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Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 03:36 PM

First results are in, so far its 6-2 to the Tories.

The most notable result so far: Greenham: Billy Drummond(LD) & Jeremy Bartlett© - Julian Swift-Hook loses his seat.

Lee Dillon has won a seat for the LibDems in Thatcham North, but they have lost David Rendell's old seat in Thatcham Central.

Posted by: Gazzadp May 8 2015, 03:40 PM

What a terrible shame, I am so saddened to read that Swift-Hook has lost his seat.

I guess he will have plenty of time to wash that GREASE off of the palms of his hands now.

Still what goes around, comes around as they say!

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 03:55 PM

9-2 clean sweep for the Tories in Birch Copse.

Have to concratulate Lee Dillon - overwhelming result against the day's trend, 500+ majority. Lots of votes for the man not the party.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 03:56 PM

10-3 Lib Dems lose a seat in Mortimer.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 04:04 PM

13-3 Clay Hill & Cold Ash stay blue

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 04:06 PM

Re-count in Victoria Ward - not looking good for the Lib-Dems...

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 04:10 PM

15-3 Cons hold St John's. Could be a key indicator for the NTC election, this is the ward where they gave away control of the town council last time.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 04:20 PM

18-3 Cons hold Calcot.

Posted by: Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera May 8 2015, 04:25 PM

Dear Colleagues,

I am currently returning from Edinburgh where I have been involved in the General Election and where I witnessed the sad loss of some incredibly good Liberal Democrat MP's such as Charles Kennedy and John Thurso, and I am watching the news emanating from Newbury and West Berkshire with growing interest.

I truly hope that the good Liberal Democrat Councillors and candidates who uphold the principles of the Party are successful, and as such I am pleased to see that Lee Dillion has returned to the District Council this year.

The Liberal Democrat Party that has at its core the finest of principles has nationally been punished for its apparent acquiescence, so now we have to rebuild in order to reassure the electorate that we have learnt from the experience of being in Coalition with the Conservative Party that is ideologically different.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Chair - Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats & Newbury Town Council 'Whistleblower'

Posted by: Andy Capp May 8 2015, 04:27 PM

I'm not sure it is altogether healthy to have a party have a landslide victory.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 04:32 PM

20-4 Cons hold Speen, LD hold Theale

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:01 PM

26-4
Cons hold Purley, Westwood, Kintbury & Downlands

One more for a majority.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:04 PM

28-4 Cons take Victoria and control of WBC. David Allen & Roger Hunneman lose their seats.

Things are looking as bad for the Lib Dems locally as in the General Election.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:06 PM

Sorry - David Allen wasn't standing. Martha Vickers failed to hold his old seat.

Roger Hunneman loses by 4 votes - tough!

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:10 PM

30-4 LDs lose another seat in Burghfield. Royce Longton bites the dust - this is going to be an administration without an opposition.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:17 PM

33-4
Cons hold Compton and take Northcroft - will the LDs win another seat?

So it's goodbye to Gwen Mason and Tony Vickers.

Apoliticals (Charlie & David) bottom of the Northcroft poll with 165 each (at least their support is consistent).

Posted by: gel May 8 2015, 05:21 PM

NTC

When are NTC results due??

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:24 PM

38-4
Cons hold Bucklebury, Aldermaston, Sulhamstead & Chieveley.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 05:48 PM

40-4
Cons hold Pangbourne & Basildon.

Only interesting ward left is Thatcham West where Jeff Brooks and Keith Woodhams are defending their seats for the LDs - it will be astounding if the other six seats to declare don't stay blue.

Newbury has gone Conservative - odds are that NTC will be under new management after the count tomorrow.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 06:01 PM

44-4
Cons hold Lambourn Valley (the supreme leader and ex-supreme leader) & Thatcham South.

Just Falkland and Thatcham West to come - delayed by the Victoria re-count it seems.

Posted by: Simon Kirby May 8 2015, 06:19 PM

It could be argued that nothing has changed.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 06:22 PM

46-4 Thatcham West goes blue. West Berks Lib Dems will need a new leader, and the choice is very limited!

