Conservatives hold Oundle seat in Northants County Council by-election

The Conservatives have held their county council seat in the Oundle by-election.
Annabel de Capell Brooke on the campaign trail earlier this monthAnnabel de Capell Brooke on the campaign trail earlier this month
Annabel de Capell Brooke on the campaign trail earlier this month

Annabel de Capell Brooke beat Liberal Democrat Marc Folgate by 588 votes to win the seat vacated by former leader Heather Smith at the start of the year.

A total of 1,864 members of the electorate put a cross by the Conservative candidate’s name, which was 51 per cent of the total vote.

Ms de Capell Brooke said she was delighted with the win .

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Speaking afterwards she said: “I want now to listen to the key issues that people in Oundle and the villages have.”

The newly elected councillor is also a district council on East Northants Council.

The Liberal Democrats picked up some of the Conservative vote compared to the 2017 election, at which they placed third.

The turnout was just under 37 per cent with 3,635 of the 9,853 electorate casting a vote.

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There was little drama at the count, which was undertaken at the Oundle Town Council building at Fletton House from 10.30pm yesterday. The winner was announced at 12.30am.

Student Harry James was the Labour candidate and got 403 votes and Allan Shipman, UKIP, was voted for by 89 people. There were three spoilt votes.

Reflecting after the vote Mr James said he was disappointed but thought his third place was a reflection of the current national picture.

First-time candidate Marc Folgate said he was not sure if he would stand again.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporting Service