lyndhurst where Cllr Hilary Brand won for the Lib Dems in a seat which had been held for the Tories since 1990 by Pat Wyeth, who stepped down.

By just 24 votes Cllr Brand defeated Tory Bill Andrews, who had taken the place of candidate Philip Fawkes after he withdrew as a Tory to allow him to support the Brexit Party in the upcoming European Parliament elections on 23rd May.

Tory Michael White lost his seat in Pennington by 33 votes to Lib Dem Cllr Jack Davies. The ward's other seat was retained by Tory Cllr Andrew Gossage, who won it in a byelection last year.

Turnout across the New Forest district was 32.39%.

Labour fielded 30 candidates, more than the Lib Dems’ 28, but yet again failed to make any breakthroughs in the New Forest.

Tory leader Cllr Barry Rickman easily secured one of the two Boldre and Sway seats with 1,053 votes.

Fellow Tory Cllr Janette Duke scraped in alongside him by just 11 ballots to see off Lib Dem challenger Katherine Wilcox.

Lib Dem leader Cllr David Harrison won his Totton South seat alongside fellow Lib Dem Caroline Rackham. Defeated Tory Len Harris had been lined up to become NFDC deputy chair.

Another Tory councillor to lose his place was Daniel Poole in the two-seat Dibden and Hythe East ward. He lost out to Lib Dem Cllrs Sandra Delemare and Philip Dowd.

Chris Harrison, a former Lib Dem now standing for the Tories, was defeated in the same ward.

A defector who last year went the other way from the Tories to the Lib Dems, Cllr Mahmoud Kangarani, won one of two seats in Totton East, alongside fellow Lib Dem Cllr Alexander Brundson.

For the full NFDC results, click here.

The election count for the newly formed Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council was started this morning.