THE Bridgwater Labour Party has managed to hold on to all of its seats in the Bridgwater Town Council elections, halting the Tory tide that dominated Parliamentary and District elections.


Labour hold 14 of the 16 available seats with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats now holding just one apiece.


The elections saw 25-year-old Portuguese worker Diogo Rodrigues become the youngest town councillor when he was chosen to represent Dunwear (North) while new Labour councillors Moira Brown, Siobhan Wilson, Liz Leavy, Kath Pearce and Pat Morley were also successful.


In total Labour candidates received 11,742 votes compared to 8,247 for Conservative candidates and 1,592 for the Lib Dems. 


Cllr Mike Creswell will be the only Conservative member of the council after winning one of the Fairfax (East) seats while Peter Ian Johnstone will be representing the Liberal Democrats as the councillor for Wyndham Ward.  


Westover Ward Councillor Brian Smedley said: “We’ve been chosen as the voice for the people of Bridgwater and we will continue to keep them engaged and informed through open forums and public meetings.


“It is something we have done in the past and we’re looking to do more of.


“We’ll be setting up Community Forums as laid out in our manifesto so whether it’s transport, planning or whatever we can inform the Bridgwater public and also get their opinions and ideas.”

 

The full results are as follows:

Bridgwater Dunwear North Parish Ward
Diogo Rodrigues (Labour Party) - 447 elected


Bridgwater Dunwear South Parish Ward
Leigh Paul Redman (Labour Party) - 573 elected


Bridgwater Fairfax East Parish Ward
Mike Cresswell (The Conservative Party) - 893 elected
Alex Glassford (Labour Party) - 848 elected


Bridgwater Fairfax West Parish Ward
Graham John Granter (Labour Party) - 471 elected


Bridgwater, Eastover Ward
Moira Brown (Labour Party) -715 elected
Dave Loveridge (Labour Party) - 770 elected


Bridgwater, Hamp Ward
Adrian John Moore (Labour Party) - 918 elected
John Turner (Labour Party) - 902 elected


Bridgwater, Victoria Ward
Mick Lerry (Labour Party) - 736 elected
Siobhan Wilson (Labour Party) - 637 elected


Bridgwater, Westover Ward
Pat Morley (Labour Party) - 829 elected
Kathy Pearce (Labour Party) - 922 elected
Brian David Smedley (Labour Party) - 877 elected


Bridgwater, Wyndham Ward
Peter Ian Johnstone (Liberal Democrats) - 1,184 elected
Liz Leavy (Labour Party) - 715 elected