CONSERVATIVES are targeting control of Colchester Council after moving to within three seats of a majority.

Tory candidate Vic Flores took top spot in the Shrub End by-election which was called after the resignation of Karen Chaplin (Lib Dem) for personal reasons.

Former RAF reconnaissance photographer Mr Flores won 39 per cent of the vote, with 681 votes.

His nearest challenger was Labour’s Mike Dale, who garnered 572 votes while new Lib Dem candidate Sam McCarthy finished in third place, with 373 votes.

Independent Mike Clark took 54 votes, ahead of Ukip’s Bruno Hickman, with 52, and the Green Party’s Victoria Weaver, with 34 votes.

Mr Flores, 52, improved on his fifth place finish in the all-out borough council elections last year and paid tribute to Colchester MP Will Quince for taking time out to campaign with him, and fellow Shrub End councillor Pauline Hazell for her help. He said: “I’ve been part of Will’s campaigning team twice and when he won the first time I said he would have to help me when I ran for the council.

“He kept to his word and has given up a lot of his time during the Parliamentary recess - he is a very honourable man.

“Pauline is amazing and has helped me so much - I’m looking forward to working with her and Lyn Barton who I have a lot of respect for.”

He said the council’s new recycling system, the state of the town centre and overdevelopment were key issues with voters.

He said: “The new waste system is very harsh and there is no doubt it is deeply unpopular.

“You only have to look at the queues at the dump to see more people are going there to throw away black bags which are not collected.

“People are also generally fed up at the state of the town centre.”

“It looks dirty and is a generally unappealing place to go at the moment.

“The sheer number of houses being built is also unpopular.”

Next year one seat in each borough council ward will be contested and the Tories will have to hold their eight seats and pick up three more to usurp the ruling rainbow coalition.

Group leader Dennis Willetts said: “It was a splendid victory which we hope will see the Conservatives gain control at the next election.

“The result in Shrub End means we are now looking at the more optimistic end of the estimates but there is still another eight months of politics to go and things are never predictable.

“We have to be slightly cautious but Vic’s campaign has been great.

“It was a marvellous night for him.”

Gazette:

Momentum - Labour group leader Tim Young

DESPITE failing to win the seat, Labour chiefs still believe they are building momentum ahead of next year’s borough council elections.

Labour won the only seat to change hands in the Essex County Council elections earlier this year, and saw a surge of support during the General Election.

Group leader Tim Young said he believed Liberal Democrat support was dwindling.

Mr Young said: “It is another very strong result for Labour.
“We increased our share of the vote by 20 per cent, and of course, we are disappointed it was not quite enough to take the seat.

“After the increased following in the Essex County Council election in May and our result in the General Election it goes to show Labour is the only alternative to the Conservative part in Colchester.

“The Liberal Democrats must be very worried about their position going forward.

“It was a great campaign and Mike Dale was a great candidate and it is just a shame we could not quite get over the line but it was another very strong performance.”

Mr Young said the party was putting together plans to try and take control of more seats in next year’s borough council election, where one seat in each ward will be up for grabs.

"We are at the early stages of planning – obviously we have been electioneering since March almost non-stop.

“We are in a very good position.

“Labour is resurgent in Colchester as it is across the country and we are in a strong position for 2018.

“Next year we are defending four seats and was to make gains right across Colchester.”

Gazette: Furious - Martin Goss

Bounceback - Lib Dem group leader Martin Goss

THE Liberal Democrats will bounce back from the disappointment of losing the borough council seat, according to the group leader.

Martin Goss said he was confident the party would have a good set of candidates for further elections next year.

He said: “A tremendous amount of effort went into the campaign with a lot of hard work by a lot of volunteers.

“It was a positive campaign, at least by us, but obviously it is a disappointing result although we will be back.

“If you look at the history of any political party, Labour has been on the ropes in the not too distant past and the Conservatives are heading back there.

“These things are cyclical and it happens to be out turn after being in the coalition and various other things nationally.

“I am sure going into 2018 we will have a good set of candidates who are dedicated and willing to work hard for their communities because it is what it is all about in local elections.”