COUNCIL ELECTION 1998. (From Surrey Comet)

COUNCIL ELECTION 1998.

TORIES GAIN IN KINGSTON.

Voters punished the Liberal Democrats in Kingston last night with the Conservatives sweeping the board to become the largest party in the Guildhall.

However, the council remains hung with no party in overall control and as dawn broke the leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups were sitting down to discuss whether they could work together to run the council.

The Liberal Democrats, who campaigned hard in the run-up to the election, were obliterated in Canbury Ward where Labour picked up the protest vote against the felling of the Canbury poplars. One casualty was prominent Lib Dem John Tilley, chairman of Kingston Town Neighbourhood, who was overthrown in Canbury.

"No one could have turned it round," he said. "I'm just glad it's over."

His colleague Richard Lillicrap who also lost his Canbury seat agreed, saying: "It's a nightmare."

Good news for the Liberal Democrats, however, was that Jeff Hanna who defected to Labour last year, did not retain his Chessington South seat. Instead the ward remained staunchly Lib Dem.

Meanwhile the Conservatives were jubilant at seizing back their seats in St Mark's and Tolworth East.

David Edwards, leader of the Tory group, said that even he was surprised by the size of the swing to the Conservatives.

"We must now continue to grow until we are the largest party and regain control of the council," he said.

Labour group leader Jeremy Thorn said: "Labour have done as well as could have been hoped, but the big surprise is the revival of the Tory vote. No one could have predicted that."

Overall the Liberal Democrats lost seven seats, so they are now down to 19 from 26. The Conservatives gained four - up to 21 from 17 - and Labour gained three - taking them up from seven seats previously to 10.

While it is known that no party is keen on a "pact" with another in order to rule the council, the leaders were trying to fix a deal shortly after the count was announced whereby the parties could consider working together on an issue by issue basis.

The following councillors were elected:

BERRYLANDS WARD

Timothy Brown, Con.

Leslie Dale, Con.

Kevin Davis, Con.

BURLINGTON WARD.

Derek Osbourne, Lib Dem.

Adrian McLeay, Lib Dem.

CAMBRIDGE WARD.

Julie Haines, Lib Dem

John Heamon, Lib Dem.

Ian Manders, Lib Dem.

CANBURY WARD.

John Ellin, Lab.

Wendy Malseed, Lab.

Christopher Priest, Lab.

CHESSINGTON NORTH.

Brian Bennett, Lib Dem.

Vicki Harris, Lib Dem.

CHESSINGTON SOUTH.

Patricia Bamford, Lib Dem.

Shiraz Mirza, Lib Dem.

Sally Scrivens, Lib Dem.

COOMBE WARD.

Peter Crerar, Con.

Patrick Codd, Con.

GROVE WARD.

Derrick Chester, Lib Dem.

Chrissie Hitchcock, Lib Dem.

Roger Hayes, Lib Dem.

HILL WARD.

David Edwards, Con.

Eric Humphrey, Con.

HOOK WARD.

Ian Reid, Lib Dem.

Katharine Reid, Lib Dem.

MALDEN MANOR.

Rolson Davies, Lib Dem.

Ian McDonald, Lib Dem.

NORBITON WARD.

Julie Reay, Lab.

Steve Mama, Lab.

Ed Naylor, Lab.

NORBITON PARK.

Donald Jordan, Lib Dem.

Wyn Evans, Lib Dem.

ST JAMES WARD.

Michael Amson, Con.

David Fraser, Con.

Rajendra Pandya, Con.

ST MARKS WARD.

Dennis De Lord, Con.

Janice Jenner, Con.

Rupert Matthews, Con.

SURBITON HILL.

Janet Bowen-Hitchings, Con.

Paul Johnston, Con.

Jane Smith, Con.

TOLWORTH EAST.

David Booth, Con.

Keith Whitham, Con

TOLWORTH SOUTH.

Rory Faulkner, Lab.

Andrew Hall, Lab.

TOLWORTH WEST.

Marian Darke, Lab.

Jeremy Thorn, Lab.

TUDOR WARD.

David Cunningham, Con.

Dennis Doe, Con.

ELECTION RESULTS.

Claygate.

John Charles Burns, Conservative, 891

Bernard Michael Collignon, UK Independence, 43

Ervine Kewley, Liberal Democrat, 1269

Sheila P Neve, Labour, 109

Lib Dems hold

Total electors: 5065

45.8 per cent turnout this year compared with 49.8 in 1996

Cobham and Downside.

