Glory for Tories in local elections

Conservatives regained control of Wycombe, South Bucks and Chiltern district councils, which they lost four years ago.

The most staggering result came in Wycombe where the Lib Dem/Labour alliance was ousted as Tories won no less than 15 new seats.

Key figures such as current mayor Frances Alexander and mayor-elect Adam Gielgud were beaten.

Conservatives also took a firm grip of Chiltern District Council where power had hung on a tightrope for the last four years.

And there were more Tory celebrations in South Bucks as another decisive victory was clinched for the party in blue. Once again, this had been a hung council.

"It has come back to the good old days. It's a smashing result," said Tory Philip Priestley.

WYCOMBE DISTRICT COUNCIL

TORIES scored a sensational victory to regain power at Wycombe District Council from the Lib-Dem/Labour alliance.

They made at least 15 gains when counting stopped early on Friday morning, to increase their share from 24 seats to 39. This could rise even further because there are still two recounts to come.

Election night was filled with surprises as a catalogue of well-known councillors lost their seats.

The biggest shock came in Green Hill and Totteridge ward where High Wycombe Mayor Frances Alexander was beaten. Cllr Alexander, a Liberal Democrat, was also council chairman a year previously.

And mayor-elect Adam Gielgud, nephew of the actor Sir John Gielgud, lost in Bowerdean and Daws Hill. He was standing for Labour. This means he will lose his chance to become the town's Millennium Mayor.

There were more shocks as former Labour mayor Sebert Graham lost his seat in the same ward.

And another former Labour mayor Jim Tanner was beaten in Keep Hill and Hicks Farm, while top Liberal Democrat Jean Gabbitas lost in Lacey Green and Hampden.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat Stephen Billingham was beaten in West Wycombe and Sands. He was one of the most senior figures on the previous council.

Delighted Tory group leader Pam Priestley said: "We are amazed by the result. All our hard work has paid off. We campaigned on the issues and the poor record of the opposition parties."

Frances Alexander said: "Our party has suffered from distortion by Conservative canvassers and unfair treatment by the Bucks Free Press."

Veteran Labour county councillor John Huddart said: "This area has an inherent Tory majority, so I expect we will break back the margin in the next few years."

The first results of the night in Wycombe came in Hazlemere where the Tories held two seats.

Sandra Crook, successor to former council chairman Bob Barber, was victorious with an increased majority in Hazlemere Central. Veteran David Cox beat Labour's Ian Bates by 529 to 198 in a two-horse race.

One of the fiercest contests came in another two-horse race in Great Marlow between Tory Bob Woollard and Independent David Coe. They are old adversaries. Mr Woollard won the seat 261 to 199.

The Liberal Democrats did well in Marlow South, winning all three seats. Former Marlow mayor Doug Anson was elected onto the council for the first time, winning the seat held by retired Lib Dem Derek Done.

Labour held onto all three seats in Oakridge and Tinkers Wood where Chauhdry Shafique, of Wycombe Race Equality Council, was elected for the first time.

Former Referendum Party candidate Alan Fulford is also a new face onto the council. He won Hughenden Valley for the Tories, even though he stood against Conservative MP Ray Whitney at the last General Election.

Wycombe was previously held by an alliance of Labour and Lib Dems even though the Tories had the most councillors with 24. Before this election, the Lib Dems had 19, Labour 15 and the Independents two. The council, however, has historically been held by the Tories.

CHILTERN DISTRICT COUNCIL

DELIGHTED Conservatives regained control of Chiltern District Council on Thursday night for the first time in four years.

They took command by winning 29 seats while the Lib Dems trailed in second place with 19. The Residents' Association won the other two.

Before the election, power was precariously balanced with the Lib Dems narrowly holding sway.

But The Conservatives swept their opposition aside by making a total of eight gains.

Philip Priestley, a Tory who held his seat in Chalfont Common, said: "It's terrific. The Liberal Democrats made us work harder than we have ever had to before. We had to react to that. They did us a favour by being in front of us and making us work. It has come back to the good old days. It's a smashing result."

