2011 – 5th May – Kenilworth Town Council – Election

Abbey Ward (5 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Michael Francis Coker	Conservative	1526
*George Reginald Illingworth	Conservative	1417
Katherine Sara Dickson	Liberal Democrats	1386
*Patrick Joseph Ryan	Liberal Democrats	1339
John Anthony Cooke	Conservative	1335
Susan McGowan	Liberal Democrats	1241
Andrew John Guy Garsed	Conservative	1234
Rowena Ann Hill	Conservative	1227

Registered Voters 5099

Ballot Papers Issued 2935 (134 spoilt)

Turnout 57.6%

Park Hill Wards (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Dave John Shilton	Conservative	2036
*Felicity Gena Bunker	Conservative	1898
*Andrew James Mobbs	Conservative	1808
Shirley Beatrice Shilton	Conservative	1711
Michael Charles Hitchins	Conservative	1638
Mark Vivian Lewis	Conservative	1631
Alison Rita Margaret Tyler	Liberal Democrats	1271
Mary Latham Harrison	Liberal Democrats	1228
Andrew Christopher Tulloch	Liberal Democrats	1185

Registered Voters 6397

Ballot Papers Issued 3432 (164 spoilt)

Turnout 53.6%

St John’s Ward (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Alan James Lancaster Cockburn	Conservative	1712
Erica Davies	Conservative	1677
*Pauline Winifred Edwards	Conservative	1629
*Richard Ivor Graham Davies	Conservative	1614
John Stephen Dagg	Conservative	1550
*Norman John Vincent	Conservative	1546
Gillian Ann Palmer	Liberal Democrats	1167
Richard Guy Dickson	Liberal Democrats	1146
Ian Malcolm Fenwick	Liberal Democrats	990

Registered Voters 5808

Ballot Papers Issued 3122 (151 spoilt)

Turnout 53.7%

TORIES CONSOLIDATE

The Conservatives retained their majority of 13, from the 2007 election. The only change being seven new councillors, including two married couples.

Tory, John Cooke returns to the town council after 20 long years, he had previously served from 1979 to 1991. New to the Tories is John Dagg, who was easily elected in St. John’s.

The Lib-Dems have a new face on the council, Katherine Dickson, who was elected in Abbey ward along with veteran Pat Ryan, who retained his seat. He had been on the council for the past eight years.

Spoilt Papers Galore

A not so good statistic of the election was the amount of spoilt ballot papers. Each ward had over 100, totalling 449 in all, a record by a long way. The official reasons given for the spoilt papers were: ‘being un-marked’, ‘wholly void for uncertainty’ or for ‘voting for too many candidates’. However, it has to be noted that the Labour party did not put forward any candidates in the election, which may have resulted in some sort of ‘protest vote’ from their supporters, due to their non-participation.

John Whitehouse, Lib-Dem, and WCC member for Abbey ward, said that he found it very interesting that the Lib-Dems called for a smaller town council, and then people voted for fewer councillors than the number they were allowed to vote for on their ballot paper.

In late 2011, the council held its last meeting at Southbank Road (Wilton House) before moving to the newly built Jubilee House, in Smalley Place. It had been their home since 1946.

Mayors

Kenilworth Town Councillors

15 Conservatives (D. Shilton, S. Shilton, E. Davies, R. Davies, A. Cockburn, P. Edwards, J. Dagg, N. Vincent, M. Lewis, M. Hitchins, F. Bunker, A. Mobbs, M. Coker, J. Cooke, G. Illingworth)

2 Liberal Democrats (K. Dickson, P. Ryan)