Rutland District and Unitary Authority Election Results since 1995

Current standings of the parties on Rutland Unitary Authority:

Independent       8
Liberal Democrat  7
Conservative      2
Labour            2
Green             1

NO OVERALL CONTROL

About Rutland Council

Elections normally happen once every four years but there were elections over 2 consecutive years in 1995 and 1996 because Leicester City Council obtained Unitary status in the recent local government review. A more detailed explanation of local goverment in Leicestershire is available.

The Results

Key to abbrevations

Lab     Labour Party
LD      Liberal Democrat
C       Conservative Party
G       Green Party
Ind     Independent

BARROWDEN (1 seat)

P Holloway      Ind     Returned Unopposed

2/5/96
IND HOLD

P Holloway      Ind     Returned Unopposed

R Archer        LD    207  43.4%
M Fisher        Ind   100  21.0% 
K Bool          C      94  19.7%
T Ellis         Ind    76  16.0% 
                 maj. 107  22.4%
              Turnout: 43.7%

Swing: N/A

BELTON (1 seat)

F E Gilman      C       296
M Baines        Ind     294
                   maj.   2

M E Baines      Ind     337
F E Gilman      C       307
                   maj.  30
                Turnout: 55.7%

BRAUNSTON (1 seat)

J M K Weir      C       196
P E Matthews    Ind     105
R Seal          Lab      64
                   maj.  91

J M K Weir      Rut C   194 [1]
P E Matthews    Ind     155
                   maj.  39
                Turnout: 46.7%

CASTERTON (1 seat)

S B Wakerley    C       Returned Unopposed

S B Wakerley    C       249
M Aston         Lab      84
                   maj. 165
               Turnout:  42.6%

COTTESMORE (1 seat)

R D Toy         Ind     Returned Unopposed

R D Toy         Ind     370
J Richardson    Lab      72
                   maj. 298
               Turnout:  28.3%

EDITH WESTON (1 seat)

A Makey         C       176
F W Prestwood   Ind     165
                   maj.  11

J N Bews        Ind     230
F W Prestwood   Ind      96
J A Ward        Lab      32
                   maj. 134
               Turnout:  34.7%

EMPINGHAM (1 seat)

B A Montgomery  Ind     268
E M May         G       111
                   maj. 157

B A Montgomery  Ind     295
E M May         G        74
C L Mills       Lab      52
                   maj. 221
               Turnout:  46.6%

E M May         G       188
D H Jeffrey     LD      134
                   maj.  54
               Turnout:  35.0%

EXTON (1 seat)

R P Chandler    Ind     227
M Aston         Lab     144
                   maj.  83

R J Lacey       Lab     229
R P Chandler    Ind     227
                   maj.   2
               Turnout:  42.3%

KETTON (1 seat)

P A Tennison    Ind     Returned Unopposed

P A Tennison    Ind     497
H Wolley        Lab     137 [1]
                   maj. 360
               Turnout:  42.4%

LANGHAM (1 seat)

R B Begy        Ind     180
I Lennard       Ind     136
R Abel Smith    Ind      54
                   maj.  44

R B Begy        Ind     Returned Unopposed

LUFFENHAM (1 seat)

P J W Golden    LD      415
D Neild         Lab     208
                   maj. 207

P J W Golden    LD      356
D Neild         Lab     144
                   maj. 212
               Turnout:  40.5%

OAKHAM EAST (2 seats)

E T Martin      Ind     927
J E Daw         Ind     602
D Edwards       Ind     350 
B Berridge      Ind     341
B Symanowski    Lab     221

E T Martin      Ind     980
J E Daw         Ind     832
S Brown         Lab     206 
B Symanowski    Lab     177
J Harrison      LD      104
C W Philips     LD       95
               Turnout:  42.3%

Lib Dem         LD      477  50.0% (+41.9%)
Independent     Ind     301  31.6% (-44.0%) 
Labour          Lab     176  18.4%  (+2.4%)

                   maj, 176  18.4%
                Turnout: N/A

Swing: 42.0 % Ind to LD

OAKHAM WEST (3 seats)