The evening began with the Conservatives recording early confidence-boosting gains.

Tory Robert Arthy won Chenies, the smallest seat in the south of Bucks with only 163 voters. This seat probably had the distinction of having the highest turnout though, with 116 voting. It was previously an Independent seat, although Mr Arthy held the seat way back in 1991.

More Tory gains came in Gold Hill where two Liberal Democrats were replaced by two Conservatives, Thomas Dodd and David Meacock. They took over from Liberal Democrats John Ford, who chaired the environmental services committee, and Murray Harrold.

And the gains kept on coming. John Horsbrurgh-Porter won Coleshill and Penn Street from the Lib Dems. Nicholas Brentnall wrested control from the Lib Dems in Great Missenden.

There were two more Conservative gains in Prestwood and Heath End. Leslie Hodgkinson and Helen Matthews flew the Tory flag triumphantly, while sitting councillor Brenda Barker held the third seat in this ward for the Lib Dems.

There was a significant result in Newtown in Chesham where Mohammed Bhatti, a Conservative, was believed to be the first Asian elected on to Chiltern District Council. He gained the seat for the Tories from the Lib Dems.

Mr Bhatti was campaigning to build a mosque for Chesham. He said: "I'm very proud to become the first Asian serving the district council. I hope to look after the Newtown people and I hope to do my best for them and repay the people who have trusted me."

Green Party candidate Nicholas Wilkins recorded more votes in this seat than Labour, although he was not elected. There was a recount between victorious Lib Dem Patricia Lindsley and Pauline Wilkinson, a Conservative, who was narrowly beaten.

The most notable Tory hold, perhaps, was the triumph of Mimi Harker, the environmental campaigner who was elected onto the council for the first time. She won for the Tories in Chesham Bois and Weedon Hill.

Meanwhile, Labour's only councillor, Joan Baker, lost her Waterside seat to the Liberal Democrats. David Ponting and sitting councillor Tony Reed won here for the Lib Dems.

Chiltern was previously held by the Lib Dems who had 24 seats to the Conservatives' 21 with a handful of seats going to the others.

SOUTH BUCKS DISTRICT COUNCIL

CONSERVATIVES won back South Bucks District, making seven gains to take a decisive grip of what was previously a hung council.

They finished with 27 seats. But the Independents lost five seats to fall back to just ten. It was also a poor night for the Lib Dems who went from five to just three seats.

The result was seen as a vital one for William Hague because it came in true Tory heartland where the Conservatives lost out for the first time ever four years ago.

New Tory councillor Graham Smith, who won Beaconsfield North, said: "The result is a vindication of Conservative values and we are all very pleased with the outcome. We will gather together in the next few weeks to formulate our plans."

Lib Dem Lesley Mallinder was upbeat though. "We are very pleased with our results," she said.

New Lib Dem councillor Paul Henry said: "The Tories were predicting a clean sweep, but we were able to hold on to Beaconsfield South."

The Tories were boosted by two early gains in marginal South Bucks. Graham Smith won the seat in Beaconsfield north previously held by Liberal Democrat stalwart Alistair Dyer, who retired before this election.

And, in Beaconsfield West, Janet Simmonds snatched a seat from the Independents.

The most dramatic fight came in Seer Green and Jordans where Lib Dem councillor Bob Young recorded 428 votes to beat Tory David Matthews -- who had just one vote less. Lib Dem councillor Linda Bateman also held onto her seat in this ward.

There was disappointment in Amersham-on-the-Hill for Tory Rosemary Markham, the widow of late Amersham mayor John Markham. She lost by just four votes.

South Bucks was previously completely hung with Tories holding 20 seats, Independents having 15 and the Lib Dems chipping in with five.

NEARBY AUTHORITIES

THERE was no overall winner in South Oxfordshire. The council is hung there as before.

