IN BRIEF: Recounts and drawing lots – the final picture around the region after election night

May 3 2008 by Staff Reporter, Liverpool Daily Post

SEFTON

JUST one seat changed hands during the elections in Sefton.

Manor ward was clinched by the Lib-Dems from the Conservatives by 68 votes.

With 1,423 votes, incumbent David McIvor lost to John Gibson, who had a tally of 1,491.

Elsewhere the picture remained resolutely unchanged. The Labour Party retained all 21 of its seats in its heartland in the south of Sefton.

The Lib-Dems had high hopes of pushing the final Tory - Cllr Tom Glover - out of Cambridge ward in Southport, but their challenger Aidan McGuire fell less than 200 votes short.

With a hard-fought campaign behind them, insiders are saying a debate is now needed on the direction the hung council should take. Labour leader Peter Dowd said it will be difficult to work with the Lib-Dems in the future.

Leader of the council, Lib-Dem Tony Robertson, said he remained a “consensus politician” and hopes the coalition will hold. The Liberal Democrats have 27 seats, Labour 21 and Conservatives 18.

WEST LANCS

THE Conservatives increased their majority in West Lancashire by taking two seats from Labour.

In Up Holland, there was a tight battle as Ruth Pollock beat Labour’s Cllr Maggie Skilling by just three votes.

Jason Grice beat Cynthia Dereli in Burscough West, while George Pratt won the Burscough East seat vacated by fellow Tory Meda Westley.

The Conservatives have 35 seats, Labour 18 and there is one Independent.

HALTON

IN a dramatic climax to Thursday’s Halton election, a tie between two candidates saw the winner’s name drawn out of an envelope.

The eleventh hour drama came after a predictable Labour victory for the 11th year running.

Labour’s Halton Brook, a key target of the Lib Dems had to be recounted six times.

Lib-Dem Louise Whitley and Labour’s Stefan Nelson both returned 551.

Two ballot papers - one for each party - were put in an envelope and the winner picked out by the council’s returning officer, with Nelson winning.

Daresbury, a Lib-Dem stronghold was taken by Conservative Marjorie Bradshaw.

In total 20 of the boroughs 56 seats were up for election leaving the council with a total of 33 Labour, 14 Lib-Dem and 9 Conservative.

ST HELENS

LABOUR narrowly failed to take overall control as they launched a determined assault on the current Lib-Dem/Tory alliance. Labour ended up winning two extra seats, leaving the party on 23 with the Lib-Dems on 19 and the Conservatives on six. It meant though that Labour was two short of the overall majority they lost in 2006, leaving Labour leader Marie Rimmer to call for the Lib-Dems to step aside.

KNOWSLEY

THE Ist4Kirkby candidates failed to win any of the three seats they contested on an anti-Everton stadium and Tesco platform. The ruling Labour group did lose three seats to the Lib-Dem group. The final state is now Labour on 47 and Lib-Dems on 16.