K Lee           LD     1178
D A Iliffe      LD      630
R J Gale        Ind     530
G B Gregg       C       511
C Phillip       LD      470
O J Bird        Lab     404
H Wolley        Lab     365
C Richardson    Lab     313
G E Swiffin     Ind      47

K Lee           LD     1355
D A Iliffe      LD      813 
J C Maclean     LD      645
R J Gale        Ind     590
L J Duckham     C       495
O J Bird        Lab     490
R Seal          Lab     374
C Richardson    Lab     366
G E Swiffin     Ind      97
                Turnout: 48.5%

RYHALL (1 seat)

C A Parsons     Ind     338
J Harris        Ind     232
                   maj. 106

C A Parsons     Ind     Returned Unopposed

UPPINGHAM (2 seats)

D H Brown       Ind     692
R A Schlich     LD      618
G B Jennings    Lab     386

R A Schlich     LD      472
P G Rees        Lab     448
D H Brown       Ind     397
M A Oxley       LD      382
N J Thornton    Lab     195
               Turnout:  38.4%

WHISSENDINE (1 seat)

V Walker        Ind     Returned Unopposed

D S Watson      Ind     283
D H Jeffrey     LD      134
J Southerington Ind     111
J McKell        Lab     103
B A Hall        Ind      37
                   maj. 149
               Turnout:  45.9%

Summary of results 4/5/95 full district council election

Party             Votes   %   Candidates  Elected  Unopposed   Full    Votes per
                                                              Council  candidate
Independents      5,488  45.0     21      12 (+1)      4        12       322.8  
Liberal Democrat  3,311  27.2      5       4 (-)       -         4       662.2
Conservative      1,179   9.6      5       4 (-1)      1         4       294.8
Labour            2,105  17.3      8       0 (-)       -         0       263.1
Green               111   0.9      1       0 (-)       -         0       111.0

IND HOLD

Summary of results 2/5/96 full council election for new Unitary Authority

Party             Votes   %   Candidates  Elected  Unopposed   Full    Votes per
                                                              Council  candidate
Independents      5,434  37.5     19      11 (-1)      3        11       286.0
Liberal Democrat  4,356  30.6      9       5 (+1)      -         5       484.0
Labour            3,109  21.9     15       2 (+2)      -         2       207.3
Conservative      1,245   8.8      4       2 (-2)      -         2       311.3
Green                74   0.5      1       0 (-)       -         0        74.0

NOC GAIN FROM IND

Commentary on 4/5/95 full council election

Rutland District Council has maintained its long tradition of keeping party politics out of local government by retaining a strong independent presence. Results came through swiftly, with only Belton ward needing a second count, when Egerton Gilman gained 296 to Edward Baines' 294.

New members are Roger Begy (Ind), who takes over at Langham from Ian Lennard (Ind); Richard Gale (Ind) who beat Brian Gregg (Con) to take the third seat in Oakham West; and Chris Parsons (Ind) taking over at Ryhall from Dan Harris (Ind), who has served on the council for 16 years. A meeting was being held today to look at committee membership.

Commentary on 2/5/96 full council election

Rutland went to the polls on Thursday to select the members they want to take them into unitary status next year. A long day that had seen many hopefuls up with the lark delivering last-minute campaign leaflets, brought a voting turnout of 42.6% Rutland-wide.

The highest turnout (55.7%) was in the Belton ward where Edward Baines took the seat from long-time councillor Egerton Gilman. The lowest (28.3%) was in Cottesmore where Rob Toy held his seat easily against opposition from Jacqueline Richardson. There was also a low turnout (34.7%) in Edith Weston. Both are attributed to the wards' high proportion of service personnel who failed to use their vote.

The 20 council members will serve as district councillors for a year. Next May they will mature into county councillors when Rutland regains independence. Only 10 members have now been on the council for more than a year. The rest face an enormous amount of work to assimilate council knowledge, before moving on to take the county council reins next year.

Council co-ordinator Eddie Martin will from next Monday's meeting of the new council stand to be renamed "leader", with a deputy leader to be appointed alongside him to share his workload. The chairman, vice-chairman and members of the committees will also be appointed.

