HALLOWEEN FRIGHT FOR TORIES

By Phil Letterboxes

THE loss of outspoken Tory councillor Phil Dew from the opposition benches of Westmorland & Furness Council sounds like the death knell for the Conservatives in Eden.

The terrier-like former Methodist minister always enjoyed leaping from his seat in the council chamber to deliver sermons; particularly if it involved dissecting council waffle or pulling the wings off the ruling Liberal Democrats.

Now starting a new life in Stockport, Dew’s former Kirkby Stephen and Tebay patch – a fortress for the Tories in Eden – has just fallen to the all-conquering Lib Dems.

In a two-way Halloween by-election, Tim Farron’s door knockers scythed through Phil’s old constituency for a gain that should haunt their shattered political opponents.

Lib Dem Adrian Waite, (always the bridesmaid, never the bride), polled 887 votes. He now sits proudly on top of a 700-majority.

The Tory vote fell to a new low of 186. Circa 4,000 residents could have voted; 1,073 did so. Turnout was 26%. Lib Dem backsides now occupy 37 of W&F’s 65 seats.

Nearly man Cllr Waite has been “waiting” a long time to get on the government rung in Cumbria having stood for election many times. (Only Screaming Lord Sutch stood more?)

It leaves the number of Tories representing Eden on W&F reduced to just two.

It should make his resounding election victory all the more painful for the ineffectual Tory group on W&F.