Thetford-West Result

Well, I was unsuccesful in my attempt to become the next Norfolk County Councillor for Thetford-West. Initially I was very disappointed, it is afterall something I have put a lot of time and effort into for a long while, but then given the national situation, and loss of 19 Labour seats in Norfolk, in hindsight it was rather inevitable! I may sound very anti-Conservative when I say this, but I was delighted that the seat was at least won by the Liberal Democrats. I do not think councils work well when they are hugely controlled by one political party, there is no room for debate or discussion, refining policy or ideas, just look at Breckland Council - 48 Tories out of 54 councillors. And now, Norfolk has 60 tories out of 84 councillors. However, I polled a respectable 706 votes on a turnout of 28% - I suspect out of the 72% of people that didn't vote there would be a large number of labour voters there sitting on their hands refusing to go and support the Government, and numerous voters around my age (18-30) who are just oblivious to the democratic process. I lost count in this campaign how many people I had to sit down and explain how to vote, i.e. simply how to walk into a polling station, what to do etc. As with the by-election last year, and again this year, I am very pleased to have managed to motivate people to vote who do not normally, or have never voted! I think at least 30 people voted for me last Thursday who rarely, or more realistically, never vote. I was pleased that I seemed to do far better on the Saxon Ward half of the Thetford-West seat. I assume anyway, can't know for sure. But the Labour vote was particularly poor for the Abbey Ward by-election, just 256 votes, so if people voted the same for the county election, it meant I got roughly 450 votes for the Saxon Ward half of Thetford-West and 256 on the Abbey half (Mike Brindle, Lib Dem, also won that seat so is now on the Town Council and Norfolk Council all in one go!). I live to fight another day, I'm still on Thetford Town Council, I am still employed as a community worker in Thetford, and I am as determined as ever to work to improve Thetford, and this will probably mean standing in future elections! It goes without saying, but I wish the two new Thetford County Councillors all the best, and our two new town councillors! Interesting times ahead :) All results here - http://www.breckland.gov.uk/news_declaration_of_poll_county_elections