Friday 11 May 2012

Coming Soon - Labour Run Basingstoke



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