This by-election was called due to the resignation of sitting member Ann Pearce, who was leaving the town and moving to London with her husband.
But the Tories held the seat with a majority of 44. Winner, Spencer Harrison had contested the inaugural district council election in 1973 but was unsuccessful, losing by just 2 votes in Park Hill to Liberal, Graham Bramwell. He did not stand in last years poll.
Mr Harrison is 52 years-old and lives in Station Road. He is a director of Buckingham Swimming Pools in Priory Road and has four children, all attending local schools. He had previous been on the old KUDC for seven years, also representing Park Hill.
Kenilworth District Councillors
8 Conservative Party (M.Coker, J. Wilson, T. Robinson, R. Monnington, H. Potts, K. Rawnsley, K. Hogarth, S. Harrison)
Not for many years has a Kenilworth election produced such a large turnout of voters. Every ward produced more that 80%, un-heard of in recent times. In the event, the Liberals gained two seats from the Tories, much to everyones surprise. The lone Labour voice is Bill Wozencroft, who retained his seat by topped the poll in St John’s ward with 790 votes.
Liberal, Helen Dore received the highest vote in the whole election, 1,986 in Abbey & Borrowell.
Four Conservatives who seeked re-election retained their seats. One surprise return to the Tory ranks was James Whitby. He was first elected in Kenilworth in 1964, during the days of the old KUDC but did not seek re-election in the1967 poll. The Tories also saw the return of Spencer Harrision, another veteran of the old council.
In Kenilworth, the Tories took 46.6% of votes cast, Liberals 39.7 and Labour 13.5.
In the district, the Tories have overall control of the council with 40 of the 58 seats. Liberals have just 4 seats (all in Kenilworth), Labour have 13 seats and for the first time ever, one Independent, representing the Ratepayers of Whitnash (later renamed Whitnash Residents Association)
Kenilworth District Councillors
6 Conservative Party (J. Pearson, J. Whitby, R. Monnington, S. Harrison, M. Coker, K. Rawnsley)
4 Liberal Party (R. Butler, H. Dore, J. Bastock, H. Thomas)
This by-election was called due to the resignation of Liberal, Helen Dore, who had been on the district council since its inception in 1973.
Graham Windybank, leader of the town council managed to retain the seat for the Liberals by a majority of 76 votes over rival, John Cooke. It was never going to be an easy task for the Conservatives who needed more than a 7% swing from 1979 poll, to be victorious.
Labour candidate, Melanie Lomas, a former Kenilworth Grammar School pupil, faced an up-hill struggle to get anywhere near the winning line. District elections for Labour have always been poor in Kenilworth, especially in Abbey & Borrowell, where they have never had a candidate elected.
The district council had reduced the number of councillors down to 45 from the previous 58. This left Kenilworth with only 8 seats to contest. This meant a restructuring of the ward boundaries and the reduction from five wards to three, which did not go down well with the Liberals. Abbey & Borrowell was renamed just Abbey with Castle and Windy Arbour being the two wards that disappeared.
The Consevatives took seven of the seats, leaving only one Liberal left, Bob Butler, who only just got elected by two votes over Tory rival Tony Dalton in Park Hill. But Jack Bastock and Haydn Thomas were the biggest casulties of all the Liberals, both being dumped out of Abbey ward. Mr Thomas said; “There is no doubt the boundary changes have helped the Tories and the Labour party took votes off us”. He added; “People voting Labour had effectively put the Tories in. If it were not for the Labour vote the Liberals would have been comfortably elected”.
Town mayor, Labour’s Bill Wozencroft, lost his seat in St. John’s. The newly formed SDP didn’t fair well, with their two candidates, John Whitehouse and Mary Harrison being unsuccessful in St. John’s ward.
Six of the Tories who stood for re-election, retained their seats. For John Cooke, this was the first district council election he had contested beating Liberal rival Jack Bastock by just 21 votes.
Overall in the district council, the Conservatives hold a 17-seat majority, winning 31 seats to Labour’s 7, Liberals 5 and the Whitnash Ratepayers Association 3.
