Election 2021: Wisbech West tops poll for lowest turnout

Dave Patrick (left) awaiting the result of the votes for Cambs CC (Image: Archant)

Voters went to the polls to decide county councillors for all eight divisions on Cambridgeshire County Council.

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC (Image: Archant)

Wisbech West, where Steve Tierney is defending his seat from 2017, received just a 24.18 per cent turnout, followed by Wisbech East with 27.96pc.

These figures are a contrast to Whittlesey North, which attracted the highest turnout at 33.69pc.

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC. Candidate and also FDC leader Chris Boden (right) looks on (Image: Archant)

Whittlesey North, which has three candidates standing for election compared to Wisbech West’s five, is being defended by Fenland District Council leader Chris Boden.

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC (Image: Archant)

Meanwhile, 33.19pc of the electorate turned out to decide their town and district councillor for Lattersey Ward in Whittlesey, while there was a 28.75pc turnout for the Octavia Hill ward by-election in Wisbech.

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC. Deputy Wisbech mayor Andrew Lynn looks on. (Image: Archant)

Other turnout results in Fenland are as follows:

Chatteris – 28.7pc

March North & Waldersey – 28.36pc

March South & Rural – 31.83pc

Roman Bank & Peckover – 33.04pc

Whittlesey North – 33.69pc

Whittlesey South – 32.74pc

Wisbech East – 27.96pc

Wisbech West – 24.18pc

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC (Image: Archant)

Tory Party chiefs, whilst confident of retaining control, have learned from past experience -including that of 2013 when UKIP delivered an extraordinary electoral blow – not to be complacent.

Including the deputy leader’s former seat, they have held 35 of the 61 council seats – with Lib Dems, Labour and independents the remaining 26.

Retention of that comfortable working majority is the goal.

Counting under way at the Hudson leisure centre in Wisbech for Cambs CC (Image: Archant)

No one knows for sure, however, what affect the Hickford inquiry – that has come to be known as farmgate – will have on the minds of voters when they make their choices.

Fenland is critical to continued success for the party – it returned nine councillors, all Conservatives, for the eight divisions in 2017.

It includes the division of March North, the seat of council leader Steve Count, and that of Roman Bank where Simon King, eased out of Fenland Council by the Tory group over an expenses scandal, is clinging onto his political ambitions.

Wisbech itself may also offer an insight into how well independents fare with former Conservative turned independent Andy Maul taking on Steve Tierney.

And Simon ‘Spike’ Crowson, a homeless campaigner, banks on forgiveness by voters over his thoughtless Facebook post last summer against Cllr Tiereny, as he presents himself to the electorate. He is hoping to dislodge former mayor and town council leader Sam Hoy.

Across Fenland, 37 candidates have put forward their names to contest the eight divisions. That compares to 48 four years ago.

All divisions are single member wards with the exception of March North and Waldersey that has two county councillors to represent it.

Apart from the nine Conservatives seeking re-election, Labour has also put up nine candidates to oppose them.

Independents field six candidates, the Green Party also has six names on the ballot papers whilst the Liberal Democrats have five candidates.

There is also one candidate for UKIP and another to represent the Workers Party of Britain.

There was also a vote on the same day for the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and for the police and crime commissioner for Cambridgeshire.