FOUR former Labour mayors of Ipswich were defeated last night at the borough swung heavily towards the ruling Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.
By Graham Dines
FOUR former Labour mayors of Ipswich were defeated last night at the borough swung heavily towards the ruling Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.
Roger Fern in Stoke Park, long serving Albert Grant in Whitehouse and Hamil Clarke in Whitton, and Ian Grimwood in Sprites lost their seats as the Tories and Lib Dems cashed in on the unpopularity of the Government following the publicity over John Prescott's affair and Charles Clarke's admission that prisoners had been released into society rather than being deportred.
The Conservatives made three gains - Sprites, Stoke Park and Whitton while the Liberal Democrats took Whitehouse and Alexander from Labour.
Labour's loss of five councillors gives them 18 seats on the authority. The Tories' three gains gives them 19. The Lib Dems have nine and the Independent Conservatives two.
Between them, the Tories and Lib Dems have 28 seats and will continue in coaltion.
Mr Fern, Mr Clarke and Mr Grimwood lost to Conservatives while Mr Grant was defeated by a Liberal Democrat.
Andrew Cann, the son of Jamie Cann, former MP for IPswich and one time Labour leader of the council, narrowly failed in his bid to win a seat for the Liberal Democrats. He was defeated by sitting councillor Mary Blake by 20 votes in Westgate ward, and the result was held up by two recounts.
However, the Conservatives failed to gain St John's ward, where the party's constituency chairman Gavin Maclure was unable to overturn Sandy Martin, who is also a county councillor for the ward.
The biggest personal triumph of the night was the re-election of the current mayor, Bill Wright, a Tory, who romped home with more than 50% of the vote in the rock solid Tory territory of Bixley.
Despite the sunny weather, turnout was disappointing, with only St Margaret's approaching 50%.
In some wards, normally regarded as safe for Labour, fewer than 30% bothered to vote. This may have led to the defeat of Mr Grant, as the Liberal Democrats expended a lot of time and effort in Whitehouse ward.
ALEXANDRA
Philip Green (LD) 734
Elizabeth Cooper (Lab) 603
Edward Phillips (Con) 413
John Taylor (Green) 213
LD majority 131.
LD gain from Lab. Turnout: 33.54%
BIXLEY
*William Wright (Con) 1,438
Gareth Jones (LD) 503
Barry Studd (Lab) 347
Con maj 935.
No change. Turnout: 39.2%
BRIDGE
*James Powell (Lab) 786
Richard Pope (Con) 602
Christine Chambers (LD) 296
Lab maj 184.
No change. Turnout: 29.26%
GAINSBOROUGH
*Sally Brown (Lab) 842
Kevern Mulley 569
Robin Whitmore 283
Paul Billingham (OMRLP) 88
Lab maj 273.
No change. Turnout: 28.92%
GIPPING
*Jeannette MacArtney (Lab) 724
Maureen Springle (Con) 554
Dafydd Taylor (LD) 329
Lab maj 282.
No change. Turnout: 27.9%
HOLYWELLS
*George Dedman (Con) 802
Robert Chambers (L.D) 520
Steve Buckingham (Lab) 375
Con majority 282
No change. Turnout: 34.5%
PRIORY HEATH
John Cook (Lab) 704
Michelle Bevan-Margetts (Con) 626
Jill Atkins (LD) 308
Sally Wainman (Ind) 125
Lab majority 78
No change. Turnout: 30%
RUSHMERE
*Judy Terry (Con) 982
Alasdair Ross 805
Cathy French (LD) 630
Con maj 177.
No change. Turnout: 39.6%
SPRITES
Robert Hall (Con) 926
*Ian Grimwood (Lab) 840
John Whitear (LD) 215
Con maj 86.
Con gain from Lab. Turnout: 36.3%
ST JOHN'S
*Sandy Martin (Lab) 946
Gavin Maclure (Con) 826
Howard Stanley (LD) 492
Lois Hickey (Green) 150
Lab maj 120.
No change. Turnout: 39.95%
STOKE PARK
Nadia Cenci (Con) 847
*Roger Fern (Lab) 655
Adrian Brown (LD) 277
Con maj 192
Con gain. Turnout: 31.54%
WHITEHOUSE
Stephen Williams (LD) 757
*Albert Grant (Lab) 544
Christopher Stewart (Con)
LD maj 213
LD gain. Turnout: 29.78%
CASTLE HILL
*Harry Davies (Con) 1,411
Nigel Cheeseman (LD) 502
John Harris (Lab) 451
Con maj 909
No change. Turnout: 28.92%
ST MARGARET'S
*Inga Lockington (LD) 1.426
Andrew Booth (Con) 929
William Knowles (Lab) 280
Amelia Drayson (Green) 197
LD maj 497
No change. Turnout: 49.7%
WESTGATE
*Mary Blake (Lab) 670
Andrew Cann (LD) 650
Claire Disney (LD) 418
Colin Rodgers (Green) 136
Lab maj 20
No change. Turnout: 30.3%
WHITTON
Stephen Wells (Con) 1,069
*Hamil Clarke (Lab) 705
Sally Scott (LD) 275
Con maj 364
Con gain. Turnout: 275
*denotes councillor seeking re-election:
Key: Con, Conservative' Green, Green Party; Ind, Independent; Lab, Labour'; OMRLP, Official Monster Raving Loony Party.
Composition of council before yesterday's election: Lab 23, Con 16, LD 7, Independent Conservative 2.
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