NEWS RELEASE from the Liberal Democrats on Harlow District Council

Local election results 7 May 1998 - Liberal Democrats Gain

Liberal Democrats in Harlow gained a seat from Labour in Thursday's local elections.
In Stewards ward, Liberal Democrat Audrey Curran stormed to victory with 65 per cent of the vote, as the Labour vote halved.

Elsewhere Liberal Democrat Glennis George increased her vote in Mark Hall South - from 186 in September's by-election to 400 this time. Her vote share soared from 22 per cent to 36 per cent in a contest which had Labour seriously worried. And the expanding ward of Potter Street and Church Langley became a three-cornered contest, with Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on 681, 547 and 425 votes respectively.

Labour supporters stayed away from the polls in their thousands on Thursday. Last time these seats were fought, in 1994, over 12,700 people voted Labour. This time the Labour vote townwide totalled only 7,556.

Labour took 53 per cent of the votes and 13 council seats; the Tories took 26 per cent and one seat, and the Liberal Democrats 21 per cent and one seat. Liberal Democrat leader Lorna Spenceley said:

"The overwhelming message of this election was that Labour supporters were seriously disillusioned with their council and their government, and were not prepared to come out and vote. The outcome shows the need for electoral reform and proportional representation. With only half the votes Labour took 13 out of 15 seats, while the remaining 47 per cent of voters were rewarded with just two councillors between them.

"I'm delighted that Audrey has joined our all-female council group in Stewards - and our results elsewhere in the town stand us in good stead for the future."

ENDS

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