# 2019 Fenland District Council election

The 2019 Fenland District Council election took place on 2 May 2019 for all 39 seats of the Fenland District Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.
In these elections, twelve councillors were returned unopposed, with Fenland District Council topping the Electoral Reform Society's list of 'rotten boroughs'.

## Summary
### Background

In recent months a number of prominent Tories had failed to win selection for wards they had held in many instances for several years. Some of these stood as independent candidates. Nick Meekins standing as an independent took David Oliver's seat. Cllr Michelle Tanfield retained her Elm and Christchurch seat along with Will Sutton as independents.
UKIP did not put up any candidates this election - former UKIP county councillor for Wisbech North ward (2013-2017), Paul Clapp said he felt he could "achieve more outside of the political system than in it". The local Green Party said it had "pushed hard" to field more candidates, but found "limited interest". The Labour candidate Martin Field (March East ward), felt uncontested seats were "bad for democracy". Labour had not a candidate standing in every seat in Fenland since 1995. Liberal Democrat candidate (Parson Drove & Wisbech St Mary), Gavin Booth said: "The state of national politics now puts people off and this has caused a lot of apathy for local politics, which is a shame."
Two Independent councillors Virginia and Michael Bucknor stepped down, after 12 years in local politics, due to Mrs Bucknor's ill health. A former conservative councillor Andy Maul took one of the two seats they were vacating. A number of former Tory councillors standing as independents gained seats across the district, collectively they are forming the largest opposition for many years.

### Election result

2019 Fenland District Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 39 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 66.6 | 50.1 | 12,646 | –9.8 |
| Independent | 15 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 25.6 | 20.4 | 5,140 | +9.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | 5.1 | 10.5 | 2,662 | +4.9 |
| Green | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 | 12.8 | 3,236 | +8.1 |
| Labour | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 6.5 | 1,554 | –4.6 |

## Ward results

12 seats were uncontested. (* denotes sitting councillor)

### Bassenhally (Whittlesey)

Bassenhally (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Boden* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative | Kay Mayor* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Benwick, Coates and Eastrea

Benwick, Coates and Eastrea (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alex Miscandlon* | 395 | 39.7 | |
| | Independent | Bob Wicks | 381 | 38.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Graham Costello | 372 | 37.4 | |
| | Independent | Maria Goldspink | 291 | 29.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Stephen Goldspink | 274 | 27.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 994 | 28.71 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Birch (Chatteris)

Birch(1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Benney | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Clarkson (Wisbech)

Clarkson(1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lynn | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Doddington and Wimblington

Doddington and Wimblington(2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Connor* | Unopposed | N/A | ±0.0 |
| | Conservative | Maureen Davis* | Unopposed | N/A | ±0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elm and Christchurch

Elm and Christchurch (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Will Sutton* | 451 | 46.3 |
| | Independent | Michelle Tanfield* | 444 | 45.5 |
| | Conservative | Phil Webb | 291 | 29.8 |
| | Conservative | Pete Wheeler | 282 | 28.9 |
| | Green | Victoria Bunting | 213 | 21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 975 | 26.25 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Kirkgate (Wisbech)

Kirkgate (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Patrick | 230 | 56.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Garry Tibbs* | 179 | 43.8 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 22.44 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Lattersey (Whittlesey)

Lattersey (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Bristow | 407 | 66.3 | +66.3 |
| | Labour | Jes Hibbert | 207 | 33.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.28 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Manea

Manea (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Charlie Marks | 404 | 54.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Emma Kujat | 258 | 34.6 | −32.9 |
| | Green | Robert White | 84 | 11.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.55 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### March East

March East (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Clark* | 581 | 38.6 | |
| | Conservative | Mark Purser | 520 | 34.6 | |
| | Independent | Fred Yeulett* | 514 | 34.2 | |
| | Independent | Andrew Pugh* | 485 | 32.2 | |
| | Conservative | Raymond Jack | 483 | 32.1 | |
| | Green | Andrew Crawford | 408 | 27.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Martin Field | 403 | 26.8 | |
| | Labour | Katharine Bultitude | 400 | 26.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,505 | 25.72 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### March North

March North (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Mike Cornwell* | 524 | 42.9 |
| | Conservative | Steve Count* | 471 | 38.6 |
| | Conservative | Kim French | 449 | 36.8 |
| | Green | Ruth Johnson | 389 | 31.9 |
| | Conservative | Peter Thompson | 379 | 31.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Court* | 365 | 29.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Silke Ibbotson | 295 | 24.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,221 | 22.27 |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### March West

March West (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Rob Skoulding* | 1,008 | 64.8 |
| | Conservative | Jan French | 847 | 54.5 |
| | Green | Simon Wilkes | 524 | 33.7 |
| | Conservative | Kit Owen* | 510 | 32.8 |
| | Labour | Matthew Routledge | 369 | 23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,555 | 27.47 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Green gain from Independent | Green gain from Independent | Swing | |

### Medworth (Wisbech)

Medworth (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steven Tierney* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Octavia Hill (Wisbech)

Octavia Hill (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samantha Hoy* | 639 | 64.0 | |
| | Conservative | Susan Wallwork | 487 | 48.8 | |
| | Independent | Peter Freeman | 420 | 42.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Clayton Payne | 175 | 17.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 998 | 24.58 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary

Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gavin Booth* | 815 | 70.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Bligh* | 722 | 62.1 |
| | Conservative | Rita Drinkwater | 350 | 30.1 |
| | Conservative | Dean Rogers | 268 | 23.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,163 | 29.20 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Peckover (Wisbech)

Peckover (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Nick Meekins | 292 | 57.3 | +18.3 |
| | Conservative | David Oliver* | 218 | 42.7 | −18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.19 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Nick Meekins rejoined the Conservatives in 2021.

### Roman Bank

Roman Bank (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Samantha Clark* | 927 | 65.7 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Humphrey* | 859 | 60.8 | |
| | Conservative | Chris Seaton* | 794 | 56.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diane Cutler | 465 | 32.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,412 | 27.48 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Slade Lode (Chatteris)

Slade Lode (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Daniel Divine | 248 | 60.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Florence Newell* | 165 | 40.0 | +40.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 20.57 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### St Andrews (Whittlesey)

St Andrews(1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Mason* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Staithe (Wisbech)

Staithe(1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Topgood | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Stonald (Whittlesey)

Stonald (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Denise Laws* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### The Mills (Chatteris)

The Mills (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anne Hay | Unopposed | N/A | ±0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Waterlees Village (Wisbech)

Waterlees Village (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Billy Rackley | 449 | 51.4 | |
| | Independent | Andy Maul | 440 | 50.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Aigars Balsevics | 384 | 44.0 | |
| | Independent | Ray Pearson | 266 | 30.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 873 | 22.42 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
| | Independent gain from Independent | Independent gain from Independent | Swing | | |

### Wenneye (Chatteris)

Wenneye (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Murphy* | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |