Tories regain control of Solihull Council

Luke Hamer & Emily Cole

15 May 2008

THE CONSERVATIVES snatched back control of Solihull Council on Thursday (May 1) after losing their majority at last year's local election.
Councillors across the board were shocked as long standing Labour leader Hugh Hendry lost out to Michael Sheridan of the Green Party in Smith's Wood, giving the Greens their first representative inside the council chamber.
Seventeen of the 51 seats were up fro grabs at the election with the final count handing the Conservatives 26 members, Lib Dems 18, Labour five, BNP one and Green one.
The ruling party gained Bickenhill by default, as standing councillor Jim Ryan defected to the party before the elections, and gained Blythe from the Lib Dems and Kingshurst and Fordbridge from Labour.
The Lib Dems struck back by taking Elmdon from the Tories.
In the Blythe Ward Lib Dem Maggie Allen lost her seat to Martin McCarthy by just 67 votes and Labour's John Kimberley lost to Debbie Evans by 143.
Peter Hogarth, who lost his Silhill seat last year to the Lib Dems, returned with majority of 638 - replacing retiring colleague Susan Gomm.
Solihull mayor Gary Allport hung on to his Shirley South Ward by 57 votes.
Conservative John Bramham lost out to Lib Dem Glenis Slater in Elmdon by 221.
Chelmsley Wood was the most fiercely fought contest with Father of the Council Alf Hill regaining his seat with a majority of 64 over the Conservatives. The British National Party were a further 69 votes back.

Bickenhill Ward
JIM RYAN (Cons) 2106
Patricia Agnes (BNP) 419
Ian McDonald (Lab) 323
Brenda Davies (Lib Dem) 187
Alexander Hawkeswood (Green) 128

Blythe Ward
MARTIN MCCARTHY (Cons) 1714
Maggie Allen (Lib Dem) 1647
Raj Singh (Lab) 112
Osman Moustafa (Green) 79

Castle Bromwich Ward
TED RICHARDS (Cons) 2118
Marcus Higgins (BNP) 410
Kieran Dooley (Lab) 285
Andrew Bull (Lib Dem) 230
Iain MacNaughton (Green) 87

Chelmsley Wood Ward
ALF HILL (Lab) 698
Gail Sleigh (Cons) 634
Andrew Terry (BNP) 565
Bernard Wright (Lib Dem) 139
Ronnie Cashmore (Green) 118

Dorridge and Hockley Heath Ward
KEN MEESON (Cons) 2440
Howard Knight (Lib Dem) 635
Andrew Taylor (BNP) 273
Sara Stevens (Green) 222
Irma Shaw (Lab) 131

Elmdon Ward
GLENIS SLATER (Lib Dem) 1596
John Bramham (Cons) 1375
George Rouse (BNP) 602
Lorraine Essex (Lab) 209
David Hossell (UKIP) 101
Elaine Williams (Green) 68

Kingshurst and Fordbridge Ward
DEBBIE EVANS (Cons) 749
John Kimberley (Lab) 606
Graham Pringle (BNP) 464
Jennifer Wright (Lib Dem) 125
Scott Rhodes (Green) 67

Knowle Ward
JEFF POTTS (Cons) 2342
Geoffrey Berry (Lib Dem) 584
Frank O'Brien (BNP) 371
Jane Holt (Green) 179
Catherine Connan (Lab) 136
Mark Penny (UKIP) 83

Lyndon Ward
IRENE CHAMBERLAIN (Lib Dem) 1673
Greg Goldingay (Cons) 895
Russell Phillips (BNP) 436
Margaret Brittin (Lab) 212
Ray Mabbott (UKIP) 128
Frances Grice (Green) 85

Meriden Ward
PETER LEA (Cons) 2539
Ann Berry (Lib Dem) 321
Arthur Davis (Lab) 264
Wesley Jones (BNP) 237
Nigel Dyer (Green) 176

Olton Ward
HONOR COX (Lib Dem) 1938
Helen Eyre (Cons) 1198
Lydia Simpson (UKIP) 180
Alan Jacques (Lab) 169
Roger King (Green) 114

Shirley East Ward
SUE ROSE (Lib Dem) 1522
Mark Parker (Cons) 1455
Jayne Hall (UKIP) 196
Kevin Raven (Lab) 183
Olga Farooqui (Green) 79

Shirley South Ward
GARY ALLPORT (Cons) 1506
Nick John (Lib Dem) 1449
Charles Shipman (BNP) 541
Shirley Rose (Lab) 187
Linda Brown (UKIP) 170
Angela Henery (Green) 59

Shirley West Ward
HOWARD ALLEN (Lib Dem) 1424
Dennis Eyre (Cons) 873
Tony Greenshields (BNP) 394
Nikki Sinclaire (UKIP) 276
Nick Stephens (Lab) 158
Trevor Barker (Green) 118

Silhill Ward
PETER HOGARTH (Cons) 2055
Tony Dupoint (Lib Dem) 1417
Alan Ashmore (BNP) 356
Janet Marsh (Lab) 175
Clair Garbett (Green) 74
Christopher Boxall (UKIP) 64

Smith's Wood Ward
MICHAEL SHERIDAN (Green) 881
Hugh Hendry (Lab) 550
Jim Williams (Cons) 420
Anthony Ludlow (Lib Dem) 98

St Alphege Ward
KATE WILD (Cons) 2636
Theresa Tedd (Ind) 592
Mamdooh Jalil (Lib Dem) 591
Paul Tuxworth (Lab) 134
David Faulkner (UKIP) 132
James Hepton (Green) 117

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