Carolyn Ann Gray, Labour, 333

Dorothy Margaret Mitchell, Conservative, 960

Con hold

Total electors: 4551

Turnout 28.5 per cent compared with 33.9 in 1996

Cobham/Fairmile.

Winifred Nancy Heasman, Conservative, 516

Sheile Mary Henley, Lib Dem, 81

Irene Threlkeld, Labour, 145

Con hold

Total electors: 3109

Turnout: 23.9 per cent compared with 30.8 in 1996

Esher.

John Howard Barnes, Esher Res Assn, 757

Wendy Naomi Tanqueray, Conservative, 866

Con gain.

Total electors: 4483

Turnout 36.3 per cent compared with 43.9 in 1996

Hersham North.

David Colin Bellchamber, Lib Dem, 260

Irene Hamilton, Labour, 728

Mark Twine, Conservative, 358

Lab hold

Total electors: 4159

Turnout 32.4 per cent compared with 40.9 in 1996

Hersham South.

Barry Cheyne, Conservative, 1026

Andrew Peter Jackson, Lib Dem, 179

David Charles Williams, Labour, 483

Con hold

Total electors: 4927

Turnout 34.4 per cent compared with 46.4 in 1996

Hinchley Wood.

Sheila Dorothy Forbes, Conservative, 673

Lilian Peart, Labour, 91

Arnold Walmsley, Hinchley Wood Res Assn, 749

Res hold

Total electors: 3711

Turnout 40.7 per cent compared to 37.9 in 1996

Long Ditton.

Patricia Anne Cornford, Labour, 140

Peter Sosabowski, Conservative, 307

Torquil Stephen Stewart, Lib Dem, 731

Lib Dem hold

Total electors: 3017

Turnout 39.1 per cent compared with 43.9 in 1995

(last election year for this ward with two councillors)

Molesey East.

Margaret Elizabeth Gittins, Labour, 131

Ernest Mallett, Molesey residents' association, 525

Anthony William Pegler, Conservative, 415

Martin Eric Tatnell, Molesey Community Society, 196

Res hold

Total electors: 4525

Turnout 28 per cent compared with 31.7 in 1996

Molesey North.

Ann Elizabeth Allnatt, Conservative, 166

Ray Jones, Molesey Residents' Association, 853

Andrea Mary Reid, Labour, 178

Res hold

Total electors: 4598

Turnout 26 per cent compared with 30.7 in 1996

Molesey South.

Vic Eldridge, Molesey Residents' Association, 513

Val Luck, Lib Dem, 368

John David Meech, Conservative, 179

Mick Moriarty, Labour, 436

Res hold

Total electors: 4878

Turnout 30.8 per cent compared to 47.4 in 1996

Oatlands Park.

Malcolm Lappin, Labour, 166

Sharon Joy Morris, Conservative, 896

Pamela Iris Stewart, Lib Dem, 318

Total electors: 4482

Turnout 30.8 per cent compared with 34.5 in 1996.

Elmbridge Council... the saga continues

Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon.

Derek Scott Berry, Lib Dem, 170

Steven John Gray, Labour, 139

Norman Leslie Kaphan, Conservative, 953

Con hold

Total electors: 4250

Turnout 29.8 per cent compared with 35.4 in 1996

St George's Hill.

Margaret Jane Barling, Labour, 126

Timothy Richard Butcher, Conservative, 754

Barbara Ida Fraser, Lib Dem, 156

Con hold

Total electors: 4249

Turnout 24.4 per cent compared to 36.8 in 1996

Thames Ditton.

Reg Bottomley, TD Pensioners and Ratepayers Assn, 192

Derek Charles Martin, Lib Dem, 753

Timothy Gerald Oliver, Conservative, 518

Ian Stuart Wilson, Labour, 122

Lib Dem hold

Total electors: 4076

Turnout 39.1 per cent compared with 43.6 in 1996

Walton Ambleside.

Sandra Mary Anderson, Lib Dem, 117

James Robert Collacott, Conservative, 217

Paul Charles Courtel, Labour, 331

David John Walsh, Walton Society, 350

Res gain

Total electors: 2814

Turnout 36.1 per cent compared with 41.3 in 1995

(last election year for this ward with two councillors)

Walton Central.

Muneer Deen, Labour, 126

Stewart Nixon Graham, Conservative, 298

Carole Ann Karp, Walton Society, 852

Wendy Elizabeth Norton, Lib Dem, 73

Res hold

Total electors: 4222

Turnout 32 per cent compared to 38.1 in 1996

Walton South.

