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.

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