Aylesbury Vale remained a Liberal Democrat stronghold.

There was no election in Windsor and Maidenhead.

Wycombe Election results Bledlow-Cum-Saunderton (1 seat)

Bruce Holland (Con)..............................600 ELECTED

Mike Huddy (L Dem)............................. 286

Booker and Castlefield (3 seats)

Ted Collins (Lab)................................... 837 ELECTED

Michael Elliott-Jones (Con)....................556

Valerie Jemmett (L Dem)......................255

Adnan Mateen Khan (Con).....................659

Ian Mallen (Con).....................................518

Anne Stenner (Lab)...............................803 ELECTED

Nigel Vickery (Lab)................................741 ELECTED

Keith Woodrow (Lib Dem).....................195

Bourne End-Cum-Hedsor (2 seats)

Anthony Hurst (Con).............................577 ELECTED

Sarah Lawrence (Lab)............................216

Ken Morgan (Con)..................................550

Brian Pollock (L Dem).............................685 ELECTED

Peter Withrington (L Dem).....................544

Bowerdean and Daws Hill (3 seats)

David Fieldhouse (Con)..........................1019ELECTED

Adam Gielgud (Lab)................................693

Sebert Graham (Lab)..............................767

Tasawar Iqbal (Con)................................934 ELECTED

Alexander Lawrence (L Dem)..................317

John Pascall (Con)...................................885 ELECTED

Satnam Singh Sidhu (Lab).......................519

Cressex and Frogmoor (3 seats)

Ceri Byatt (L Dem)..................................221

Lesley Clarke (Con).................................1105ELECTED

Alan Hill (Con).........................................1081ELECTED

Mahboob Hussain (Con)..........................1032ELECTED

Rilla Knight (Lab)....................................496

Susan Morris (Lab)..................................602

Mohammed Adnan Tahir (Lab)................556

Zoe West (L Dem)...................................227

Downley (3 seats)

Anthea Hardy (Lab).................................240ELECTED

Helen Ritchie (Con)..................................238

Flackwell Heath (2 seats)

Jeff Herschel (L Dem)..............................473

Julia Langley (Con)..................................938ELECTED

Christine Pow (Lab).................................400

John Savage (Con)..................................1042ELECTED

Great Marlow (1 seat)

David Coe (Ind)........................................199

Bob Woollard (Con)..................................260ELECTED

Green Hill and Totteridge (3 seats)

Frances Alexander (L Dem)......................611

Colin Bates (Lab).....................................394

Matthew Brown (L Dem).........................463

Roger Colomb (Con).................................915ELECTED

Christopher Fowler (Lab).........................417

Anthony Green (Con)...............................911ELECTED

Kate McConnachie (Lab)..........................392

Anthony Mealing (L Dem)........................440

Eve O'Sullivan (Con)................................892ELECTED

Hambleden Valley (1 seat)

Tony Dunn (Con).....................................440ELECTED

John Trueman (Lab)................................185

Hazlemere Central (1 seat)

Sandra Crook (Con).................................428ELECTED

Christopher Dillon (Lab)...........................94

Veronica Snoxell (L Dem).........................88

Hazlemere East (1 seat)

Ian Bates (Lab)........................................198

David Cox (Con).......................................529ELECTED

Hazlemere West (1 seat)

Martin Dominguez (Lab)...........................280

Leslie Taylor (Con)...................................550ELECTED

Hughenden Valley (1 seat)

Alan Fulford (Con)....................................392ELECTED

Christopher Morley (L Dem).....................345

Icknield (1 seat)

Judith Power (Lab)....................................90

Pam Priestley (Con)..................................695ELECTED

Lyn Thorne (L Dem)...................................91

Keep Hill and Hicks Farm (3 seats)

Peter Cartwright (Con)...........................1096ELECTED

Jean Collins (Lab).....................................747

Glyn Galbraith (Lab).................................767

Douglas Lambourne (Con).......................871ELECTED

Ian McEnnis (Con)....................................827ELECTED

Robert Henry Olszewski (L Dem).............221

Jim Tanner (Lab).....................................795

Kingshill (1 seat)

