RESIDENTS of Wilmslow candidates swept the board at the Cheshire East Council elections as the Conservatives lost control of the authority.

The group won four seats on the council – three at the expense of the Conservatives, who went on to lose 19 councillors last Friday.

Mark Goldsmith and Iain Macfarlane were newly elected in Wilmslow West and Chorley, ousting Conservatives Gary Barton and Ellie Brooks, and David Jefferay took the Wilmslow East seat from the Conservatives.

Toni Fox made it a clean sweep, seeing her share of the vote in Wilmslow Dean Row increase from 51 per cent in 2015 to 69 per cent this time.

Mark said: “We were exceptionally happy with the results, and the margin of victory was exceptional.

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“Most of us beat our rivals by quite a substantial amount, mainly because people were tired of the Conservatives at Cheshire East, of being ignored and because of the town being starved of funds.

“Brexit played a part, but on the doorstep it was far more about people being tired of their vote being taken for granted.

“There has been no investment coming back into the town for the last eight years or so.”

The four councillors will form part of a 19-strong group of independent members on CEC – which also includes Craig Browne, of Alderley Edge, and Barry Burkhill and Julie Smith, representing Handforth.

Toni said the margin of her victory was the result of hard work.

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She said: “If residents contact you and they know you are going to work on their behalf then they are going to support you, and I think that’s why I was re-elected with a bigger margin than previously.”

David added: “We should be representing the people who vote for us. We answer only to the residents, not to the leadership of Cheshire East, and that is the difference people will get.”

Iain described the Residents of Wilmslow successes as 'very exciting for local democracy and for local politics'.

In Wilmslow Dean Row Toni gained 930 votes to 409 for Conservative Frank McCarthy.

Mark came top in Wilmslow West and Chorley with 1,758 votes, ahead of Iain on 1,470, with Conservatives Gary Barton and Ellie Brooks each polling 819 votes, compared with 3,182 and 2,995 respectively in 2015.

In Wilmslow East David polled 1,076 votes, 73 per cent of the vote, with Conservative Barry Estill attracting 392 votes.

As well as the 19 independents, CEC now has 34 Conservatives, 25 Labour councillors and four Liberal Democrats.

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