Council Gains in Matlock

Perhaps I'd better let you know about the relative success we've had here in Matlock (Derbyshire Dales DC) on Thursday, where I have managed to gain a seat from the Tories (in fact the deputy leader and Executive Chair of the Council), who has been a councillor here in the 3-seat All Saints ward since 1975, with a short break in 1995-9 when we managed to beat him.

My wife (Sue Burfoot) held her seat (of 12 years) and topped the poll with 1341 votes, I was second with 1164 and another Tory (a silent and ineffective one) third with 1065, 21 more than her senior colleague, on 1044. The remaining Tory polled 948, our colleague David Jones 849 and two Labour candidates on 768 and 763

In the other ward (St Giles) Steve Flitter topped the poll with 1061, followed by a first time Labour candidate (wife of the parliamentary candidate) who gained a Tory seat and a sitting Tory who held her seat.

To top my success, we have maintained our control of Matlock Town Council, winning 8 out of 11 seats, with just two Tories and a Lib Dem supporting Independent, whom we didn't oppose. One of our candidates (David Elsworth) beat the same Tory DC deputy leader by just one vote, so he has been knocked off two Councils in one go!

Unfortunately, we failed to field any candidates in our neighbouring Darley Dale ward, where two of our long serving councillors retired, so the Tories gained two seats. Therefore we suffered a net loss of one - 4 down to 3.