Jane Jill Baldwin, Labour, 160

Michael John Sage, Lib Dem, 86

Lionel Martin Schofield, Walton Society, 691

Trevor John Sherwood, Conservative, 828

Con gain

Total electors: 5002

Turnout 35.4 per cent compared to 42.7 in 1996

Weybridge South.

Timothy Charles Crowther, Liberal Democrat, 531

Glenn Patrick Dearlove, Conservative, 642

George Kevin Bassett John, Labour, 64

Con hold

Total electors: 3356

Turnout 37 per cent compared with 38.8 in 1996

Overall percentage of electorate who voted in 1996 = 39.1

Overall percentage this year: 32.8.

LIB DEMS WIN!.

Richmond's Liberal Democrats held on to control of the council last night, just as their leader David Williams had predicted beforehand.

The only real surprise of the evening came in the West Twickenham ward where Labour's Michael Gold retained his seat, but with a much increased majority - up to 400 from 100.

He said: "We now can prove this is a safe Labour seat."

First time candidate Mira Flemington was delighted to pull 1,128 votes and hold the East Sheen seat for the Conservatives.

When the count came in she said: "I'm glad and I am now looking forward to taking up my new post."

The Liberal Democrats held the Teddington and Ham and Petersham wards with council leader David Williams getting 1,487 votes.

Four wards went to recounts and the leader of the Conservative group Tony Arbour looked like coming home in his Hampton Wick ward with a majority of just 10 votes.

The news that mayor Maureen Woodriff had held her Hampton Nursery seat come in at 4pm and with the dawn came the certainty that the Liberal Democrats were going to retain power over the council.

Richmond's voters proved themselves keenly interested in who ran their council, by showing a healthy 50 per cent turnout (the national average was nearer 25 per cent).

Despite the tension of the night, there was the occasional humorous moment as husband and wife candidates Richard and Dabbie Hollis waited for the results in the West Twickenham ward where they were both standing for the Conservative party.

As Richard asked for a recount, despite the intial figures showing him 600 votes behind, Dabbie threatened to make him do the washing up for a week if he insisted. No recount was held.

The following councillors were elected:.

BARNES.

Catherine Gent, Lib Dem

John Ross, Con

Barbara Westmoreland, Lib Dem.

CENTRAL TWICKENHAM.

David Porter, Con

Simon Lamb, Con

.

EAST SHEEN.

Maria Flemington, Con

Nicholas True, Con.

EAST TWICKENHA.

David Cornwell, Lib Dem

Laurence Mann, Lib Dem

John Whittall, Lib Dem

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.

HAM AND PETERSHAM.

Susan Jones, Lib Dem

Brian Miller, Lib Dem

David Williams, Lib Dem

.

HAMPTON.

Jean Matthews, Con

Anne Woodward, Con

Bryan Woodriff, Lib Dem.

HAMPTON HILL.

Barbara Alexander, Lib Dem

Mark Kreling, Con

Geoffrey Samuel, Con.

HAMPTON NURSERY.

Jonathan Cardy, Lib Dem

Maureen Woodriff, Lib Dem.

HAMPTON WICK.

Tony Arbour, Con

Elizabeth Parsons, Con

Gita Rae, Lib Dem.

HEATHFIELD.

Michael Jones, Lib Dem

Robert King, Lib Dem

William Treble, Lib Dem.

KEW.

Anthony Barnett, Lib Dem

Serge Lourie, Lib Dem

Jill Miller, Lib Dem.

MORTLAKE.

Barry Langford, Lab

Brain Matthews, Lab

Eleanor Stanier, Lib Dem.

PALEWELL.

Result not known at time of press.

RICHMOND HILL.

Penelope Lee, Lib Dem

Anthony Mollett, Lib Dem

Mary Weber, Lib Dem.

RICHMOND TOWN.

Nick Carthew, Lib Dem

Alison Cornish, Lib Dem.

SOUTH TWICKENHAM.

Alan Butler, Con

Nicholas Lait, Con

Doug Orchard, Con.

TEDDINGTON.

Martin Elengorn, Lib Dem

Stephen Knight, Lib Dem

James Mumford, Lib Dem.

WEST TWICKENHAM.

Michael Gold, Lab

Elizabeth MacKenzie, Lab.

WHITTON.

Georgina MacKinney, Lib Dem

Keith MacKinney, Lib Dem

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