The people have spoken. It has been a very long day so please do excuse me if I keep my comments on the election results today brief…
Both Marisa Heath and Hugh Meares were re-elected to the Borough Council with increased majorities from the 2007 result. Despite heavily targeting both Englefield Green wards, Labour were the real losers on the evening. In the East, Labour finished only 10 votes ahead of UKIP with around 9% of the vote whilst in the West the Green Party almost stole a march on the UK’s governing party! In numerical terms, the UKIP vote fell in both wards. I am delighted that Marisa and Hugh have been re-elected as Councillors.
The Conservative group has four new faces: Chris Chapman and Louis Poyanne in Chertsey St Anns, Jon Wilson in Egham Hythe and Paul Francis in Foxhills. I have known Chris and Jon for a long while and know that both will be outstanding councillors. On the Independent benches, we welcome Margaret Harnden in Thorpe.
On that same note, whilst I am strongly of the opinion that age - young or old - should have no baring whatsoever on the ability of anyone to serve as a local Councillor, I am proud that Runnymede now has six representatives under the age of 30. We’re even being talked about over at the Daily Telegraph and on ConservativeHome.com.
Finally, congratulations to John Edwards and Chris Norman who are celebrating 25 years as members of the Borough Council today!
For the real political anoraks amongst you, the results for each ward are as follows:
Englefield Green East
UKIP 91
Con (Marisa Heath) 493
Lab 101
Lib 264
Englefield Green West
Green 109
Lib 77
Lab 129
*Con (Hugh Meares) 464
UKIP 264
Addlestone Bourneside
*Con (Peggy Broadhead) 975
Lab 230
Ind 141
Addlestone North
UKIP 77
*Con (Becky Denby) 731
Lab 185
Lib 132
Chertsey Meads
UKIP 294
*Con (Chris Norman) 826
Lab 247
Chertsey St Anns (2 vacancies)
UKIP 191
*Con (Chris Chapman) 755
Lab 395
Lab 461
UKIP 142
*Con (Louis Poyanne) 698
Chertsey South and Rowtown
*Con (John Edwards) 947
UKIP 262
Lab 201
Egham Hythe
Lab 299
Lab 281
Lib 187
*Con (Yvonna Lay) 659
UKIP 141
Lib 191
*Con (Jon Wilson) 600
Foxhills
*Con (Paul Francis) 975
Lab 227
UKIP 187
New Haw
Lib 339
*Con (Adrian Tollett) 895
Thorpe - 2 vacancies
*Ind (Elaine Gill) 1024
*Ind (Margaret Harnden) 935
Con (Geoff Roberts) 485
Con (Nick Wase-Rogers) 373
Woodham
Lab 272
*Con (Bob Jones) 1187
Virginia Water
UKIP 159
Lib 218
*Con (Margaret Roberts) 986