And members will be holding their breath to see whether the addition of 2 Labour members to the line-up of 11 Independents, 5 Lib Dems and 2 Tories will for the first time turn Rutland's non-political council into a party arena. In the past members have chosen to keep party politics out of the council chamber, but only two members of a party are needed to politicise a council.

The next elections will be the 3 years' time to bring Rutland back into the 4-yearly cycle.

Council stalwarts ousted in re-shuffle

The election results were a shock for many with council stalwarts Egerton Gilman and Roger Chandler ousted in a reshuffle that had brought 6 new faces to Catmose.

Mr Chandler (Ind) lost Exton ward by just 2 votes to Labour's Robert Lacey after a recount. Mr Chandler (66) handled his defeat with good grace, albeit tinged with sadness. He said that his work with the Council for the Protection of Rural England would continue to keep him busy.

In Belton ward, Mr Gilman (Con) was finally pipped by his old combatant Edward Baines (Ind) at the fourth attempt. Mr Gilman, renowned as a shrewd, highly committed and skilled councillor capable of enlivening the lengthiest council meetings, said: "Mr Baines and I have been opponents but not enemies. We have never been other than friends. I have fought four elections and you know there may be a time when you are not going to win". Looking ahead to the future unitary status of the council he said: "I wish the new council all the best in the task that they have to complete."

Mr Baines, of Ridlington, took the seat by 30 votes on the highest turnout of the day (55.7%). He said later: "I am very pleased to have been elected in what is probably one of the most important elections for the area. I know there is a very challenging job ahead and we have to get it right."

In Uppingham, Lib Dem Robin Schlich was re-elected, topping the poll, but David Brown (Ind) was unseated by new face Peter Rees (Lab), the son of the town's first mayor. The voting was very tight with Liberal Democrat Marc Oxley putting up a spirited performance to take 382 votes, just 15 short of Mr Brown and 66 behind victor Mr Rees.

Nerves were taught at Catmose as the results for Oakham West came in. The Liberal Democrats took all three seats in the ward with Kim Lee topping the poll. Mr Lee's vote of 1,355 was up on 1995 and he remains the youngest member of the council. Solicitor Mr Lee (28), born and raised in the town, is hugely popular in Rutland and Melton and announced in March that he plans to stand for the constituency as the Liberal Democrat candidate at the next General Election. His Lib Dem colleague Derek Iliffe also increased his vote to hold onto his seat.

Richard Gale (Ind) was beaten by 55 votes as Liberal Democrat John Maclean took the third seat in the ward. Later Mr Gale said he would continue to take an interest in council matters and blamed politics for his fall. "The party political machine was larger than myself on this occasion, but I very much hope to return to the Local Government scene when the opportunity arises."

Independents win with ease

Changes were certain in wards of Edith Weston and Whissendine. Andrew Makey (Con) had resigned after representing Edith Weston for 17 years. Mr Makey, a full time farmer, stepped down due to pressure of work. His place was taken by Jane Bews (Ind) who fought off two other candidates, polling 64.3% of the vote. Mrs Bews (46), of Manton, has lived in the village for almost 15 years and is parish council chairman. She has been a Maths teacher for 25 years, a school governor and is on the management committee of the Rutland Citizens' Advice Bureau. She believes in carefully planned development giving opportunities for employment and a healthy environment.

In Whissendine the contest was to elect a successor to Vic Walker (Ind) who died last month. Rutlanders gathered at All Saints' Church, Oakham, yesterday for a memorial service for the highly respected Rutlander who died of cancer, aged 68. Mr Walker had represented the ward, unopposed, since the early 1970s.

Derrick Watson (Ind) was the victor in Whissendine over four other candidates, taking 42.3% of the vote. Mr Watson (56), of Market Overton, took early retirement after 29 years in the Diplomatic service. He is now an adviser with the Rutland Citizens' Advice Bureau and member of it's managment committee. He is also vice-chairman of the Market and Thistleton Quarry Action Group and a Market Overton parish councillor. Mr Watson is anxious to keep a sensible balance between conservation and development and is also aware of the need for jobs and affordable housing.