David Carroll (Con)..................................525ELECTED

Trevor Fowler (Lab).................................281

Lacey Green and Hampden (1 seat)

Jean Gabbitas (L Dem)............................474

Paul Rogerson (Con)................................566ELECTED

Lane End and Piddington (2 seats)

Frances Bettison (L Dem)........................469ELECTED

David Evans (Con)...................................431ELECTED

John Huddart (Lab).................................179

Alan Mountford (L Dem)..........................394

Brian Stenner (Lab).................................151

John Davidson Whitehouse (Con)............369

Little Marlow

Bill Jennings (Con) returned unopposed

Loudwater (1 seat).

Debbie Lewis (Con).................................594ELECTED

John Turner (Lab)...................................265

Marlow Bottom (1 seat)

Dominic Barnes (Con).............................512

Malcolm Blanksby (Ind)...........................643ELECTED

Marlow North (3 seats)

Colin Beckley (Green)

Maryam Beckley (Green)

Roger Byatt (L Dem)

James Campbell (L Dem)

Alex Collingwood (Con) (Re-count Friday)

Clare Cowling (Lab)

James Harvey (Con)

John Laker (Green)

Paul Moore (L Dem)

Roger Wilson (Con)

Marlow South (3 seats)

Doug Anson (L Dem)..............................742ELECTED

Philip Booth (Con)..................................628

Ivor Coleman (L Dem)............................777ELECTED

Maurice Oram (L Dem)...........................884ELECTED

Roger Page (Con)..................................659

Trevor Southern (Lab)...........................217

Hans Wessel (Con).................................569

Marsh and Micklefield (3 seats)

Victoria Vivian Amediku (L Dem)

Joseph Edward Dix (Con)

Kathleen Dix (Con)

Kathleen Draper (Lab) (Re-count Friday)

Susan Heath (Con)

Clare Martens (Lab)

Jennifer Nagle (L Dem)

Jack Preston (Lab)

Naphill-Cum-Bradenham (1 seat)

Candida Piercy (L Dem).........................621

Richard Pushman (Con)..........................644ELECTED

Oakridge and Tinkers Wood (3 seats)

Liquat Ali (Lab)......................................999ELECTED

Christine Billingham (L Dem)..................371

Marie Burnand (L Dem)..........................361

Allah Ditta (Con)....................................715

Abdul Karim (Con).................................804

Peter Morris (Lab).................................925ELECTED

Chauhdry Shafique (Lab).......................914ELECTED

Maureen Styles (Con)............................795

Princes Risborough (3 seats)

James Bendyshe-Brown (Con).............1271ELECTED

William Dore (Lab).................................371

Dennis Green (Con)..............................1325ELECTED

William Harte (L Dem)...........................479

Susan Huddy (L Dem)............................534

Christopher Oliver (Con).......................1281ELECTED

John Phillips (Lab).................................347

Jennifer Stothard (L Dem).....................475

Susan Tracey (Lab)...............................326

Stokenchurch (2 seats)

John Bettison (L Dem)..........................380

Christopher Elliott (Lib Dem).................592ELECTED

Andrew Green (Lab)..............................160

Sarah Marshall (Con).............................446ELECTED

Tylers Green (2 seats)

Ian Forbes (L Dem)................................288

Betty Lay (Con).....................................794ELECTED

Peter Mapp (L Dem)...............................287

David Shakespeare (Con).......................763ELECTED

West Wycombe and Sands (3 seats)

Stephen Billingham (L Dem)...................565

Michelle Gausman (L Dem).....................469

Rebecca Hickman (Lab)..........................411

Ricki Akhter Hussein (Con).....................596ELECTED

Grace Jones (Con)..................................696ELECTED

Wendy Mallen (Con)................................624ELECTED

Nicholas Mole (Lab)................................372

Reginald Rundle (L Dem).........................504

Alan Waterson (Lab)...............................419

The Wooburns (2 seats)

