Country Standard is willing to make an early prediction, that Labour will take power at Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council by May 2015.
However as usual success at the polls has not materialised overnight in Basingstoke, it has been painstakingly built over many years of tireless campaigning. Unfortunately, many of those who built this success are no longer around to share in the momentum that is inextricably propelling, Labour to power in Basingstoke.
At the May 2012 Council elections Labour not only gained three seats, but beat the Lib Dem's in 15 out of 20 wards contested and in the course of the night leapfrogging the Lib Dem's into second place, to become the official opposition to the Conservatives, who have run the Council since 2006.
Gains on the night included the election of 24 year old Jack Cousens in Brookvale, the election of former Brighton Hill Community College head teacher Tony Jones in Buckskin and in Brighton Hill South ward the election of David Eyre.
Also of note was Paul Harvey's huge margin of victory in Norden ward.
These results are the best council results for Labour in Basingstoke for thirty years and put Labour back to it's high-water mark of 1997 when it came within 2,397 votes of winning the parliamentary seat.
Speaking to the Basingstoke Observer, Labour group leader Laura James said it was the result of hard work.
“We are going to go from strength to strength,” said Cllr James. “People see us as an effective opposition, like our policies and what we are about.
“We had three seats we were targeting this year and it was about work and commitment from those candidates. It was not just going to happen overnight. We have been working those seats now for two years.
“There’s a lot of talk in the news that the results are a backlash against Government, there may be an element to that but for us this is about the commitment to those seats.
“If you look at Brighton Hill the first leaflet went out in June last year after the elections and we have been campaigning ever since.”
WARD LABOUR CANDIDATE VOTES POSITION
Basing: Stephen Drake 321 2 beat LibDem
Baughurst & Tadley: David Carr 205 3 beat LibDem
Bramley & Sherfield: Nigel Pierce 115 3 beat LibDem
Brighton Hill South: David Eyre 484 1 Elected
Brookvale & Kings: Jack Cousens 541 1 Elected
Buckskin: Tony Jones 506 1 Elected
Chineham: Ann Chapman 183 3 beat LibDem
Hatch Warren & Beggarwood: Carl Reader 253 2 beat LibDem
Kempshott: Walter McCormick 361 2 beat LibDem
Kingsclere: Bernard Rodway 372 2 No LibDem
Norden: Paul Harvey 1,100 1 beat LibDem
Oakley & Watham: David Wheller 322 2 beat LibDem
Pamber Silchester: Terry Price 190 3 No LibDem
Popley East: Vivien Washbore 651 and David Potter 607 1 Elected
Popley West: Jane Frankum 632 1 Elected
Rooksdown: Alice Jones 119 2 beat LibDem
Sherbourne & St John: Lydia Massey 90 2 beat LibDem
South Ham: Colin Regan 977 1 Elected
Tadley South: Peter McCann 195 3
Whitchurch: Nuria Pett 164 3 LibDem win seat
