By-Elections Expected Following Untimely Death of Councillor

Two By-Elections are expected to be called to fill a vacancy in the Scotter Rural Division of Lincolnshire County Council and the  Scotter Ward of West Lindsey District Council following the untimely death of Cllr. Chris Underwood-Frost, Conservative (Scotter Rural Division, Scotter Ward), whose battle with cancer is now concluded.

Cllr. Underwood-Frost was first elected to West Lindsey District Council in 1999 and was subsequently re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2011. At the 2007 local elections he was re-elected to his seat when, tied with the Liberal Democrat candidate, both having received 781 votes, the peculiarities of the electoral system came into play and Cllr. Underwood-Frost secured re-election by virtue of a coin-toss.

In 2001 he was successful during the local elections to Lincolnshire County Council in gaining the seat for the Scotter Rural Division, securing re-election in 2005, 2009 and, most recently, in 2013.

Since the boundary changes and all-out elections of 1999 to West Lindsey District Council both the ward and the division have been consistently won by the Conservatives over the last decade, both of seats came under pressure from the Liberal Democrats around the middle of the last decade. The Conservative majority was only 131 votes in the Scotter Ward in 2004 before being determined by a coin toss at the following district election. Only 170 votes in the Scotter Rural Division in 2005, after coming so close, the Liberal Democrat challenge has since faded away; the second place spot at the most recent district election in the Scotter Ward, in 2011, was taken by an Independent, while the UK Independence Party were second here in the recent County Council election.

The defending Conservative candidate for the County Division is Sturton-by-Stow resident Richard Butroid, who is a Health and Safety Specialist and who has represented Lincolnshire at clay pigeon shooting. District Councillors Lesley Rollings, Liberal Democrat (Thonock Ward), from Pilham, will make her third attempt to secure the County Council seat; whilst Cllr. Chris Darcel, Independent (Fiskerton Ward), will make a first outing for the Lincolnshire Independents into this area. Finally the UK Independence Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Lincoln, Nick Smith, will hope to replicate, and improve upon the party successful second place earlier in the year.

Above: (Left to Right) Sir Edward Leigh with Conservative
Candidates Richard Butroid and John Cox on Scotter Green

In the Scotter Ward by-election John Cox, also from Sturton-by-Stow, will defend for the Conservatives. His opposition will come from the Chairman of Scotter Parish Council, Chris Day, Independent; Barry Coward, from Gainsborough, and local party Chairman of the Liberal Democrats; and the UK Independence Party's Dr. Howard Thompson, from Claxby near Market Rasen.

The Conservatives will have hopes of retaining both seats, although supplying candidates who live some distance from the area they will eventually represent may present an additional hurdle. The Liberal Democrats, locally, have always coveted this seat and will through everything they have at it, in an attempt to show that their electoral demise, since joining the coalition government in 2010 has been greatly exaggerated. Labour have failed to field even a county council candidate, which they have done in 2009 and May 2013, suggesting that the party in the constituency is in very poor shape. The UK Independence Party has been rife with internal disagreements since their success in electing a number of councillors to the county council earlier in the year; to the extent that their group has split in to two groups, whether this has impacted on the party's brand remains to be seen. The Lincolnshire Independents have no hope of winning here. If they get 200 votes they will be having a good night. Expect them to come in fourth place.

West Lindsey District Council Refuse Planning Permission for Wind Farm

West Lindsey District Council's Planning Committee last night voted to refuse planning permission for a proposal to erect two 50Kw, 3 blade, 35m wind turbines at Normanby-by-Spital.

Local Councillors heard from local residents and the applicant's representative, together with County Councillor Lewis Strange, Conservative (Ancholme Cliff Division).

After some considerable discussion Cllr. Roger Patterson, Conservative (Scampton Ward) moved refusal of the application on the grounds that it was inconsistant with local planning policy. Specifically that because development should protect the environment, with regard to the impact on the character, appearance and amenities of neighbouring, and where relevant, other land, including visual encroachment into the countryside (STRAT 1), the construction of two turbines was not consistent with local planning policy. It was the view of the committee that  that the development would have detrimental impact on skylines and important views (NBE 10) and the development would detract from the rural character of the settlement edge and the counrtyside beyond (NBE 20).

Only Cllr. Malcolm Leaning, Liberal Democrat (Nettleham Ward), voted to support the granting of planning permission. Whilst his party colleagues abstained together with with Cllr. Richy Doran, Labour (Gainsborough East Ward) and Cllr. Alan Caine, Independent (Caistor Ward).

Independent Wins Election to become Lincolnshire's First Police and Crime Commissioner

Alan Hardwick, Independent (Lincolnshire), a former television presenter and public relations officer for the Police Authority, was sworn in to office yesterday following his victory in the election to the new post of Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

With turnout plummeting to new depths across the country, Lincolnshire managed a turnout of 15.28%, slightly above the national average. West Lindsey had the highest turnout from the seven districts of the county with 17.72%.

The Count took place at seven locations across Lincolnshire. West Lindsey's count was undertaken at the West Lindsey Leisure Centre in Gainsborough and began at nine o'clock.  By half past nine it was clear the turnout was going to be low. By ten o'clock the first part of the count process, verification, was complete and increasingly bored count staff had to wait patiently until one o'clock for other centres to complete their verifications before the counting of ballots count begin.

At one o'clock the counting of the first preference votes began and shortly before three o'clock it was clear that no candidate had recieved more than fifty per cent of the vote and could be elected:

• David Bowles (Independent) 27,345 (32.66%)
• Richard Davies (Conservative) 19,872 (23.73%)
• Paul Gleeson (Labour) 10,247 (12.24%)
• Alan Hardwick (Independent) 26,272 (31.37%)

Richard Davies and Paul Gleeson were eliminated and David Bowles and Alan Hardwick went through to the final round.

The counting of the eliminated candidate's second preferences votes took less than an hour, 9,429 were not vaild second preference votes and shortly before six o'clock the result was announced.

Mr.Hardwick recieved 12,949 (62.59%) additional votes whilst Mr. Bowles recieved 7,741 (37.41%). The result was:

• David Bowles (Independent) 35,086 (47.22%%)
• Alan Hardwick (Independent) 39,221 (52.78%) Elected

PCC2012: Conservatives Choose County's Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate

The candidates for the post of the newly created office of Police and Crime Commissioner for the Lincolnshire force area have become clearer following the Conservatives' selection of their candidate.

Members of the Conservative Party from across Lincolnshire came together at a closed primary to select a final candidate after several months of scrutiny of nineteen individuals who put themselves forward for the role.

Cllr. Richard Davies

Cllr. Richard Davies, Conservative (Grantham North West Division, LCC), has been selected as his party's candidate. As a member of Lincolnshire Police Authority Cllr. Davies is well placed to fulfil the demands of the role of Police and Crime Commissioner for the County. Richard says:

"Having been born and raised in Lincolnshire I understand the negative impact crime and anti-social behaviour has on hard working families across our county. I believe my no-nonsense approach will help prevent crime, reduce people’s fear of lawlessness and offer the public genuine reassurance about the way their communities are policed. That is why I am seeking the Conservative Party nomination for Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire."

Cllr. Davies is the front runner in this contest, he should confidently retain his deposit (£5,000 - lost if polls below 5%) and could easily win on the first choice votes (the system used for the election of these posts is the Supplementary Voting System).

Cllr. Phil Dilks, Labour (Deeping St. James Ward, SKDC), is a former journalist. He served eight years on Lincolnshire County Council up to the 2009 local elections when he was kicked off the authority by local voters. He served on Lincolnshire Police Authority during his time as a county councillor. He is a GMB Trade Unionist.

Cllr. Dilks secured his seat on South Kesteven District Council in a postponed election last year, however there was criticism as Cllr. Dilks gave himself no party description. Despite being a Labour Party member and former Labour councillor and Labour press officer. He now sits as a member of the Labour group on the council. He is expected to retain his deposit.

Other candidates at this stage to have emerged are former Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council Mr. David Bowles, Independent. The voting system favouring established parties expect him to loose his deposit.

Mr. Mervyn Barrett OBE, Independent has come forward as well and has a background of over 30 years experience of the criminal justice and crime prevention fields - for which he received his OBE in 1999. Perhaps the more serious of the two independent campaigns. He may retain his deposit if he does significantly better than Mr. Bowles.

Finally, for the moment, Cllr. Elliot Fountain, English Democrats (Fenside Ward, BBC) has put his hat into the ring. Expect him to loose his deposit.

Gainsborough By Elections Leave Lib Dems in Control

Thursday saw two by elections conducted for Gainsborough Town Council, as previously mentioned on this blog (here).

West Lindsey District Councillor Mick Tinker, Liberal Democrat, as expected, won the contest in the Gainsborough East ward with 265 votes, a majority of 140 over the United Kingdom Independence Party's John Bishop. Independent, Richard Banyard came third with 61 and James Plastow forth with 49.

