BNP lose in Loughton Broadway

News reaches me of the result of the Loughton Town Council by-election in Loughton Broadway, where the BNP were trying to defend a council seat following the resignation of one of their members:

  • Loughton Residents’ Association – 257 votes (33%) ELECTED
  • BNP  – 234 (30%)
  • Labour – 204 (26%)
  • Con – 75 (10%)
  • (No Lib Dem candidate this time)

Loughton Town Council Broadway election result (10 December 2009) Turnout: 22.2%

Loughton Residents’ Association gain from BNP

This is a significant reverse for the BNP in what was their strongest ward in Epping Forest. The defeat comes despite the reported involvement of their National Organiser Eddy Butler and the appearance on polling day of Richard Barnbrook (one of the BNP’s leading members in London).

Read the rest of this entry.

Grange Hill by-election boost for Lib Dems

Last Thursday’s district council by-election was a boost for the local Liberal Democrats. Gavin Chambers ran the Conservatives much closer than anyone expected and was just 43 votes from victory. The result was:

  • Conservative 453 (52%, -31%)
  • LD (Gavin Chambers) 411 (48%,+31%)

    • Majority 42. Turnout 17.2%.

The Conservative vote at the last set of district elections in May 2008 was 1262 so this is a big loss of support for them, even taking into account the lower turnout. One factor seems to be have been local frustration at the decision of the Conservatives on the district council to block talks about introducing a Freedom Pass style scheme in Epping Forest. At the moment older people in London can travel free on the tube but not those on the other side if the border in Epping Forest, despite the fact we all share the same tube network.

Another Liberal Democrat election win

Congratulations to Gavin Chambers: the latest Liberal Democrat candidate to win an election in Epping Forest.

Gavin Chambers (left) is congratulated by Councillor Peter Spencer

Gavin was elected to Buckhurst Hill Parish Council on Thursday following the sad death of Malcolm Woollard, who worked so hard over many years for the local community.

The result was convincing:

Lib Dem (Gavin Chambers) – 614 votes (63%)

Conservative – 312 (32%)

BNP – 56 (6%)

It represents something of a vote of confidence in the hard work of the Lib Dem team who run Buckhurst Hill parish council. The council has chalked up a number of achievements in recent years, including saving the old Roding Centre (now renamed the Woollard Centre) from being sold for housing redevelopment and delivering a new playground and ball court for local young people.

I know they have plenty of future plans too and will continue to campaign for the interests of their local residents.