The Lib Dems did win here
Party may have lost more than 600 seats nationally, but its election slogan rang true in Thatcham
THATCHAM Town Council remained yellow after last Thursday's local elections, and the Liberal Democrats even managed to double their majority.
In direct contrast to what happened in other parts of the UK, the Conservatives lost two seats overall in Thatcham, taking their number to five.
The Liberal Democrats, who had 11 seats, came away from the count with 13, doubling their majority from four to eight.
Their West Berkshire group leader, Jeff Brooks, was elected back on to the town council, after an absence of many years.
He also retained his Thatcham West ward seat on West Berkshire Council.
He said: “We have done really well.
“We have increased our majority and we have got some really good people who came forward, so there is a lot of enthusiasm and talent.
“These people want to get stuck in and make a difference so I'm feeling really upbeat about Thatcham Town Council.”
The leader of the Conservative group on Thatcham Town Council, Sheila Ellison, retained her seat in Thatcham North.
She said that she did not feel there should be too much party politics at town level, adding that the Conservatives would look to work with the Liberal Democrats on the council to achieve things for the good of the town.
She said that the Conservative district councillors in Thatcham would have to work hard to try and get people to vote for the Conservatives in greater numbers at the next town council elections.
However, she said that it was good to have some new blood on the town council from both sides.
She said: “We have lost one or two experienced people, but I think it is good for the town
to have new blood, which brings new enthusiasm on both sides.”
She added that a group meeting was likely to be held in the coming week to decide the way forward for the Conservative group in Thatcham.
The results:
THATCHAM CENTRAL: 4 seats
ELECTED Paul Jenkins(Lib Dem) - 1,049 votes
ELECTED Netty Austin (Lib Dem) - 1,025 votes
ELECTED Phoenix Dewdney (Lib Dem) - 922 votes
ELECTED Richard Crumly (Con) - 886 votes
Jan Cover - (Con) 861 votes
Gray Kueberuwa - (Lib Dem) 831 votes
Dave Dobson (Con) - 720 votes
THATCHAM SOUTH AND CROOKHAM: 6 seats
ELECTED Dominic Boeck (Con) - 1,137 votes
ELECTED Roger Croft (Con) - 1,118 votes
ELECTED Owen Jeffery (Lib Dem) - 1,066 votes
ELECTED John Andrew Boyd (Lib Dem) - 1,064 votes
ELECTED Marvellous Ford (Lib Dem) - 1,018 votes
ELECTED Janette Miranda (Lib Dem) - 1,005 votes
Paul Roberts (Con) - 994 votes
Richard Peter John Foster (Lib Dem) - 951 votes
Peter Ellison (Con) - 949 votes
Richard Parson-Wills (Con) 902 votes
Jason Stiff (Con) - 888 votes
Balu Sudra (Lib Dem) - 812 votes
THATCHAM WEST: 4 seats
ELECTED Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem) - 1,057 votes
ELECTED Brian Barnes (Lib Dem) - 939 votes
ELECTED Gary Johnson (Lib Dem) - 862 votes
ELECTED Lynne Pettyfer (Lib Dem) - 840 votes
John Burgoyne-Probyn (Con) - 764 votes
George Rattray (Ind) - 614 votes
Monika Tabatabain (Con) - 567 votes
Robert Denton-Powell (Con) 543 votes
THATCHAM NORTH: 4 seats
ELECTED Sheila Ellison (Con) - 1,041 votes
ELECTED John Horton (Con) - 1,007 votes
ELECTED Mike Cole (Lib Dem) - 890 votes
ELECTED Lee Dillon (Lib Dem) - 758 votes
Ally Johnston (Lib Dem) - 755 votes
Clive Robert Packard (Lib Dem) - 641 votes
