Local community group, Peasedown 1st, suffered another defeat at the polls last Thursday, 11th April, with none of the three candidates put forward winning a seat on Peasedown St John's Parish Council. The three seats on offer were won by Kathy Thomas, Independent, securing first place with 529 votes, followed by Labour and Co-operative Party candidate, Jonathan Rich, with 423 votes, and fellow Labour and Co-operative Party and previous candidate in February's by-election, Jordan Ness, coming third with 303 votes.
There was a similar turnout of voters in February's by-election, with 16.35% of the village having their say this time. It seems the tide is definitely turning against Peasedown 1st, who, back in May 2011, completely overturned the previous Parish Council at the local elections and won all seventeen votes, but came in for criticism by some who perceived the self-billed 'community group', set up in 2010, to have Lib-Dem tendencies. No previous Parish Councillors remained. It was thought that the election of all of these candidates would mean a fresh start for local politics and put an end to previous infighting, but since then, a number of Parish Councillors have stepped down, some quite publicly talking about their concerns.
Wanting some stability back, villagers overwhelmingly voted for Independent candidate and former Town Clerk, John Whittock, in February 14th's by-election this year, with 47% of the vote, and they have done the same again with the most recent Independent candidate to step forward. Speaking this week, newly-elected Independent Councillor, Kathy Thomas, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who supported me in my campaign and to friends and family who helped with delivering many hundreds of leaflets. Some residents registered for postal votes, as they were away on polling day and at least one family organised proxy votes.
"In my leaflet, I stated that I would make it my business to promote the aims set out in the Peasedown St John Parish Plan. I would like to see more openness in Parish Council business, an improved committee system and better publicity, promotion of PACT (Partnerships and Communities Together), a designated area in the village cemetery for interment of cremated remains and more and better play equipment for all age groups. This is my pledge to the residents of the Parish of Peasedown St John.
"And to all residents, those that voted for me and those that did not, I look forward to serving as a Parish Councillor until the next elections in 2015."
Gaining two seats on the Parish Council has been a boost for the Labour Party, who hail the win as a signal that the Lib-Dem domination of Peasedown is now coming to an end. In a statement, the Labour group said that: 'The residents have sent a clear message with these significant Labour wins and have voted for common sense and a return to a more balanced Parish Council for Peasedown.'
One of the winning Labour candidates, Jonathan Rich, said: "Since the May 2011 elections, nine of the seventeen Councillors elected under the banner of 'Peasedown 1st' have resigned from the Council. This has angered many residents in the village. The Council has lost its direction and needed newly-elected Councillors that understand the needs of our community and have experience in Local Government. I believe that Peasedown St John deserves a consistent Parish Council which puts the needs of the residents first."
The Labour Party also stated: 'We would like to thank the electors of Peasedown for placing their trust in us. We will bring some experience to the Council and end the infighting. In addition, a huge thank you to all those in the Labour Party and our supporters for their help, over the last few weeks, to make this possible.'
See Letters on page 16 for elected Labour Councillor, Jordan Ness' response. The Journal approached Peasedown 1st for comment, but, at the time of going to press, had not had a reply. Their candidate who came fourth, Tracy Ashman, received 263 votes.