Top: Gainsborough East ward result.
Below: Gainsborough South West ward result

Meanwhile in the Gainsborough South West ward John Butler ('Gainsborough Residents Concerns and Issues') won with 303 votes to Independent's Timothy Davies' 121.

In the East ward contest the Liberal Democrats vote was down 21 percentage points, whilst the Independent vote was up 2 percentage points and the non-aligned vote was down 5 percentage points. The United Kingdom Independence Party, in there first showing in the ward cut a 25 percent slice of the vote; this compares somewhat unfavourably with the 43 percent showing their candidate achieved in the North West ward contest back in April, earlier this year.

In the South West Ward Contest John Butler's credible win with 71 percent gives a clear mandate from the local electorate. Timothy Davies meanwhile increased his share of the vote by 6 percentage points up from the twenty-three percent he received at the by election for the South West ward in March, four months prior.

The result of the by elections mean the Liberal Democrats lost a seat in the South West ward, as they didn't field a candidate, and in the East ward they picked up a seat from the non-aligned councillors. They remain with a majority of four.

EXCLUSIVE: Lib Dem Council in Crisis

It was not too long ago, last year, that Gainsborough's Liberal Democrats were proud to announce that they had secured a majority on Gainsborough Town Council, after otherwise disastrous local election results for West Lindsey District Council - knocking them back to their lowest number of district councillors since 1992.

They got off to a flying start, suspending all committees to conduct a governance review (rumoured to be costing the authority several thousand pounds) and then later announcing a cut of 3.8%, in the Town Council's portion of the Council Tax for 2012/13, at the start of 2012. However, this momentum has stalled. Now the Council is in Crisis - with calls for the authority to be abolished.

In January the authority had it's first resignation.  Cllr. Mrs. Pearl Banyard, Non-Aligned (Gainsborough East Ward), who was first elected in 1996, and who resigned on grounds of ill health.  A by-election was called and Cllr. Sean Brennan, Non-Aligned (East Ward) elected.

Then in March Cllr. Ms Julie Nicolson, Liberal Democrat (North West Ward) resigned for reasons unknown.  The minutes of the subsequent Town Council meeting merely mention, perhaps tactfully, the fact of it, but not the substance.  On 26th April Cllr. Dave Dobbie, Liberal Democrat (North West Ward) was elected.

As April came to a close, Cllr. Robin Perry, Liberal Democrat (North West Ward) - who had replaced Cllr. Dobbie on the Council in August 2011, because post election paperwork had not been properly submitted - resigned from the Liberal Democrat party.

Cllr. Perry now sits as an Independent.   According to the Gainsborough Standard he no longer saw eye-to-eye with the party and claimed 'bullying' tactics were being used to make councillors toe the party line. He said:

"Being a councillor is about the residents of Gainsborough and they should come first, not our own personal agendas."

Then, only days later, just prior to the Town Council's Annual Meeting, on Tuesday, 7th May 2012, two councillors resigned. The first, and most dramatic, was Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Gainsborough Town Council, Cllr. Trevor Young, Liberal Democrat (South West Ward).

A spokesman for Gainsborough Town Council confirmed his shock resignation stating:

"Councillor Young handed his notice of resignation to us on Tuesday at 4pm stating personal and professional reasons."

Cllr. Young, who continues to represent the South West Ward on West Lindsey District Council, said the Town Council was 'drowning' after 'years of previous mismanagement', reported the Gainsborough Standard.  He said that despite the £4,000 governance review aimed at improving the council, there was still a 'lack of commitment to change'.

"Less than half the councillors and officers turned up for the workshops."

He also said there was a lack of openness and transparency between officers and councillors, which had created 'major concerns' over financial issues.

"No-one on that council knows if the accounts show significant over spending or under spending at any one time.  

"The only option, I believe, is for the council to self opt into special measures, so that the district council can take over for 12-24 months

"This council is in crisis. Other bodies desperately need to intervene to get it back on track."

Meanwhile, Cllr. Brennan joined Cllr. Young in resigning. He stated that his 'personal integrity' would not have allowed him to stay.

"I was motivated to stand for election by a desire to serve my local community."

Cllr. Brennan said in the short period he had served (six weeks), he had become convinced the public body was 'a horrifically poor waste of public resources'.

"The only way value for money can be achieved is by the town council being abolished." 

"In the meetings I have attended I have seen pure maladministration and an embarrassing level of incompetence."

