River Ward Result

Below is the result of the River ward by-election conducted earlier today, with the result being announced around 2320 hrs this evening.

I was at the Count as a guest, and watched the picture unfolding.

This included witnessing the new-design ballot boxes arrive from the four Polling Stations (the old black metal boxes have gone, donated to local schools for their own elections), the un-boxing of the ballot papers from within those and the (separate) postal votes boxes, and all that followed.

I was in very good company with a number of good folk who were doing the same and chatting together while watching the proceedings.

It all went very smoothly, under the expert control of the council's Chief Executive Neil Davies, the Assistant Director for governance and democracy Richard Hicks, and the organisation's "legal eagle" Deborah Upton.

The votes cast were as follows, in order of position:

1. CRAGGS David George (Conservative) – 617 votes (44·6%, +5·6%)
   
2. JONES John Alun Charles (Labour) – 544 votes (39·4%, -0·7%)
3. HARRISON Garry (Liberal Democrat) – 104 votes (7·5%, -0·6%)
4. KEEVIL Steven Richard (Green Party) – 45 votes (3·3%, +3·3%)
5. RAVENSCROFT Brian Christian (BNP) – 39 votes (2·8%, +2·8%)
6. SANDS Ron (English Democrats) – 33 votes (2·4%, +2·4%)

Turnout was 25·3% (1,386 ballot papers, including postal votes, out of a ward electorate of 5,484). Just four ballot papers were disallowed (blank, spoiled or unclear where the cross had been placed).

This is therefore a win for the Conservative candidate, David Craggs, taking the seat from Labour with a 73 vote majority. The Medway Council make-up is now:

• Conservatives – 34 members (in 16 of the 22 wards)
  
• Labour – 9 members (in 4 wards)
• Lib Dems – 7 members (in 3 wards)
• Independent Group – 4 members (in 3 wards)
• Independent Member – 1 member (in 1 ward)

Incidentally, I have been making predictions regarding this by-election for a while now, and most recently to several folk who could therefore bear witness if necessary. These were that:

1. Turnout would be around 25-26%
2. It would be effectively a two horse race
   
3. The Conservative candidate should win
4. It'll probably be a fairly close result.
   

I got the first three right, and the fourth wasn't far off (I had thought it might be as low as a 20 to 30 votes majority).

Personally I have enjoyed all the delivering, telling, reminding voters and the rest, including blogging about the by-election. It has been a good event overall, despite not being the best possible timing in the August summer holiday period...