Lib Dems gain from Tories' election blues

A BAD election night for the Conservatives was reflected in the Thornbury area.

The party now has only one seat in the Thornbury area after losing one of its two Severn Vale ward councillors on a

Severn Vale

night that it lost overall control of South Gloucestershire Council.

The Liberal Democrats' gain in the Severn Vale ward was one of three made by the party, which now has 20 seats in the

Thornbury

chamber, including all three in Thornbury, where the Tories came last, and the single seat for Charfield.

Charfield

LIBERAL Democrats gained one of the two council seats up for election in Severn Vale ward, with sitting Tory councillor Keith Burchell forced into fourth place.

A close race saw Lib Dem Tony Williams top the poll, just nine votes ahead of the other defending Conservative councillor, Matthew Riddle.

Lib Dem Mark Oaten, a former MP who now lives just outside Thornbury, missed out on a council seat by 93 votes and came third, while Mr Burchell was another 110 votes behind in fourth place.

Labour's Abigail Curtis and Naomi Carroll were fifth and sixth respectively, by a margin of more than 1,000 votes.

Cllr Williams has served as an Olveston parish councillor for many years and is treasurer of Olveston United football club, having been a committee member of for over 30 years, and has previously served on South Gloucestershire Council.

He said: "It is a great honour and privilege to be representing our community again on South Gloucestershire Council.

"I would especially like to thank all those who decided to support the Liberal Democrats for the first time in these elections."

The two Lib Dem received a total of 2,972 votes, 47% of the total, for their two candidates, with the Tories receiving 2,853 (45%) and Labour 536 (8%).

Full result:

Tony Williams (LD): 1,537

Matthew Riddle (Con) 1,528

Mark Oaten (LD): 1,435

Keith Burchell (Con): 1,325

Abigail Curtis (Lab): 307

Naomi Carroll (Lab): 229

VOTERS in Thornbury delivered another victory for the Liberal Democrats - and pushed the Conservatives into last place, behind the Greens and Labour.

Turnout increased to 40% from 39% in 2019, with almost 4,400 voters taking part on May 4.

Four years ago the seat had been a twohorse race between the Lib Dems and Tories, but this year one Green Party and one Labour candidate stood.

And while the Lib Dems again won at a canter, with third-placed candidate Jayne Stansfield elected by a margin of 1,659 votes, it was the Greens' Jen Gash who came fourth, 259 votes ahead of Labour's Alasdair Weekes.

That left the Tories in the last three places, with leading candidate Olivia Owusu-Antwi 57 votes behind Labour.

Full result:

Maggie Tyrrell (LD): 2,718

Chris Davies (LD): 2,682

Jayne Stansfield (LD): 2,679

Jen Gash (Grn): 1,020

Alasdair Weekes (Lab): 761

Olivia Owusu-Antwi (Con): 704

Janet Buxton (Con): 680

John Buxton (Con): 672

Key to parties

SITTING Liberal Democrat councillor John O'Neil comfortably held his Charfield seat at the local elections.

Just over a third of the electorate of 3,628, in one of South Gloucestershire's smallest wards by population turned out, with Cllr O'Neil receiving just over seven in every ten votes cast.

His majority of 615 over Conservative Michaela Crumpton, who received 288 votes, was down by four votes from the last election in 2019.

The Tories increased their share of the vote, from 21% to 23%, but that was still less than one vote for every one three for the Lib Dems.

Green candidate Peter Watts received 86 votes, a 7% vote share and a marginal increase on the share achieved by the third-placed candidate in 2019, who stood for Labour.

Full result:

John O`Neill (LD): 903

Michaela Crumpton (Con): 288

Pete Watts (Grn): 86