 Two by-elections have now been called for Thursday, 12th July 2012.  In the East Ward contest there are four candidates:

• Richard Charles Banyard (Independent)
• John William Beaver (UKIP)
• James Alexander Plastow (Non Aligned)
• Michael Tinker (Liberal Democrat)

Mr. Michael Tinker, serves as both a District and County Councillor for Gainsborough and so is widely expected to win with a comfortable margin. However, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) are eager to secure a by election win - even on to a first tier council  - There local Party Chairman, Mr. Nick Smith recently wrote, encouraging activists:

"John Beavers campaign will kick off with leafleting on Sunday 1st July at 2pm this is to catch the postal voters which get their votes on the 3rd July. 

"Followed up by leafleting on Tuesday the 3rd July".

They both have the potential to take the seat.

Meanwhile, In the South West Ward contest there is a straight fight between two candidates:

• John Butler (Gainsborough Residents Concerns and Issues)
• Timothy Mark Davies (Independent)

Little is known about John Butler and the 'Gainsborough Residents Concerns and Issues' name, is not a party but a description.  Mr. Davies is a former Town Mayor and is seeking a likely return to the authority. Either candidate has the potential to be successful, what is surprising is that in a ward which went solidly Liberal Democrat in May 2011 the party has not managed to field a candidate.

In conclusion there are significant difficulties being experienced by Gainsborough Town Council.  Both from internal factors, such as the machinations of the ruling Liberal Democrat group and mistrust of the authority's staff by councillors, and external factor such as dwindling public support for the council by the residents of Gainsborough.

For the Liberal Democrats the impact of failings, within and without, of Gainsborough Town Council is the loss of credibility with the local electorate.  Gainsborough Town Council is the only authority locally they can point to and demonstrate what the hallmark of a Liberal Democrat administration is. Looking at the current situation in Gainsborough perhaps the politicisation of the Council is nothing to be proud of.

Local Council's Budget Welcomed

Local residents will have warmly welcomed news from the Conservative-led district authority that Council Tax will be frozen for the second year running.

At the March meeting of the Council, on Monday, 5th March 2012, Leader, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), introduced the Conservative Group's Budget which received unanimous approval from all parties.

Central government is making big changes to the way local authorities are funded and this is having a big impact on local councils. This year alone has seen a cut of 24.7% in the money the authority receive from the government. Setting the current financial picture for fellow councillors, Cllr. Keimach said:

"This year we face new problems in the form of further government cuts that will stretch councils across the nation to meet their statutory obligations.  This is not too difficult to understand because the coalition government has vowed to eliminate the structural budget deficit by 2015 and to radically reform the way public services and benefits are provided. 

"This near catastrophe did not materialise by itself.  There were many national and international factors that played their nefarious parts.  But when it struck us here in the UK the Labour government of the day did not choose a corrective course.  Instead they kept up their near suicidal spending regime, to the extent that now we have a huge deficit that exceeds £120m per day on the interest charges alone."

Nevertheless West Lindsey is in good shape to weather the current storm. The authority have no debts. Have made no plans to borrow. There have been no redundancies, and no-one foresees any in the immediate future.

West Lindsey Budget 2012

Conservative Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), introduced the proposed budget:

"Just a year ago we gathered in the Chamber to approve a budget in the wake of the Comprehensive spending review – a government measure that daunted us all with its shock and awe at the extent of the cuts imposed. 

"I shall not do more now than remind councillors of the great uncertainty we faced, worried and concerned as we were about our ability to deliver services and embark on projects across the District. 

"This year we face new problems in the form of further government cuts that will stretch councils across the nation to meet their statutory obligations. This is not too difficult to understand because the coalition government has vowed to eliminate the structural budget deficit by 2015 and to radically reform the way public services and benefits are provided.

West Lindsey District Council Move to Whole 'All Out' Elections

Yesterday evening Conservative-led West Lindsey District Council voted to change the electoral process by which elections to the local authority are conducted.

Since the authority's creation in April 1974 the district has elected councillors by the 'Thirds' principle - that is to say that every year an election is held for one third of the seats on the council and in the fourth year an election takes place for Lincolnshire County Council. Councillors are elected to serve a four year term of office.

 

West Lindsey District Council is one of the two hundred and one local authorities that are part of the two-tier system of local government - with a county council and district council. Of these councils sixty-nine elect their members by the 'thirds' method, currently used by West Lindsey District Council to elect one third of the membership every year excepting the year when elections are held for the county council. The majority, one hundred and twenty-three elect their members in 'all out', whole council elections, whereby every councillor is elected at the same time. The remaining seven authorities elect by the 'halves' method where half the councillors are elected at any election, in one year the county council has an election and one year no election takes place.