Kenilworth District Councillors
7 Conservative Party (M. Coker, J. Cooke, B. Wooller, J. Wilson, J. Whitby, S. Harrison, K. Rawnsley)
Bob Butler, the lone SDP-Liberal Alliance from the 1983 poll, lost his seat in Park Hill. He said he was very disappointed and puzzled by the result. He also lost his town council seat and he said he is contemplating standing down from local politics. He said., “This might be my ‘swan song’, I’ve worked hard in Kenilworth for the last 12 years but if this is what the voters want, then that is what they will get, you never really know the reasons why. I haven’t faced any animosity from people or the oppostion”.
Town Mayor-elect, Bob Wooller was of course delighted with the Kenilworth and overall district results, saying it is down to the good and hard working Tory group. Councillor Rawnsley, currently the leader of the Conservative group on the district council, believed the success was due to their record over the last four years. He was disappointed to lose three councillors in Leamington but happy that they had a sweeping success in Kenilworth.
The Conservatives kept their overall majority at the district council. Overall, they lost two seats to the Alliance but still have a good majority of 29 over their rivals. Labour have 7 seats, Alliance 6 and the Whitnash Ratepayers 3.
Kenilworth District Councillors
8 Conservative Party (K. Rawnsley, M. Coker, J. Cooke, B. Wooller, J. Wilson, J. Whitby, T. Dalton, S. Harrison)
Former Quarry Road resident Thomas Litterick was born in Clydeside, Glasgow on the 25th May 1929 to working-class parents, William and Annie.
The family moved south, probably to find work. In the 1939 register, the family were living at Standard Ave in Coventry. His father was recorded as being an ‘Engine Assembly Fitter’, which was probably in the car industry, as the city was a major car manufacturer.
Thomas had a younger sister called Margaret.
Arrival In Kenilworth
Thomas eventually became a university lecturer having graduated in economics at Dundee University. He also studed at the University of St. Andrews. He lecturered at both Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry, and at Aston University in Birmingham, on Industrial Relations.
In 1957, Thomas married Jane Ellen Birkenhead at Chippenham and they eventually came to Kenilworth. They moved into a ‘new build’ at 1, Quarry Road, probably in 1966. They had four daughters together. Quarry Road has only four houses and adjoins Malthouse Lane with De Montfort Road.
Political Life – 1970
But it was politics that made Thomas, tick, especially the left-wing variety. This made him a ‘thorn-in-the-flesh’ of not only opposition parties like the conservatives but his own Labour party as well. He was uncompromising as well as outspoken and had strong principles and was never afraid to express his opinions.
But his political life was somewhat of a roller-coaster. His first venture into public office was in the 1970 Kenilworth Urban District Council (KUDC) election when he was elected in the St John’s ward with 521 votes. He then stood in the first ever Warwick District Council (WDC) elections in 1973 but fell short in the combined Abbey & Borrowell ward, finishing 7th out of 10 candidates with only 283 votes. He also contested the County Council elections in 1970 and 1973 but was unsuccessful on both occasions.
His wife Jane, also stood in the 1970 KUDC election but came 5th out of six in Castle ward. She last stood in 1976, both at the district and town council elections.
Resignation From KUDC – 1974
He remained on the KUDC until 1974, but he resigned his seat when all the councillors were automatically transferred to the new Town Council. He believed that a poll should have taken place.
But that same year he was nominated by the Labour Party to stand in the February general election in the Selly Oak constituency, traditionally a Tory seat but it was marginal. He fell short by 2,882 votes to Tory incumbent Harold Gurden. But when another general election was called in October of the same year, he again went head to head with Gurden but this time he was triumphant winning by just 326 votes, due to a 3% swing. So his dream had come true, he was now a Member of Parliament on the back-benchs in the Wilson government. His voice would be heard on numerous occasions in the chamber, but he was somewhat surprised at the ‘cat-calling’ abuse that he found there.
Health and Family Issues – 1977
But it was in 1977, that he attracted most publicity. Whilst recovering from a heart attack after being on the danger-list in the Coronary Unit of Warwick Hospital, he announced he had left his wife for another woman. But, after recovering and moving to London, he suffered a relapse and was admitted to hospital.
During a press interview his wife said that she put his condition down to many factors, including the death threats they were getting, causing him stress. Indeed, his first heart attack came only hours after he had rushed back home from Westminster following death threats the family had received. She also blamed the long working hours that MPs had to endure and called for the government to change MPs working hours. Kenilworth Police became aware of the deaths threats and put on extra patroles around the area of the Littericks’ home.
The Thatcher Revolution – 1979
By the time of the 1979 General Election, the ‘wind of change’ was blowing threw UK politics. Margaret Thatcher had been tory leader since 1975 and her party stormed to a decisive victory over the Callaghan government with an overall majority of 44 seats. Thomas Litterick was one of the casualties, losing his Selly Oak seat by 4,775 votes. This must have been one of the lowest periods of his life. Thatcher would have been his arch nemesis, being on the complete opposite ends of the political spectrum to himself.
Death – 1981
Thomas Litterick died in London, on Monday 5th January 1981, he was 51 years old. His wife said she did not receive any notification until Tuesday afternoon when her solicitor called round to tell her of the tragic news. A death notice had appeared in The Times but no details of the funeral arrangements were mentioned. Mrs Litterick said that she had never given up hope that he would come back home to the family in Kenilworth.
Of the ‘other woman’ in his life she said; “If she is going through what we are going through, then I feel sorry for her but I appeal to her to let me have Tom’s body back so that he can be buried alongside his parents at Canley Cemetery”. But, on the 8th January, she conceded; “I will be attending the funeral tomorrow at the West London Crematorium”. Her 20 year-old daughter, Tracey, was also there. About 150 people were at the funeral and his last election rosette was placed on his coffin.
West London Crematorium
Tributes
MP Tony Benn, described him as a remarkable man, and a dedicated socialist. He said he was a fine teacher and a very modest man.
Former Chairman of the Kenilworth Labour Party, Joe England, of Forrest Road, said that in 1973, Mr Litterick told him that there was one thing he’d like to do before he dies was to spend some time in the ‘gasworks’ – his name for the House of Commons. A year later he got his wish.
Love him or loath him, one thing that Thomas Litterick must always be remembered for, is that he was the first Kenilworth resident ever to become an MP.
Jane Litterick continued to live in Quarry Road until her death in 2006, aged 73.
Between 6th July 1973 and 31st March 1974, Kenilworth had officially become a parish council, with 1st April, being the start of the new council. During a meeting on 11th April, the Town Clerk was appointed the ‘Proper’ officer under the title of Clerk of the Council, with the effect from 2nd April. The salary being £750 per annum. The Clerk’s private telephone quarterly rental would also be paid for the cost of the appropriate number of local calls. Also available to the Clerk was a part-time ‘clerked’ assistant on a salary of £200 per annum, if needed.
The First Annual Meeting
The first Annual meeting of the Kenilworth Town Council (KTC) took place at the castle gatehouse on Tuesday 7th May. There were principally two main issues to resolve. Firstly, to fill two vacancies, and secondly, to choose the new Mayor of the town.
The Vacancy Problem
Due to the death of Leonard Smalley (Castle ward) and the resignation of Thomas Litterick (St John’s), because he didn’t agree about the present councillors being automatically transfered to the new authority, he believed a poll should have taken place.
As there were no set rules for filling ‘casual vacancies’, the new council had to decide how they would go about it, and there was much debate at the meeting regarding the best resolution. Members of the public would assume that by-elections would take place, but this was apparently not possible. The traditions among many parish councils, of much longer standing than Kenilworth, was to co-opt the runners-up from the previous election.
No By-Elections Allowed
The Clerk of the Council, Leslie Hibbard, informed the meeting, that no election by poll of new councillors, could take place before 31st December 1975. Cllr Helen Dore said; “Many people in the town think the democratic way of doing things would be for the public to elect their representatives at a public meeting. But I consider the fairest way to do it would be to accept the runners-up in the respective wards from the last election”.
Show Of Hands or Secret Ballot?
One suggestion was, that there be a secret ballot, the other, a show of hands. But some members were not in favour of a show of hands, preferring to conceal their individual preferencies from the public who were present.
Tory Cllr Rawnsley moved that co-option should take place by a secret ballot, but Labour Cllr Webster had the opposite view, saying there should be a show of hands, so that people could see who individual councillors were supporting. But Cllr Webster’s motion was lost by a vote amongst the members – by a show of hands.
Ian Milligan for the Tories was elected to Castle ward and Bill Wozencroft for Labour at St. John’s.
