Council Election: The people of Connah’s Quay have spoken loud clear, says Bernie Attridge

The people of Connah’s Quay have spoken “loud and clear, they want change in County Hall,” Cllr Bernie Attridge said as the final ward in the Flintshire County Council election was declared.

Independent candidates Bill Crease and Anthony Wren – who won by just three votes – took Connah’s Quay South from Labour following a recount of ballot papers at Coleg Cambria on Saturday morning.

It topped off a bruising set of results for Labour in Connah’s Quay, a historic stronghold for the party.

Independent candidates Andy Hughes and Franko Richardson took the Golftyn ward from Labour’s Paul Shotton who has represented the ward since 2012.

Labour failed to hold the other seat in Golftyn which was vacated by Andy Dunbobbin who stepped away from Flintshire Council due to his role as Police and Crime Commissioner.

Independent candidate Roz Mansell took the Wepre ward from Labour’s Martin White with a winning margin of just 17 votes.

This was the first election to have taken place since a series of changes were announced by the Boundary Commission. Those changes have seen the number of councillors in Flintshire reduced from 70 to 67 and the number of wards from 57 to 45.

Bernie Attridge, who spearheaded the Independent campaign in Connah’s Quay held his Central ward seat and was joined by fellow Independent Debbie Owen.

Speaking to Deeside.com on Saturday, Cllr Attridge said he was “absolutely ecstatic with the results.”

“Seven Independent county councillors have taken out the Labour Party in Connah’s Quay in great style and that was my plan.”

Cllr Attridge said he wanted Martin White to hold onto his seat because “when I was sacked (as deputy council leader in 2019) he always stayed in touch and we’ve worked together for the good of the community.”

Red-letter day

He said it was a “red-letter day” for him personally, “the Connah’s Quay people have spoken loud and clear that they want change in County Hall.”

Cllr Attridge said, “personally, I feel I’ve delivered that, the campaign I successfully led has changed why people went out on polling day and voted Independent.”

Labour councillor Ian Roberts, the leader of Flintshire council said, “losing the seats in Connah’s Quay is extremely disappointing.”

“But we accept the results of the election the electorate have spoken.”

Speaking to Deeside.com, Cllr Roberts said that to lose an election is “absolutely devastating, not in terms of what goes on in the rest of our lives but in terms of you personally.”

He said: “You put yourself forward and maybe after many, many years people have said, we don’t want you anymore we want someone else.”

“I think we all need to recognise the contribution that these (outgoing) councillors have made.”

The overall turnout for the Flintshire council election was 36 per cent, 3 per cent lower than the previous election in 2017.

Across the four Connah’s Quay wards, 51 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote, up from 44 per cent in 2017.

Kingmakers..

No party or group has won the magic 34 seats in Flintshire needed to take control of the council.

Cllr Attridge said he was “disappointed” he couldn’t get 34 Independent councillors “over the line” in Flintshire.

“I personally gave it the best go, where we were losing seats I had no control.”

Flintshire’s Liberal Democrats will once again be pivotal in helping form an administration.

Cllr Roberts said Labour would look to work with the Lib Dems, “as we did in the last council, and we worked with a group of Independents in last council to ensure that we could deliver for the people.”

He said: “As a council, we now need to look forward to the future and the challenges ahead, we’ve got the after-effects of COVID which is still with us, people are still frightened, it’s affected people’s lives immensely.

“And we’ve got the financial crisis going on, so people are feeling very angry.”

Cllr Roberts said: “I’m hoping whoever takes charge of the council and I’m not presuming it will be Labour, I personally believe their first job will be to bring the council together so that it works effectively for the whole of Flintshire.”

“I honestly hope now that with the results we’ve had, people can look forward to their vision of Flintshire whosoever that is, if it the Independent’s vision, let’s see it. I can assure you our vision is in the Flintshire Labour party manifesto.” He said.

Cllr Attridge feels he is in a strong position to take control of the council, he said the Lib Dems will be the “kingmakers” in all this.

“I’m well aware that the council leader is ringing Independent councillors trying to get them to peel off so they can form an administration.”

“Let it be clear, I’m certainly speaking to Labour Councillors, I’ve had three or four tell me they will consider over the weekend if they will be defecting from the Labour Party.” Cllr Attridge said.

Full Results: 

Wards	Elected candidates	Elected party or parties
Argoed and New Brighton / Argoed a New Brighton	Mared Eastwood	Welsh Liberal Democrats
	Hilary McGuill	Welsh Liberal Democrats
Bagillt / Bagillt	Rob Davies	Independent / Annibynnol
	Kevin Rush	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Broughton North East / Gogledd-ddwyrain Brychdyn	Billy Mullin	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Broughton South / De Brchdyn	Chrissy Gee	Independent
	Ryan James McKeown	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Brynford and Halkyn / Brynffordd a Helgain	Jean Davies	Welsh Conservative Party Candidate / Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru
	Simon Jones	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Buckley: Bistre East / Bwcle: Dwyrain Bistre	Richard Brent Jones	Independent / Annibynnol
	Arnold Woolley	Independent / Annibynnol
Buckley: Bistre West / Bwcle: Gorllewin Bistre	Carolyn Mary Preece	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Dan Rose	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Buckley: Mountain / Bwcle: Mynydd	Carol Ann Ellis	Independent / Annibynnol
Buckley: Pentrobin / Bwcle: Pentrobin	Dennis Hutchinson	Independent / Annibynnol
	Mike Peers	Independent
Caergwrle / Caergwrle	Dave Healey	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Caerwys / Caerwys	Steve Copple	Independent / Annibynnol
Cilcain / Cilcain	Andrew John Parkhurst	Welsh Liberal Democrats – Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru
Connah’s Quay Central / Canol Cei Connah	Bernie Attridge	Independent
	Debbie Owen	Independent
Connah’s Quay South / De Cei Connah	Bill Crease	Independent
	Antony Stephen Wren	Independent
Connah’s Quay: Golftyn / Cei Connah: Golftyn	Andy Hughes	Independent
	Franko Richardson	Independent
Connah’s Quay: Wepre / Cei Connah: Gwepra	Roz Mansell	Independent / Annibynnol
Flint: Castle / Y Fflint: Y Castell	Ian Roberts	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Flint: Coleshill and Trelawny / Y Fflint: Cynswllt a Threlawny	Paul Cunningham	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Michelle Perfect	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Vicky Perfect	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Flint: Oakenholt / Y Fflint: Oakenholt	Mel Buckley	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Greenfield / Maes Glas	Rosetta Dolphin	Independent / Annibynnol
Gwernaffield and Gwernymynydd / Y Waun a Gwernymynydd	David Coggins Cogan	Welsh Liberal Democrats – Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru
	Adele Davies-Cooke	Welsh Conservative Party Candidate / Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru
Hawarden: Aston / Penarlag: Aston	Gillian Louise Brockley	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Helen Brown	Independent / Annibynnol
Hawarden: Ewloe / Penarlag: Ewloe	Dave Mackie	Independent
	Linda Thomas	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Hawarden: Mancot / Penarlag: Mancot	Sam Swash	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Ant Turton	Independent / Annibynnol
Higher Kinnerton / Kinnerton Uchaf	Mike Allport	Independent
Holywell Central / Canol Treffynnon	Ted Palmer	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Holywell East / Dwyrain Treffynnon	Ian Hodge	Independent / Annibynnol
Holywell West / Gorllewin Treffynnon	Paul Johnson	Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party / Llafur a’r Blaid Gydweithredol Cymru
Hope / Yr Hob	Gladys Healey	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Leeswood / Coed-llai	Ray Hughes	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Llanasa and Trelawnyd / Llanasa a Threlawnyd	Glyn Banks	Independent / Annibynnol
	Gina Maddison	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Llanfynydd / Llanfynydd	Dave Hughes	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Mold East / Dwyrain yr Wyddgrug	Chris Bithell	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Mold South / De’r Wyddgrug	Geoff Collett	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Mold West / Gorllewin yr Wyddgrug	Tina Susan Claydon	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Mold: Broncoed / Yr Wyddgrug: Broncoed	Teresa Carberry	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Mostyn / Mostyn	Pam Banks	Independent / Annibynnol
Northop / Llaneurgain	Marion Bateman	Independent
	Linda Thew	Independent / Annibynnol
Penyffordd / Pen-y-ffordd	Alasdair Ibbotson	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Roy Alan Wakelam	Independent / Annibynnol
Queensferry and Sealand / Queensferry a Sealand	Christine Jones	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Dale Selvester	Independent
Saltney Ferry / Saltney Ferry	Richard Lloyd	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	Jason Shallcross	Independent
Shotton East and Shotton Higher / Dwyrain Shotton a Shotton Uchaf	Ron Davies	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
	David Evans	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Shotton West / Gorllewin Shotton	Sean Bibby	Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru
Treuddyn / Treuddyn	Allan Marshall	Annibynnol / Independent
Whitford / Chwitffordd	Chris Dolphin	Independent / Annibynnol