Conservatives increase majority following local election
The Conservative Party has increased its majority to five seats in the Swindon Borough Council Chamber following yesterday’s Borough-wide election.
Published: Friday, 3rd May 2019
Of the 19 seats up for election, just one changed hands leaving the Conservatives with 31 seats, Labour with 24 and the Liberal Democrats with two seats.
The Conservatives gained their only seat in Penhill and Upper Stratton with Oladapo Ibitoye (1,086) being elected ahead of the Labour Party candidate Kate Linnegar (785), Independent candidate Teresa Page (468), the Green Party’s Katharine Henery (172) and the Liberal Democrats’ Michelle Horrobin (109).
The Conservatives held on to seats in Blunsdon & Highworth (Alan Bishop), Chiseldon & Lawn (Jenny Jefferies), Covingham & Dorcan (Dale Heenan), Haydon Wick (David Renard), Lydiard & Freshbrook (Caryl Sydney-Smith), Priory Vale (Vinay Manro), Shaw (Nick Martin), St Andrews (Steve Heyes), St Margaret & South Marston (Robert Jandy) and Wroughton & Wichelstowe (Cathy Martyn).
Later in the evening the Conservatives held on to their Old Town seat following a recount with Nick Burns-Howell (1,167) just edging out Labour’s Neil Hopkins (1,152).
Labour held seats in Central (Adorabelle Amaral), Eastcott (Paul Dixon) Gorse Hill & Pinehurst (John Ballman), Liden, Eldene & Park South (Bazil Solomon), Mannington & Western (Steph Exell), Rodbourne Cheney (Jim Grant) and Walcot & Park North (Emma Bushell).
Turnout for the election was 34 per cent overall.
Full election results are available here.