Last updated at 16:39, Wednesday, 10 June 2009

LABOUR has lost two Copeland wards to the Conservatives in the county council elections. The British National Party came second in four of the 12 wards but failed to take its target seat of Kells & Sandwith.

Polling Day is June 4

The total number of people who voted was 20,846 out of 56,317 - 37% of eligible voters. Among wards with the highest turnouts was Kells & Sandwith with 40.71%. In a by-election there in December, a 26.6% turnout saw the BNP narrowly lose by just 16 votes.

This time sitting Labour county councillor Wendy Skillicorn enjoyed a majority over the BNP's Simon Nicholson of 190.

Labour's Bernard Kirk was ousted by Graham Roberts at Bransty and in Hillcrest borough councillor Andrew Wonnacott made it a double fighting off the challenge of Labour's Steve Gibbons, the GMU union regional organiser.

Clive Jefferson, the BNP's local campaign organiser, polled 501 votes at Cleator Moor North/Frizington but lost out to sitting candidate Tim Knowles who romped home with a majority of 340.  "I think of a majority of this size is quite substantial," said Mr Knowles, latterly Environment & Economic spokesman in the county council cabinet.  "I think the Labour Party has done a lot of good work countywide since we took over the administration."

Clive Jefferson said: "Okay, Labour held but we cut the majority which was over a thousand last time in this Cleator Moor, Frizington area.  We came second and beat the Tories. I knew I did not have time to do a full campaign but I will do in the future."

For the Tories, parliamentary candidate Chris Whiteside said: "It's been a good day. We've won two and lost nothing. Our majorities are up, very steady progress.  It is a tribute to the people of Whitehaven that they have not used their legitimate concerns about the bad behaviour of some MPs of all parties but what they have not done is vote for politics of hate."


Here are the results:

DISTINGTON & MORESBY - 32.56% turnout
Cam Ross (Lab) 548
Frank Hollowell (Lib Dem) 357
Dorothy Wonnacott (Con) 343
Helen Stevenson (BNP) 165
LABOUR HOLD

MIREHOUSE - 28.03% turnout
John Woolley (Lab) 512
Craig Burns (BNP) 249
Glenn Gray (Con) 240
LABOUR HOLD

HENSINGHAM & ARLECDON - 32.65% turnout
Mike Hawkins (Lab) 730
Marie Simpson (Con) 504
Shaun Hornby (BNP) 254
LABOUR HOLD

BRANSTY - 37.47% turnout
Graham Roberts (Con) 782
Bernard Kirk (Lab) 761
Malcolm Southward (BNP) 243
CONSERVATIVE GAIN

KELLS & SANDWITH - 40.71% turnout
Wendy Skillicorn (Lab) 681
Simon Nicholson (BNP) 491
Brigid Whiteside (Con) 238
Edward Caley-Knowles (UKIP) 180
LABOUR HOLD

HILLCREST, WHITEHAVEN - 39.42% turnout
Andrew Wonnacott (Con) 826
Steve Gibbons (Lab) 706
Bill Pugh (BNP) 229
CONSERVATIVE GAIN

ST BEES & EGREMONT - 39.13% turnout
David Southward (Lab) 635
Jane Micklethwaite (Con) 500
Sam Meteer (Ind) 477
Brian Allan (BNP) 193
LABOUR HOLD

GOSFORTH & ENNERDALE - 41.65% turnout
Norman Clarkson (Con) 1189
Peter Watson (Lab) 473
Lynne Hicks (BNP) 173
CONSERVATIVE HOLD

CLEATOR MOOR NORTH & FRIZINGTON - turnout 34.85%
Tim Knowles (Lab) 844
Clive Jefferson (BNP) 501
Kenneth Simpson (Con) 498
LABOUR HOLD

CLEATOR MOOR SOUTH & EGREMONT - turnout 34.98%
Frank Morgan (Lab) 778
Jean Lewthwaite (Con) 556
Kevin Hurst (BNP) 276
Mike Minogue (Lib Dem) 230
LABOUR HOLD

SEASCALE & WHICHAM - 45.04% turnout
Sue Brown (Con) 1341
Carl Carter (Lab) 366
Nigel Gilligan (Green) 301
Russ Mclean (BNP) 166
CONSERVATIVE HOLD

MILLOM - 37.56% turnout
Ray Cole (Con) 1231
Robin Pitt (Lab) 556
Craig Eaton (BNP) 310
CONSERVATIVE HOLD

First published at 15:12, Friday, 05 June 2009
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk