Local democracy for local people

[shewhomust]

As durham_rambler has already announced in his comment on my previous post, he was elected. So that's a result.

Overall, I'm reasonably satisfied with the composition of the new Parish Council.

The LibDems have 8 of the 15 places, which is not a surprise: all the City's County Councillors are Liberals, and the party took the decision to that all of them should stand, and to contest every place on the Parish Council. No criticism of our existing representatives, but I'm not convinced that it's a good idea to have the same people as County Councillors and Parish Councillors, and a little perturbed that in both wards where this was applicable, the existing Councillors topped the poll (and the runner up in our ward is the previous County Councillor).

Of the minority County Councillors, five are Labour. Anywhere else, I'd be cheering them on. In Durham, where the driving force behind the establishment of a Parish Council was the need for a voice for the City against the (Labour) County Council, the case isn't so clear. But three of those elected are active on the Neighbourhood Plan or other residents' bodies, and I think they'll be fine. A fourth is a totally unknown quantity, the sole member for Durham South, whose population is overwhelmingly student (even by the standards of a city where students make up more than half the population). He's a third year student, apparently, and that's a voice we need on the Council, so we'll see how that goes.

And the other two members are durham_rambler, the only independent elected, and one Green (not the Green I'd have chosen if I'd had my pick, but I'm glad there will be a Green Parish Councillor, so I'm happy enough).

We went to the count, which was straight after voting closed, and was fascinating (oh, also lots of waiting, and exhausting, and way after my bed-time, but fascinating). Three wards, three different counting methods. In Durham South, where there were three candidates for a single place, ballot papers were simply sorted into three piles; in Elvet and Gilesgate (15 candidates for six places) a Count Sheet was used, and I can't tell you how that worked, because I was watching Neville's Cross, 24 candidates for eight places using that mammoth ballot paper pictured in my previous post, and the count was by the Grass Skirt method. Yes, really. There is - of course there is - a video on YouTube explaining how this works, and that's pretty much what our counters did, except with larger numbers and - probably for that reason - at right angles to the method shown.

I had been worried that, having agitated to get a Parish Council set up, we'd be embarrassed by lack of interest. So I was happy to see the long lists of candidates, and the next question was, would people be interested enough to turn out and vote? Setting aside Durham South, where turn-out was just over 8% (ouch!), Elvet and Gilesgate was just over 20% (compared with 30% in the last County Council election) and Neville's Cross just over 30% (compared to 40%). Could be better, but perfectly respectable.

Now the real work begins: first council meeting on Thursday...

Comments

[lamentables]

Congratulations to Roger. And thanks for the Grass Skirt link - I’d never heard of this.

[shewhomust]

I don't know who gave it that name - the result is more like a Venetian blind...

[cmcmck]

Neepery?

I trust the neeps were fresh? (Okay, so I'm married to a Scot :o)

[durham_rambler]

Thanks for the congratulations.
There are in fact five Labour parish councillors: two each in Neville’s Cross and Elvet & Gilesgate, and one in Durham South.

[shewhomust]

I knew that! Of course I knew that. I have edited accordingly.

[cellio]

Congratulations!

[durham_rambler]

Thank you!

[nineweaving]

Congratulations!

Nine

[durham_rambler]

Thank you!