2003 – 1st May – Kenilworth Town Council Elections

Abbey (5 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Ann Blacklock	Lib-Dems	1121
*Michael Francis Coker	Conservative	1055
*John Edmond Hatfield	Conservative	1006
Patrick Joseph Ryan	Lib-Dems	920
George Reginald Illingworth	Conservative	907
Alan Rickers	Conservative	876
Lois Darley	Lib-Dems	821
Kevin Holt	Lib-Dems	807
John Richard Whitehouse	Lib-Dems	798
Dave Skinner	Conservative	774
Jacky Smith	Labour	296
Dave Peggs	Labour	285
Chris Gallon	Labour	271
Jacqui Jones	Labour	258
Andrew Keith Roadnight	Labour	231

Turnout 41.4%

Park Hill (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Dave John Shilton	Lib-Dems	1161
*Felicity Gena Bunker	Conservative	1030
Dominic Coker	Conservative	985
*Douglas Alan Golby	Lib-Dems	927
Spencer Charlton Harrison	Conservative	922
Ursula Stella Durrant	Conservative	921
Daphne Rose Harrison	Conservative	917
John Sheehan (aka Tony Walsh)	Conservative	893
Richard Sweeney	Lib-Dems	845
Alison Rita Margaret Tyler	Lib-Dems	817
Adrian Sellars	Lib-Dems	782
Alec Would	Lib-Dems	705
Maureen Teresa Hazelwood	Labour	356
Peter Hodgkinson	Labour	350
Henry Scarborough	Labour	327
Peter Joseph Shiels	Labour	315
Robin Rain Winn	Labour	303
Elizabeth Saxon	Labour	299

Turnout 38.5%

St John’s (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Pauline Winifred Edwards	Conservative	1198
*Alan James Lancaster Cockburn	Conservative	1172
Trevor Martin	Kenilworth Regeneration	1157
*Leslie Graham Windybank	Conservative	1102
Richard Ivor Graham Davies	Conservative	1065
Norman John Vincent	Conservative	958
*Paul Spillman	Conservative	942
Shirley Beatrice Shilton	Lib-Dems	736
Mary Latham Harrison	Lib-Dems	609
*Judith Rawson	Lib-Dems	582
Michael Collier	Labour	563
Alan Ainsworth	Labour	556
Jan Ford	Labour	556
Ruth Tennant	Labour	468
Kieth Thompson	Labour	456
Caryll Green	Greens	417
Christopher Edgerton	24/7 Care For The Elderly	409
Pippa Austin	Greens	402

Turnout 44.8%

TORIES GAIN MASSIVE MAJORITY

There was a bit of a shake-up in this year’s election, not only in the overall result but the restructuring of the wards. One extra seat was allocated to the town, which now has 17 members. Abbey ward was down to 5 seats, while Park Hill was increased from 4 to 6. St John’s remained the same on 6 seats.

At the last poll in 1999, the Conservatives had a slendor majority of just two (9-7), but that was vastly increased to a 12-5 majority. New to the Tory ranks are George Illingworth, Dominic Coker, Richard Davies, Norman Vincent, Ursula Durrant and veteran, Spencer Harrision. The latter stating that he would have preferred a younger person to stand in his place. He said that he would be quite happy to have become an ‘has-been’. But we can’t seem to get any 40-year-olds to stand, local government loses out by not having young councillors, who are willing and able to give up their time. Mr Harrision refuses to reveal his age but he confesses being at Leamington Town Hall when the votes were being counted, 72 years-ago!

The Liberal Democrats were slowly fading away in Kenilworth, being down to only four members. The ‘big guns’ of Jack Bastock, Haydn Thomas and Helen Pavier, did not stand for re-election and Judith Rawson, was un-seated in St. John’s. However, Ann Blacklock topped the poll in Abbey with 1121, and Dave Shilton was well clear in Park Hill with 1161. Former Kenilworth Weekly News editor, Doug Golby was also returned for the third time since 1995. Stalwart Pat Ryan, was back on the council after the lost nomination papers fiasco of 1999, coming fourth in Abbey ward.

Kenilworth Regeneration Shock

The biggest shock of the election was Independent candidate, Trevor Martin, who stood on a ticket of ‘Kenilworth Regeneration’, coming third in St John’s with 1157 votes . Mr Martin, of Bullimore Grove, did not expect to be elected, and it was not only a shock to himself but to many others as well. He admitted that his legs were a bit wobbly when he heard the results come through. He was the first ever Independent candidate to be elected to the town council. The last time any Independent sat in Kenilworth was way back in 1964, when it was the old KUDC.

During his campaign, Mr. Martin wasted several days taking down posters that were later found to be legal. He was informed that his leaflets that he had placed in shop windows were not allowed, as ‘fly-posting’ was an offence. It later transpired that it was legal for him to display his posters in shop windows. Gillian Friar, from the election office at Warwick District Council said; “The Electoral Commission said that it was not infact an offence, because the businesses were private premises and he had asked personally to display the leaflets”. She added; “You can’t fly-post and the other parties thought this was unfair, but the commission said Mr. Martin wasn’t breaking any rules”.

But Mr. Martin’s initial elation then turned to frustration after only one council meeting. The meeting was only to decide on planning applications and who serves on the various committees. Mr. Martin left the meeting feeling very angry and disappointed. He believes that procedure and red-tape is already preventing him from starting work on the regeneration of Kenilworth town centre.

From Labour to the Elderly

One other Independent who stood in St John’s was Chris Edgerton, a former Abbey High school pupil, who ran on a ticket of ’24/7 Care for The Elderly’. This was due to him becoming a full-time carer for his mother and all the issues that comes along with it. He is a familar name in Kenilworth town elections, usually as a Labour candidate. But he had resigned his membership in protest of the Iraq war. He said; “Many people have left the Labour party but its difficult to say how I would have done if I was still a member”.

Arrival of the Greens

The Green Party stood for the very first time in a Town Council election with two candidates, Pippa Austin and Caryll Green, but both came near the bottom of the pile in St John’s. But who knows what the future may bring for the party. Maybe in 20 years time, they could even be in control of the council………

Kenilworth Town Councillors

12 Conservatives (M. Coker, D. Coker, A. Cockburn, S. Harrison, F. Bunker, P. Edwards, R. Davies, N. Vincent, G. Windybank, U. Durrant, J. Hatfield, G. Illingworth)

4 Lib-Dems (P. Ryan, A. Blacklock, D. Shilton, D. Golby)

1 Independent (T. Martin)

Mayors

Town Clerk – Susan Howell