Tories win in Hillside after "dirty campaign"

The Conservative Group now holds two of Hertsmere Borough Council's three Hillside seats, which include neighbourhoods that were previously in Elstree wards.

Mrs Heywood resigned from the Labour Group late in 2001, and lost her Cowley Hill ward in the 2002 elections when she ran as an Independent.

She cried tears of joy when she discovered she had beaten Mrs Ward by 98 votes.

"It has been a difficult couple of years, and I have had some real stick, but I have worked hard and I deserve to be there. I have always worked for the people," she said.

Mrs Ward said this year's election campaign had been "the dirtiest in 20 years", adding that Labour had lost votes to the Liberal Democrats because of their anti-war stance, and because of a low turn-out.

Elsewhere in the town, newcomer Craig Adams easily held onto the Cowley Hill ward for Labour, taking the place of the late John Nolan, and Labour Group Leader Frank Ward held onto Kenilworth, but with only 28 votes separating him from Tory Hannah David.

After all the votes had been counted, Mr Ward made an angry speech, in which he accused the Tories of using dirty tricks to win Hillside. He was widely heckled, and his words were accompanied by a slow hand-clap from the Tories.

"Conservative councillors have no place in Borehamwood," he said, adding: "Sadly, while this may be a victory for the Conservative Party, unfortunately it was a campaign that was marred by vilification, smears and lies."

He promised he would inflict a summer, autumn, winter and spring of discontent on Hertsmere's Tories.

Later he said he had lost votes by refusing to condemn the war on Iraq, and because the turn out in Kenilworth, at around 20 per cent, had been so low.

Labour's Leon Reefe held Brookmeadow with 258 votes to spare, and Socialist Labour Party candidate Jim Dry took 184 votes in Craig Adams' Cowley Hill ward, doubling his vote from last year's council elections. Tory Morris Bright held his Elstree seat with a strong majority.

Tory strongholds Aldenham East and Aldenham West both stayed in Conservative control, with large majorities for council leader Neil Payne and newcomer Nigel Gilmore, replacing Mayor Stuart Nagler, who stood down this year.

Liberal democrat Anita Gamble won Bushey St James from Tory Audrey Attwood, Lib Dem leader Michael Colne comfortably held onto Bushey North, and Tory Michael O'Brien retained Bushey Heath with a large margin.

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Labour still hold overall control of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council after Thursday's elections, but the Tories have gained an extra seat.

Tories Martin and Jean Heywood both won seats in the Hillside Ward, as did Tory Sandra Parnell, ousting veteran Labour councillors Bryan Stanley and Cathie Ward, and defeating Labour's Oliver De Peyer.

After hearing the result, Mr Stanley said national politics had influenced voting, and added: "I have had a lifetime of service in local authorities and I have never lost a seat before, but there is a first time for everything.

"I am quite absolutely convinced that neither Cathie nor myself have done anything at all to deserve being defeated, both of us worked really hard for the council."

Cathie Ward was angry at the way the Tories had carried out their campaign: "I think it was the dirtiest campaign in the 20 years I have been involved in politics in Borehamwood," she said, adding: "I have been 16 years on Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, and I have been a good representative of the people."

In the Elstree ward, Morris Bright and Madodri Mitchell both won seats for the Conservatives, beating Labour's Paula Gregory.

Labour took all three Brookmeadow seats, with wins for Stephen Evans, Anthony Scott-Norman and Eileen Stanley, and all three Cowley Hill seats, with strong majorities for Craig Adams, Burt Coe and Paul Watkins.

Labour also took both Kenilworth seats, with wins for Ernie Butler and Peter Hedges. The turn out varied from 20 per cent in Brookmeadow to 30 per cent in Hillside.

The Tories held complete control of Aldenham Parish Council, with all councillors elected from the Conservative Party.

May 7, 2003 16:00