 

The West Lindsey district is divided into twenty five wards the wards vary in terms of the number of councillors returned and a number of other factors. Gainsborough North and East both return three councillors, the South West ward returns two councillors together with the Caistor, Cherry Willingham, Market Rasen, Nettleham, Saxilby, Scotter and Welton wards. Finally, the Bardney, Dunholme, Fiskerton, Hemswell, Kelsey, Lea, Middle Rasen, Scampton, Stow, Sudbrooke, Thonock, Torksey, Waddingham & Spital, Wold View and Yarborough wards all return one councillor.

 

In total there are thrity-seven councillors elected as members of West Lindsey District Council.

Across the non-metropolitan district councils (both in single-tier and two-tier areas) in England twenty-four percent of the wards are single-member wards, forty percent are two-member wards and thirty-six percent represent three-member wards. (Following the creation of a unitary authority in Central Bedfordshire there will be six four-member wards for a transitional period between 2009 and 2011.) As a general rule a two-member ward contains around twice as many electors as a single-member ward and a three-member ward contains three times as many electors as a single-member ward.

 

Where a district council holds elections by thirds a third of the councillors for the whole council will be elected at each annual election. Electors in a three-member ward will vote in each of the elections, electors in a two-member ward will vote in two out of three and electors in a single-member ward will vote in one of the three elections. The particular year that those electors will vote varies from authority to authority.

As of yesterday's meeting elections for all councillors will take place once every four years - with the first whole council election on Thursday, 5th May 2011.

 

Some of the benefits of the Whole Council system are listed, although not an exhaustive list:

• A Council has a clear mandate from the electorate for four years.
• An elector can vote for the whole Council as well as a Councillor. It creates greater stability over the four year period with no chance (subject to by-elections) of a change in political control.
• Greater propensity for change in political control.
• It avoids a situation where political control of the Council can change in election by thirds when some electors in single member wards have no opportunity to vote.
• All electors get an equal opportunity to vote and vote together (currently some only vote once or twice in the three yearly cycle if they live in a one or two member Ward).
• Greater publicity for whole Council election may generate higher turnout.
• Evidence suggests that there is slightly higher turn out in whole Council elections
• Evidence suggests that electorate associates more clearly with whole Council elections.
• There is likely to be reduced expenditure for the Council because of running fewer elections.
• Correspondingly a reduced expenditure by political parties because of fewer elections.
• Less campaigning needed by parties.

New Political Grouping Formed At West Lindsey District Council

Related content 'Stuart Kinch Resigns for WLDC Conservative Group - Lib Dem Suggests' and 'Bernard Theobald Resigns as Leader of West Lindsey District Council'.

Two former Conservative councillors on West Lindsey District Council have formed a new political faction.

Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Independent (Wold View Ward), former West Lindsey District Council Leader, and Cllr. Stuart Kinch, Independent (Torksey Ward), have joined forces to establish a new Independent Group at the authority.

Cllr. Theobald quit his role as Leader of the Council in mid-December 2009, citing the Lincolnshire Echo investigating a planning application he submitted for a country house. Cllr. Kinch was part-owner of the land at South Owersby, near Market Rasen, included in the proposal, which was bought by the two members and their respective wives for £155,000.

The pair have been independent council members at West Lindsey since December, when Cllr. Theobald had his membership of the Gainsborough Conservative Association suspended for six months and Cllr. Kinch resigned from the Conservative party. Cllr. Kinch was Deputy Chairman (Political) of the Gainsborough Constituency Conservative Association.

The Lincolnshire Echo reported at he time that Cllr. Kinch had said his decision to leave was 'in protest' for the way the Conservative Group had handled the issue and turned it into a 'witch hunt'.

The two councillors have enquired about whether they can hold committee positions at the authority, however, Cllr. Kinch said it remained unclear whether this would be allowed.

Mr. Martin Vickers, Agent for Gainsborough Constituency Conservative Association, said:

"With regard to Cllr. Theobald's relationship with the Conservative Party, it's unchanged. Bernard is suspended for six months while various inquiries go on and our association executive will review that in six months."

It is understood that Cllr. Alan Caine, Independent (Caistor Ward), the only independent on the council before Cllrs. Theobald and Kinch left the Conservative Group's whip refused to form a grouping with them.