Castle Ward
Candidate
Votes
Ian Milligan (Con)
7
Eleanor Hogarth
3
Harry Sunley
3
Dora Greenway
1
St John’s Ward
Candidate
Votes
Bill Wozencroft (Lab)
7
Harry Sunley
6
Eleanor Hogarth
2
Terence Rogers
1
Richard Monnington
0
Hugh Martyr
0
The First Mayor of Kenilworth
Oaks Road resident, Jack Cox, was overwelming voted the new Mayor of Kenilworth. Former chairman Kenneth Hogarth handed over the chain saying this was the last link between the old KUDC and the new authority and effectively was saying goodbye to the chairmanship, which had stood for 80 years. Mrs Peggy Cox, the Mayor’s wife, became the Mayoress.
Kenilworth Town Councillors
15 Conservatives (I. Milligan, K. Hogarth, Florence Adcock, D. Charlton, J. Cox, E. Evans, S. Harrison, D. Moore, H. Potts, K. Rawnsley, T. Robinson, Joan Salkeld, L. Wiles. R. Stansfield, H. Whiteman)
2 Labour (W. Wozencroft, C. Webster)
1 Liberal (Helen Dore)
Mayors
1974-75 Jack Cox
1975-76 Harry Potts
Town Clerk – Mr Leslie Hibbard
Subsequent co-opted members
1975 (10th June) – Patrica Adams replaced Joan Salkeld
TORIES RULE IN FIRST EVER KENILWORTH TOWN COUNCIL ELECTION
Polling for the first ever Kenilworth Town Council (KTC) election ran along side the second Warwick District Council elections and the results were a mirror image of each other. It was a swing to the right with the Conservatives taking control of both councils.
Seven standing members retained their seats but one who didn’t was Labour’s Chris Webster, he finished only fifth in St John’s. He had been a member of the old KUDC since 1964 and was the chairman in 1969/70.
A feature of Castle ward, was that four of the candidates were women. One being Jane Litterick, Quarry Road resident, wife of MP for Selly Oak, Thomas Litterick. He was a former member of the old KUDC before it became a town council. He had resigned his seat in protest at the way in which the change-over took place. Members were automatically transferred from the old council to the new. In his opinion an election should have taken place.
Draw Decided Who Should Have Seat
It was tight as a drum for seats in Abbey Ward. Liberal Jack Bastock, was well ahead of the rest, but the next three places only one vote seperated them. After two re-counts, Enys Thomas was elected in second place but tory candidates Nick Wilson and Patrica Adams were dead-locked on 466. So to decide who took the seat, two pieces of paper went into a ballot box:electedand not elected. Mr Wilson was the successful candidate. This was the first ever election that he had contested. He is a solicitor and lives in Henry Street. For ‘adminstration’ purposes, Patrica Adams was deducted one vote.
Four Independent candidates stood for first time since 1964. Moore, Sunley, Potter and Eric Smith, a former councillor and chairman of the old KUDC. None were elected.
Councillors
13 Conservatives (J. Wilson, N. Wilson. F. Adcock, T. Robinson, R. Stansfield, K. Rawnsley, J. Sapsford, J. Cox, R. Monnington, K. Hogarth, H. Potts, P. Pearce, A. Pearce)
4 Liberals (H. Dore, J. Bastock, H. Thomas, E. Thomas)
This by-election was called following the resignation of Paul and Ann Pearce, due to them leaving the town to live in London. Both had been elected in this ward in the inaugural poll last year, both as Conservatives.
But the Tories could only hang on to one seat, while the Liberals took the other. Tory, Patrica Adams, of Villers Road, who topped the poll, is a former town councillor who was co-opted in 1975. She replaced the then retiring, Mrs Salkeld. But in last year’s poll she did not get re-elected. Patrica has lived in the town for 14 years and is married with three children.
The other successful candidate, Liberal, Lance Bramwell, lives in Clinton Lane and works for Automative Products in Leamington. He had contested the Park Hill seat in 1976 but came fifth out of nine candidates. He had been a district councillor from 1973 to 1975. He is Kenilworth born and breed and is interested in conservation.
Kenilworth Town Councillors
12 Conservatives (J. Wilson, N. Wilson, F. Adcock, T. Robinson, R. Stansfield, K. Rawnsley, J. Sarsford, J. Cox, R. Monnington, K. Hogarth, H. Potts, P. Adams)
5 Liberals (H. Dore, J. Bastock, H. Thomas, E. Thomas, L. Bramwell)