Michael Appleyard (Con).........................361ELECTED

Elizabeth Bell-Smith (Lab).......................215

John Dalton (Ind)....................................400ELECTED

Jeff Nagle (L Dem)..................................215

Julia Waite (L Dem).................................326

Chiltern election results Amersham Common (2 seats)

Pamela Appleby (L Dem)..........................440ELECTED

Steven Bates (Con).....................................281

Jane Bramwell (L Dem)............................345ELECTED

Lynda Greenhill (Lab)................................103

Helen Louise King (Con)............................268

Amersham-on-the-Hill (3 seats)

Michael Andrews-Reading (Con)............463

Gusty Cotterell (L Dem)............................578ELECTED

Vera Grace Head (L Dem)...........................539ELECTED

Rosemary Markham (Con)..........................473

Howard Newton (Con).................................450

Howard John Ridley (Lab).........................193

Jonathan Wallis (L Dem)...........................477ELECTED

Amersham Town (2 seats)

Davida Allen (L Dem)...................................602

Julie Alice Burton (Con)............................424

Andrew Halstead (Con)...............................417

David Edward Tench (Lab).........................142

Megan Jean White (L Dem).........................435

Asheridge Vale (1 seat)

Michael Ronald Ashdown (Con)................124

Ivy Cornish (Lab)...........................................102

Stephen James (L Dem)...............................220ELECTED

Ashley Green and Latimer (1 seat)

Anne Jones (Lab).............................................86

Davina Joy Kirby (L Dem)............................99

Graham Eliot Sussum (Con)......................396ELECTED

Austenwood (1 seat)

Peter Thomas Lole (Con)............................340ELECTED

Jacqueline Lomas (L Dem).........................116

Ballinger and South Heath (1 seat)

Michael Edward Pummell (L Dem)..........93

Nicholas Rose (Con).....................................308ELECTED

Chalfont Common (2 seats)

Peter Jack Nowell (L Dem).......................528

Wendy Margaret Nowell (L Dem)............512

Philip Priestley (Con)................................667ELECTED

Linda Smith (Con)........................................664ELECTED

Chalfont St Giles (3 seats)

Steven Frank Bateman (L Dem)...............203

Bernard Curson (Con)...................................942ELECTED

John Hawkins (F & J Council Taxy).......112

David Mark Hollander (L Dem)..................274

Susan Howkins (Con)....................................869ELECTED

Alan Stanley Kaye (Lab).............................176

Russell Pendse (L Dem)..............................261

Mark Peters (Con)..........................................863ELECTED

Doreen Joy Wilcockson (Lab)....................237

Chalfont St Peter (2 seats)

Jeremy Banham (Con)...................................595ELECTED

Paul Joseph Newman (L Dem)...................317

John Warder (Con).........................................586ELECTED

John Young (L Dem).......................................316

Chartridge (1 seat)

Peter Burkinshaw (Con).............................142

Barbara Ann Hunter (Lab)..........................38

Peter Jones (L Dem).....................................303ELECTED

Chenies (1 seat)

Robert Arthy (Con).......................................78ELECTED

Nicholas James Morrison (Ind)...............38

Chesham Bois and Weedon Hill (2 seats)

Ian Gomm (Con)..............................................988ELECTED

Mimi Harker (Con).........................................951ELECTED

Howard Maitland-Jones (L Dem).............276

Colin David James Mills (Green)............144

Paul Philip Rainger (L Dem).....................179

David Carlton Smith (Lab)........................121

Cholesbury and The Lee (1 seat)

Linda Jennifer Dawe (L Dem)..................229

Elizabeth Pitt Stacey (Con).....................360ELECTED

Coleshill / Penn Street (1 seat)

John Simon Horsbrugh-Porter (Con)....258ELECTED

Clive Walton (L Dem)..................................249

Gold Hill (2 seats)

