Infighting at Town Hall
The Conservatives successfully defended both of their seats at last night’s double by-election in Bournemouth but tempers boiled over after the votes were counted.
Tory Douglas Spencer, newly elected councillor for Winton East, thanked his fellow candidates but said: “I only regret I cannot extend that to the Liberal Democrats who have behaved, in my view, [in] an entirely inappropriate manner with personal attacks and I sincerely hope that they will mend their ways.”
Lib Dem candidate Anson Westbrook asked Cllr Spencer to withdraw his remark. “This is completely and utterly untrue,” he said, “I have never, at any time, said anything against any of my opponents.”
Labour candidate Mel Semple also addressed the town hall crowd, saying: “We fought a positive campaign, we did not get into any personalities or one-upmanship and this is what your electorate want, they are fed-up to the back teeth with the in-fighting. Stop it and gain their respect.”
Cllr Spencer claimed to have been the victim of “slurring innuendo” in Lib Dem leaflets, apparently relating to his 29 years as a councillor in Oxfordshire and the fact that he lives outside the ward.
He later said he intends to bring a “positive spin to the workings of Bournemouth Borough Council,” aiming to regenerate shopping in Charminster and Winton.
Fellow Tory, Cllr Andrew Morgan, suggested Cllr Spencer “went a little bit too far” and was “vociferous” in his post-election comments.
Mr Westbrook said that Conservative council members, including long-standing MP Sir John Butterfill, had apologised for Cllr Spencer’s outburst.
He said: “As a person who is representing the people of Winton East, including me, I have no faith in an individual who can actually make the sort of statement he did.”
Cllr Spencer received 590 votes, 179 more than second-placed Mr Westbrook. (See full results below).
In Queens Park and Charminster, Tory Cheryl Johnson gained 910 votes compared to second-placed Lib Dem Mike Carlile with 466.
Cllr Johnson said: “I don’t want any more flats and the roads are just ridiculous, they’re choc-a-block with cars, people are moving out because they don’t like it there anymore, that’s really sad.”
Voter turnout was low in both Queens Park and Winton East, recording 26.3% and 24.63% respectively.
QUEEN’S PARK Ward
Bill Brandwood – The Official Liberal Party Candidate – 67
Mike Carlile – Liberal Democrat – 466
Mike Goff – The Labour and Co-Operative Party Candidate – 149
David Norman Hughes – UK Independence Party – 175
Cheryl Anne Johnson – Conservative – 910
Chris Mayne – Independent – 146
(6 rejected ballot papers)
Votes: 1,919
Residents: 9,746
WINTON EAST Ward
Barry John Sinclair Bennett – British National Party – 104
Roger Eede – Green Party – 126
Malcolm Kenneth Lock – Independent – 132
Mel Semple – Labour – 244
Douglas Lloyd Barton Spencer – Conservative – 590
Anson Westbrook – Liberal Democrat – 411
Sam Whitt – UK Independence Party – 51
(5 rejected ballot papers)
Votes: 1,663
Residents: 9,533