“I’M truly humbled – and lost for words that the people of Redditch have put such faith in us – we have some amazing characters in our team and it is now up to us to deliver.”
Those were the words of Councillor Matt Dormer, the Leader of Redditch Borough Council after his Conservative party swept the board at the local elections on May 6, capturing seven Labour seats and topping their group leader Bill Hartnett and deputy leader Greg Chance.
“Bill, I really like the guy, and Greg Chance and Joe Baker, those are three top, top guys and they will be badly missed in their party and by my team too,” said Coun Dormer.
“And it’s a shame that all this has happened under Covid because I have not been able to say a proper goodbye to them.”
The results will undoubtedly lead to much soul searching amongst Labour as the Tories didn’t just creep across the line but won by some handsome margins.
“The hard work comes now – people have bought into our vision for the town and we’ve got some good councillors who have now come on board to deliver it and deliver it we will, come what may.”
He singled out Alex Fogg’s success in Matchborough, where the controversy over plans for a possible cemetery on Ipsley meadows has raged, has indicative of the party’s success.
“Here were people in the ward voting for us in spite of the cemetery,” he said.
The results in full:
Batchley & Brockhill: [Vacant seat]
Phil Berry (Labour) – 682
Lucy Harrison (Conservatives) – 1,152
Lea Room (Greens) – 114
Central:
Imran Altaf (Conservatives) – 702 [Tory gain]
Greg Chance (Labour) – 657
David Gee (Liberal Democrats) – 81
Vicki Lees (Greens) – 109
Church Hill:
Karen Ashley (Conservatives) – 907 [Tory gain]
Bill Hartnett (Labour) – 565
Steve Sergent (Greens) – 83
Mark Tomes (Liberal Democrats) – 334
Greenlands:
Joe Baker (Labour) – 649
Emma Marshall (Conservatives) – 956 [Tory gain]
Tony Pitt (Liberal Democrats) – 82
Rylma White (Greens) – 80
Headless Cross & Oakenshaw:
Aled Evans (Conservatives) – 1,436
Lisa King (Labour) – 553
John Marsh (Liberal Democrats) – 130
Alistair Waugh (Greens) – 163
Lodge Park:
Chris Hudson (Greens) – 65
Joanna Kane (Labour) – 487
Timothy Pearman (Conservatives) – 591 [Tory gain]
Ian Webster (Liberal Democrats) – 33
Matchborough:
Andrew Bevan (Labour) – 535
Alex Fogg (Conservatives) – 813 [Tory gain]
Claire Nicholl (Greens) – 109
Andy Thompson (Liberal Democrats) – 83
West:
Matt Dormer (Conservative) – 1,267
Monica Fry (Labour) – 382
Diane Thomas (Liberal Democrats) – 91
Simon Venables (Greens) – 112
Winyates:
Isabel Armstrong (Independent) – 156
Luke Court (Conservatives) – 1,230 [Tory gain]
Pamela Gee (Liberal Democrats) – 79
Sharon Harvey (Labour) – 516
Gabby Hemming (Greens) – 105
