Ryde residents step up to the plate to ignite hope in voters
The new ‘Our Ryde’ town councillors share their thoughts about the future of Ryde
Our Ryde, a popular new movement of Ryde residents, last Thursday won 58 per cent of the votes cast for Ryde Town Council elections (4,828 votes out of 8,282 cast) and only stood in eight of the 14 seats up for election.
The group won all of the nine seats out of 16 it stood in, with eight winning through election and one Our Ryde candidate uncontested.
Our Ryde now has an overall majority in Ryde Town Council. The highest vote was for current Our Ryde founder, Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Michael Lilley with 911 votes and six other candidates with well over 500 votes each.
Love numbers? You’ll L O V E this detailed look at the election results
A look at some of the statistics from the Isle of Wight council election, including margins, closest finishes and average votes
But while we wait to find out what happens next, let’s have a look at the stats.
In the 39 seats making up the authority, they now belong to 18 Conservatives, 13 Independent, two Green, two Island Independent Network, one Labour, one Our Island, one Liberal Democrat and one Vectis Party councillors.
Boundary changes
The Isle of Wight Council has gone from 40 seats to 39 after boundary changes, and now there is a change with the Conservatives no longer holding a majority with 23 seats.
Conservatives lose majority in 2021 Isle of Wight council election
Here’s what’s changed at the Isle of Wight council since the count started at 9.30am this morning
All the results are in and Conservatives have lost their majority (23-seats) with just 18 seats.
Weekend of negotiation
With 18 Conservatives, 13 Independent, two Green, two Island Independent Network, one Labour, one Our Island, one Lib Dem, one Vectis Party, it will be a weekend of negotiation for parties or groups to meet the required 20 seats for a majority.
Return of former councillors
Former councillors returning to the council include Jonathan Bacon, Phil Jordan and Daryll Pitcher who all lost their seats in the 2017 election.
Letter: We need radical change at grassroots in Island politics to be competent
Independent candidate, Michael Lilley, explores the issue of a lack of candidates for many town or parish council wards in the upcoming elections
OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Independent candidate, Michael Lilley. Ed
Further to recent letters from Phil Jordan and Steve Sheridan about town and parish councils, I wish to raise the issue of the reality that on the Isle of Wight there are 33 parish and town councils and in the 2021 May elections only 11 have contests in some or all of their wards and only Bembridge and Sandown have contests in all their wards.