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Martin Penny Lib Dem no hoper!

The County Council election results are in. In Letchworth North West Labour's Lorna Kercher has managed to get elected for the county council on just 38.9% of the vote with a slim majority of 48 over her Tory opponent Andy Frankland, who despite raising the tory vote on 2009 by 2.5% still failed to get elected.

The big loser on the night though was former HELP councillor and Lib Dem Martin Penny whose vote crashed to just 124. Both Labour and the Tories helped themselves to his vote, though a lot of the former HELP candidates supporters this time backed the English Democrats who won 299 votes.

Meanwhile in Letchworth South Tory candidate Terry Hone (who also claims a salary as a district councillor) won the seat. Interestingly here UKIP's John Barry did extremely well nearly gaining second place, just pipped by Labour's district councillor David Kearns. The Lib Dems, in a seat that they were once in competition for slumped to 4 place just scrapping a place above the Greens.

In Letchworth Eat, Michael Muir was returned again, though Rachel Burgin fought a strong campaign for Labour.

For Terry Hone's safe seat there seemed to be a lot of Tory election activity. Labour didn't even put out a ward wide leaflet. Though clearly the Tories didn't do enough in the North West ward. Perhaps they have fallen out internally.

In each ward on average about 18 spoilt ballot papers and an average turnout of about 28-30%.

The main result is that the two of the county councillors representing Letchworth are also on the payroll for the District Council. Drinks all round, who said politics in Letchworth is a closed shop!

Letchworth Northwest

Bland,  Rosemary  
Green Party
2017.5
[-3.1]
Frankland,  Andy  
The Conservative Party Candidate
99037.1
[+2.5]
Kercher,  Lorna  
Labour and Co-operative Party Candidate
103838.9
[+14.3]
48
Penny,  Martin  Geoffrey
Liberal Democrat
1244.6
[-9.6]
Vickers,  Charles  Jeremy
English Democrats
29911.2
[-4.1]**

Letchworth South

Barry,  John  Finbarr
UK Independence Party (UK I P)
63619.0
[N/A]
Hone,  Terry  
The Conservative Party Candidate
150244.8
[-6.6]
839
Kearns,  David  Peter
Labour and Co-operative Party Candidate
66319.8
[+6.5]
Mario,  May  
Green Party
2517.5
[-5.7]
Winder,  John  Paul
Liberal Democrat
2838.5
[-12.6]

Letchworth East

Burgin,  Rachel  Danae
Labour and Co-operative Party Candidate
90929.4
[+12.4]
Muir,  Michael  
The Conservative Party Candidate
159351.6
[+3.0]
684
Tapping,  Arwen  Jane
Green Party
36611.8
[-2.6]
Winter,  Richard  William
Liberal Democrat
2046.6
[-12.7]