Tories strengthen majority (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Tories strengthen majority

CONSERVATIVES strengthened their majority at Stroud District Council as Dursley and Cam turned blue.

Brian Marsh, Liberal Democrat for Dursley, lost his seat on the district council to Conservative Loraine Patrick who won with 653 votes to Mr Marsh's 603.

Miranda Clifton, a Labour councillor, lost her Cam East seat to Conservative Brian Tipper, who won with 723 to Mrs Clifton's 575.

Despite his loss Mr Marsh remained positive. He said: "We will try again and I will be back."

Berkeley held as a Conservative seat with newcomer Tim Archer replacing Ben Francis, who stood down as Conservative candidate before the election.

In Wotton-under-Edge the Liberal Democrats held their ground as Paul Smith held his seat with 1,212 votes.

The results reflected the Conservative success across other parts of the country and leave the Stroud Tories with 31 seats out of the 51 council seats. This is two seats up on last years' 29.

Chas Fellows, leader of the Stroud Conservatives and Stroud District Council, said he was pleased with the Dursley and Cam results.

He said: "I am absolutely elated that we have been able to win Dursley and Cam East. These wins have put the Conservatives in a stronger position then they were last year.

"It tells me that the public believe we are doing it right."

However, the Tories were not able to hang on to all of their seats. Nigel Cooper who had held the Rodborough seat for the party and was the council's cabinet member for environment lost his seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Christine Headley.