Posted: Sat 7th May 2022

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

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales
This article is old - Published: Saturday, May 7th, 2022

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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