Thomas Dodd (Con).......................................357ELECTED

John Edward Ford (L Dem).........................232

Murray John Harrold (L Dem)....................247

Malcolm George Horne (Lab).....................144

David George Meacock (Con).....................333ELECTED

Gordon Whitaker (Lab)................................114

Great Missenden (1 seat)

Nicholas Brentnall (Con)...........................574ELECTED

Peter Dawson (Lab)......................................69

Nicholas Slope (L Dem)..............................302

Hilltop (1 seat)

Noel Brown (Con) .........................................326ELECTED

Peter Lewis Jones (Lab)............................68

Susan Waite Jordan (L Dem).....................234

Holmer Green (2 seats)

Henry Julian Greenfield (L Dem).............225

Margaret Hamilton (Con)............................757ELECTED

David Hearn (L Dem).....................................275

David Schofield (Con)..................................643ELECTED

Ruth Werbiski-Dutton (Lab)......................130

Little Chalfont (2 seats)

Graham Dean (Con)........................................657

Gary Trevor Garnell (L Dem).....................320

Peter Laurence O'Curry (Lab)...................125

Alan Passmore (L Dem)...............................294

Don Phillips (Con)..........................................606

Little Missenden (1 seat)

Archie Campbell (Con).................................537

Joanna Mary Greenfield (L Dem)..............225

Lowndes (1 seat)

Susan Ashdown (Con)...................................303

Jacqueline Anne Barratt (L Dem)............366

Eileen Margaret Rowlands (Lab)..............36

Newtown (2 seats)

Roy Abraham (L Dem)...................................379

Mohammed Bhatti (Con)..............................428

Patricia Rose Lindsley (L Dem)...............410

Margaret Mary Lockhart (Lab)..................145

Patricia Rogers (Lab)...................................116

Nicholas Wilkins (Green)............................166

Pauline Wilkinson (Con)..............................405

Penn (2 seats)

Michael George Barratt (L Dem)...............170

Michael Batt (Con)..........................................610

Alan Dibbo (Con)..............................................591

David Ernest Rafferty (L Dem)..................170

Pond Park (2 seats)

Diane Brackley (Res Assoc)........................401

Kenneth Hulme (Lab)......................................221

Derek John Lacey (Res Assoc)...................641

Mary Shaw (Con)..............................................141

Peter Arthur Ward (Lab)..............................246

Prestwood and Heath End (3 seats)

Brenda Barker (L Dem)..................................847

Hilary Dawson (Lab)......................................186

Roger Gooding (L Dem).................................734

Ann Gray (L Dem)............................................793

Leslie Arthur Hodgkinson (Con)................858

Helen Sarah Matthews (Con)......................879

June Shirley Spear (Con).............................822

St Mary's (1 seat)

Vernon Anthony Griffiths (Lab).................28

Sheila Janet Rainger (L Dem)....................253

David Rowlands (Con)...................................207

Seer Green and Jordans (2 seats)

Linda Susan Bateman (L Dem)...................546

Kate Dawson (Lab)..........................................76

David John Matthews (Con)........................427

Anil Kumar Mitra (Con)................................361

Bob Young (L Dem)..........................................428

Townsend (2 seats)

Arnold Herbert John Baines (L Dem)......485

Kathleen Joan Folly (Green)........................53

Roderick Charles McCulloch (Con)...........313

Alizanne Parker (Con)...................................260

Harold Cecil Rhodes (Lab)...........................130

Alan Walters (L Dem)....................................491

Janice Mary Welden (Lab)............................127

Waterside (2 seats)

Joan Baker (Lab)...............................................216

David Cross (Lab).............................................194

Gordon Dixon (Con)..........................................187

Phillip James Folly (Green)..........................31

Matthew Hunt (Con).........................................206

David Anthony Ponting (L Dem)..................299

Tony Reed (L Dem)............................................279

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.