Controversial picture and street light switch off credited in election victory
A CONTROVERSIAL painting of a former councillor and the decision to switch off half Northamptonshire’s street lights have been credited with forcing a shock election victory in the county.
The Liberal Democrats won two seats from the Conservatives at a by-election in Towcester on Thursday.
The result, which saw a 31 per cent swing recorded in the vote for the town’s seat on Northamptonshire County Council, came as a surprise in an area which is usually a Conservative stonghold.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats on the county council, Councillor Brendan Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre) put the victory down to anger provoked by the lights switch-off and the revelation that the authority had paid £3,180 for a painting of Towcester’s former councillor, Rosemary Bromwich, who quit the council in December, three months after moving to Cornwall.
He said: “All through the campaign we got the feeling people were going to vote for us. They said they’d had enough with the lights switch off and the proposed cut to police funding.
“But I think the point that focused everybody’s attention was the portrait of Rosemary Bromwich. I think when they saw that, they saw how arrogant the Tories were, spending all that money at a time like this.”
The man elected to the county council seat, Councillor Chris Loft (Lib Dem, Towcester) is the former deputy chief executive of South Northamptonshire Council. He said: “I’m delighted local residents have put their faith in me and the Liberal Democrats.”
Liberal Democrat, Lisa Samiotis, was also elected to the Towcester Brook seat on South Northamptonshire Council. The turnout for both votes was 29 per cent. Despite the results, both councils are still led by the Conservatives.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
SteveWonder
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 09:44 AMWHY DID BRIAN BINLEY , THE MAN WE VOTED IN TO LOOK AFTER OUR INTERESTS VOTE AGAINST THE PUBLICATION OF THE GOVERNMENTS OWN RISK REPORT TO THE NHS. They are desperate that we do not see it............. Why? If Brian has his way you will never know until possibly it is too late
Postie Supporter
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:33 PM@3 What is a social democrat and what is there to be afraid of?
ScaryMary2008
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:00 PM...but they needed the painting so they knew what she looked like once she'd moved to Cornwall.
TeddyMcnabb
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 03:03 PMI read this with a great deal of mocking mirth, the Libdems won with the help of labour, who yet again couldnt field a candidate, or did they do a deal as the libdems are the oposition in the County and by gaining a seat they would also gain a seat on the Police Authority, you know that wonderful open and transparent authority which we are all kept well informed about! and the tories would lose a seat on it. As for the lights being an issue, i dont believe too many will be convinced of any genuine concern by the libdems and labour as they are cutting the same in councils they control, just a bit of political point scoring too the disgust of those who have genunine concerns. Those of us who reside in sheltered housing are most certainly not fooled by the "sudden" concern of the libdems for the vulnerable, we after all are their victims of 4 years of their shredding the service, which the labour govt gave the go-ahead for in 2003 and carried on with a vengeance by all parties since, just look at the nasty tories in Barnet.. Nationally of course it is the libdems and tories who are penalising the disabled with the brutality of the Welfare Reform Bill [ created by the then labour govt] their all the same!
macbeth
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 01:03 PMThe actual cost of the painting was nearer to £6000 with the framing, expenses etc, but you won't get this from the county council. Unless you try a freedom of information request, but do make sure you include expenses (travel) framing etc.
jimorourke
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 12:24 PMThis is a good result for Towcester and a victory for democracy over the autocratic county council leadership, who outrageously tried to prevent people from voting for their choice of new candidate. People in Towcester have realised the lighting switch off and the hugely expensive potrait are Tory "own goals" that have already rebounded negatively on the county council leadership as they should have had the wit to realise it would do. . However, what is needed is a vocal and effective opposition to challenge these NCC cuts for services for the disabled and to bring an end to potty vanity projects of no benefit to the majority of taxpayers.
Removed by moderator
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 12:04 PMVince Cable is a Social Democrat. Be afraid.
town&out
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:50 AMFurthermore, even if we do or don't get our vote & it's just "for information purposes", then we still need to vote, if only to show them how we're thinking. And if politicians are "mostly" corrupt, then people need to choose the lesser of the three evils. But of course, some people won't do that because they are just as corrupt & insular as the people they're voting for. But not everyone's corrupt.
town&out
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:27 AMPoliticians are mostly corrupt. There are some good ones but they tend not to be the ones making decisions. I get the impression a lot of people voted Lib Dem (because they have had enough of the corruption that has gone before from both the two "big" parties). But do we actually get our vote? Or is it, just a way for Powers That Be to gauge what we are thinking? Time is a great teller. Fickle, gullible people who vote for what they think is the best option for them will see events unfold over the length of the term. It is global politics & world economy that decides what party we shall have & at what time. There's a reason we have Left, Right & Liberals (& that all other "crack pot" parties are spirited away or classed as "Loony").
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.