Elections: Southend makes Tories blue

A massive Conservative offensive across the borough failed to pay off as two key seats in Milton ward were taken by Labour.

Look out for stories headlined 'Elections' in Local News for all your Essex voting results.

However, it was a hollow victory for one of its candidates, Stephen George, who polled a single vote more than sitting councillor Joyce Lambert.

The Tory stalwart, who represented the ward for the past two years, was taken ill two weeks ago and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

If she had held the seat, the Conservatives would have snatched control of the council after five years of Lib Dem and Labour rule.

For the Liberal Democrats, it was a night of relief, tarnished with serious worries for the future. Activists stood at the count and watched in horror as their vote collapsed before their eyes.

Leigh ward - a traditional Lib Dem stronghold - was taken by the Conservatives in a surprise victory.

Jubilant Tory candidate John Lamb won the seat with a majority of 84 votes over sitting councillor Al Smulian.

The result could have been affected by anti-Leigh Town Council campaigner Brian Isaacs, who polled 238 votes. There were also 28 spoilt ballot papers from the ward.

Labour made significant advances in Westborough ward, too, by squeezing the usually solid Lib Dem vote to its lowest level for years.

Former mayor Howard Gibeon won the seat with a fragile four-vote majority after a recount. Councillor David Elf, the Lib Dem candidate in Prittlewell, also saw his majority slip from a massive 757 to just five votes.

Lib Dem leader, Graham Longley said: "There is no change. The administration will continue - it's business as usual.

"I do think it is particularly sad that Al Smulian lost his seat - he had served the town well and was a well-respected councillor."

However, councillor Charles Latham insisted the Conservatives' long-term prospects in Southend were looking good.

The Tory group leader said: "It is very frustrating that we are not in control of the council, but what has emerged is the total collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote in Southend West." Tories clawing their way back in Rochford

The Tory party can look forward to a louder voice in Rochford District after it clawed back its traditional Rayleigh stronghold.

In a district election which saw one Tory candidate scrape in by only five votes, the Conservative party finished the evening with four out of the five Rayleigh wards up for grabs.

It was a great night for the Tories, who gained five seats - all at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

The result leaves Rochford District Council with an almost even split between the three major parties.

Liberal Democrats are still the biggest single party with 13 seats, Labour have 12, and the Conservative party has jumped from six to 11 seats.

Conservative leader Peter Webster said the result proved the people of Rayleigh weren't happy with what had happened in their town.

He said: "Rayleigh people are fed up to the back teeth of Liberal arrogance and their autocratic role.

"The people of Rayleigh have repeatedly said they want pay on exit car parks, which has been ignored.

"The people of Rayleigh also said they didn't want any humps in residential roads unless the majority of residents wanted it, and they said they were against spending £750,000 in Rayleigh High Street - and the Liberals have ignored it."

Elsewhere in the district the Liberal Democrats had mixed fortunes. Alan Hosking held on to Canewdon Ward and Hawkwell East favourite Vic Leach retained his seat, but in Great Wakering Central and Great Wakering West they struggled to achieve 20 votes each.

Lib Dem leader Jeannette Helson remained defiant despite the disappointments and said the unfinished High Street had worked against her party.

She said: "If people had seen the improvements in Rayleigh finished, we might have done better, and the turnout of voters wasn't very good, but we still have the most seats.

Labour retained the three seats it originally held, including that of the council's youngest member and Chairman Graham Fox. The party has held both seats in Great Wakering since the 1920s.

Labour leader Chris Morgan said the party was still in a very good position on the District Council.

He said: "We didn't gain or lose any seats - we are still in a position to follow our policies through and we will continue to do so."

Independent candidate candidate Robin Allen retained his Barling and Sutton seat - the only win outside of the three main parties. Cutmore chuffed

It took two recounts before Conservative candidate Terry Cutmore was declared winner in the Ashingdon seat. But he didn't mind - each revised result cemented his victory.

After the first count Mr Cutmore had scraped through with just two votes more than Lib Dem Charles Hall. But a re-count was immediately ordered, which finished with Mr Cutmore in a marginally better position with four votes.

Then, after the second re-count Mr Cutmore's win increased to five, to the delight of his Conservative colleagues.

