In an election outcome which may surprise many Ruddingtonians, Labour has stolen two out of the three available seats on Rushcliffe Borough Council from the Conservatives.
The results from yesterday’s poll mean that Labour candidates Jen Walker and Mike Gaunt (pictured above left and centre) are duly elected to the Council for the first time – with third placed Gary Dickman (pictured right) securing the remaining seat for the Conservatives. Former Tory Councillor Martin Buckle was therefore not re-elected. The three Green Party candidates received fewer votes in total than the others, but are likely to be pleased with their respectable 28% share of the vote, given their more limited campaigning resources.
Ruddington’s complete results were:
- Jen Walker – Labour – 857 (elected)
- Mike Gaunt – Labour 834 (elected)
- Gary Dickman – Conservative – 825 (elected)
- Martin Buckle – Conservative – 793
- Sibby Buckle – Conservative – 750
- Matthew Sisson – Green – 655
- Gill Aldridge – Labour – 639
- Ian Wilson – Green – 606
- Chandler Wilson – Green – 576
Labour’s impressive showing in our village follows a campaign in which leaflets distributed to households were backed up with individual letters to Ruddington residents explaining why their three candidates deserved our votes.
On hearing the result, Jen and Mike told RUDDINGTON.info: “We are both absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been elected as Councillors in this amazing community. We look forward to continuing to speak with local residents and make some changes that will enhance our already lovely village.”
Before the election, the Labour candidates pledged to put the people of Ruddington first and address concerns about a lack of funding for our schools, worries about the health of our high street and despair over the state of the roads. They highlighted their face-to-face approach during the campaign – aiming to bridge political differences and find common ground on what residents want for Ruddington.
New Conservative representative Gary Dickman said: “I am honoured to have been elected as a Borough Councillor for our community, and I will work hard for all residents of Ruddington. I will ensure our voice is heard on the Council and work with the community to solve local issues and concerns, as well as looking to the future to keep the village a great place to live, work and play.”
You can find find the complete local election results from 2nd May 2019 for candidates across the Borough of Rushcliffe >>HERE<<. Despite the result in Ruddington, and big losses nationally, the Conservative Party will remain the dominant force on the Council. Of the 44 seats, the Conservatives won 29, Labour won 7, Independents won 3, Liberal Democrats won 3 and The Green Party won 2.