I'm no huge fan of either party's performance running WBC, but I have to say I don't like the idea of a majority like this. At least we could save cash on expenses by telling most councillors not to bother coming to meetings - the Executive will be able to outvote the opposition without any help from the sheep.

The gang of four are: Alan Macro (Theale), Lee Dillon (Thatcham North), Mollie Lock (Mortimer) and Billy Drummond (Greenham).

Alan Macro is the only surviving member of the shadow executive - I guess that make him the early leader in the leadership stakes.

The final result will be 48-4 when Falkland declares.

Posted by: Simon Kirby May 8 2015, 06:34 PM

Helpful coverage, thank you blackdog.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 06:45 PM

I disagree, 39-13 was obviously enough to ignore anything the opposition said, but now there are not even enough opposition members to keep up to date with that the executive are up to. We are now in a one party state.

I guess the most interesting thing is that now the Lib Dems are all but wiped out there is an opportunity that hasn't been there for decades for another party to take over as the opposition.

Posted by: blackdog May 8 2015, 06:58 PM

And tomorrow it's Newbury Town Council's turn to be counted.

My prediction: 18-5 Tory majority - though it's not easy to see which 5 might survive!

Posted by: Strafin May 8 2015, 07:21 PM

Thank you for the updates Blackdog, great stuff.

Posted by: Turin Machine May 8 2015, 07:24 PM

Gotta say, brought it on themselves!

Posted by: Exhausted May 8 2015, 08:24 PM

I wonder if JSH will survive the Town Council vote. Losing the WBC seat must be painful but perhaps the voters who read the local press reacted to the press releases differently to what perhaps was anticipated.

The good old Conservative councillor at Kintbury has been re-elected but I wouldn't have thought that as Crimes Commissioner, he would have much time for local politics although as somebody said earlier, with their large majority, it's hardly worth turning up for meetings anyway.

Posted by: Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera May 8 2015, 08:42 PM

Dear Forum Readers,

I will be watching with bated breath tomorrow, but personally I would sooner seen Councillor Swift-Hook survive the culling and be held to account for the matters which I blew the whistle over rather than lose his seat and be allowed to escape public scrutiny.

Whoever is in charge of Newbury Town Council, the time has come for greater openness and transparency on the part of the Officers and Members, for the residents of Newbury simply deserve so much more from those whom the entrust to run the Town Council.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Liberal Democrat Party - 'Resident Whistleblower'

Posted by: CrackerJack May 8 2015, 11:21 PM

Some very active councillors have gone. Gwen Mason did a fair job locally, as did Roger Hunneman, Keith Woodhams and Geoff Mayes within their respective Wards. I'm genuinely surprised they've gone.

Posted by: CrackerJack May 8 2015, 11:35 PM

Without wishing to be disrespectful Mollie is getting on a bit. Given the huge Bluewash in the local council it will be a real challenge ahead to get herself heard on any matters of importance. I wonder if she'll call it a day within a few months when there's so few other LDs to look to for support. Retire and take up green bowls as a hobby instead. It's got to be.a better way to spend your twilight years.

Posted by: Andy Capp May 8 2015, 11:49 PM

If only her mob hadn't screwed the park up recently.

Posted by: blackdog May 9 2015, 12:01 AM

Judging from the WBC election Jeremy Bartlett has sold himself to the Greenham electorate - so JSH or Arthur Johnson could well be up against it in Pyle Hill. Have to say Bartlett is a new name to me.

When I saw JSH had gone from WBC (the first LD loss announced) I wondered if it was related to the NTC issues, then the LDs kept losing and it seemed far more of a reflection of the national picture. They were unlucky that the WBC election came in the same year as this General Election.

Posted by: Andy Capp May 9 2015, 12:04 AM

I have to say, while there are some people I won't be sad to see the back of, having a district full of fox hunting blue rinse Freemason landlords doesn't fill me with joy. Come to think of it, I wonder where the matriarchal-attack-dog is these days?

Posted by: x2lls May 9 2015, 12:27 AM

Well don't be then...

Posted by: CrackerJack May 9 2015, 08:01 AM

Ok I withdraw the first five words of my comment. Instead I'll just say 'Mollie is getting on a bit', as that's a statement of fact. Is that better?