A jubilant Mr Cutmore said: "I worked the ward hard and had a lot of support. I am there for the people and it is my intention not to just be there at election times." Labour celebrates

Labour is celebrating after retaining its control of Basildon Council - despite a dramatic fight back from gung-ho Tories.

The party fended off a fierce Conservative challenge to retain all its New Town seats and its grip on Basildon Council.

But it was a sad day for the beleaguered Liberal Democrats.

The party was routed by the Tories north of the arterial, losing all their seats in Billericay and Wickford and leaving the Conservatives as the new opposition group on Basildon Council.

Council leader John Potter claimed the result - which leaves Labour 12 seats ahead of the Tories - proved the Labour party would stay in control of Basildon Council until the next General Election.

He said: "We are extremely pleased. The best we could have hoped for was to hold on to all our seats. I expect Labour to control the council through the term of this government."

Comrades

Therewas a whiff of old Labour very early in the Southend election count when the first speech came from Mike Royston, returned for the party in St Luke's Ward.

Thanking all those involved, he referred to his workers in the ward as "comrades" a word not heard often from the party. Al's comeback promise

Defeated Lib Dem veteran Al Smulian in Leigh has pledged the party will make a comeback in what has long been considered one of the party's strongholds.

But, he added, "it won't be me." Mr Smulian is a former Essex county councillor who served as chairman of the county highways committee.

Liberal Democrat leader Graham Longley paid tribute to his efforts over the years and said it was "a great disappointment" to lose his expertise. Lamb claims roots return

Tory victor in Leigh, John Lamb said he was delighted the area had returned to its roots. "I plan to represent Leigh in the manner in which it has not been represented on this council for some time.

"The people of the area have shown they want a Conservative to represent them." Harley sees funny side

Labour's defeated Alan Harley in Leigh was able to joke: "It's a long time since the Labour candidate did not come last in Leigh."

Trailing 200 votes behind was former Conservative councillor Brian Isaacs, standing on an Independent Anti Leigh Town Council ticket. George's long memory

Stephen George who won by only one vote for Labour in Milton Ward recalled the words of his father, Colin George, who fought Southend East at a General Election some years ago and cut the Conservative majority to three figures.

"He said any majority was still a majority, and that even applies to a majority of one." Pensioner power

Pensioner power helped Tory Gwen Horrigan to retain her seat in Belfairs with a thumping majority.

Mrs Horrigan said: "I especially want to thank my team of pensioners - some of them are 80 or 90 years old." Longley's keen for the routine

Business as usual was the message from Liberal Democrat leader Graham Longley.

Last night he said: "The administration will be back in operation from tomorrow morning as it has been in recent years." 'Southend will turn blue'

Southend will be Conservative controlled very soon - that was the prediction of party leader Charles Latham,

He said the most striking thing about the election was the total collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote across the whole borough. Favourites have staying power

Firm favourites proved they still had the power to pull in the votes after stalwarts from all parties romped home.

Labour's Myra Weir retained her seat in Hawkwell West for the second time.

Independent Robin Allen has been a councillor for 12 years and kept his position in Barling and Sutton for another four.

Former Rochford District Council chairman Roy Pearson, Conservative, kept his position on the council representing Foulness and Great Wakering East.

Present council chairman Graham Fox retained his Great Wakering West seat for Labour for the third time running.

Lib Dem favourites Joyce Giles and Vic Leach also hung on to their seats in Whitehouse and Hawkwell East respectively. Apathy strikes again

Although better than last year, some candidates expressed disappointment with public apathy toward the election. The lowest number of votes came from Hawkwell East with only 23.85 per cent of the electorate turning out.

The most constituents to cast a vote were in Canewdon, with 44.79 per cent. Double celebration

Rochford District Council chairman Graham Fox enjoyed a double celebration today. Not only did he retain his seat for Labour in Great Wakering West for the third time but he was celebrating his 36th birthday.

He was officially crowned as the baby of the council as he is the youngest councillor in the chamber. Graham said: "The result was a great birthday present." Rayleigh the start of somthing big

Tory MP Dr Michael Clark said the Conservatives' landslide victory in Rayleigh was a "springboard" that would take the party on to bigger things.

He said the results in the Rochford District Council elections were a big boost and would go a long way to help the beleagured Tory leader William Hague.

Dr Clark said: "I am delighted with the result. We had five gains from the biggest party on the council. This is a springboard and we hope to take control next year. Five gains are a big confidence boost to the party."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.