Residents in the Wilmslow East ward went to the polls today (Thursday 4th August) to elect a new town councillor.
Voters had a choice of three candidates to represent them: Mark Goldsmith (Residents of Wilmslow), Birgitta Hoffman (Liberal Democrat) and Chetan Katre (Conservative Party).
The election was won by the Residents of Wilmslow candidate Mark Goldsmith who received 60.5% of the vote. The Conservative Party candidate Dr Chetan Katre received 34.3% of the vote and in third place was the Liberal Democrat candidate Birgitta Hoffman who received just over 5% of the vote.
Mark has lived in Wilmslow for 16 years with his wife Melanie, having moved to Wilmslow from London because they love how the town sits amongst the beautiful Cheshire countryside.
Mark joins David Jefferay as the second town councillor representing Residents of Wilmslow, an independent non-political group which, over the past five years, has challenged the need to build on so many of green field sites in Wilmslow.
Mark told wilmslow.co.uk "I am delighted to be representing the people of Wilmslow. By far their biggest concern on the doorstep was the development of green belt around the town. They feel their concerns are being ignored by Conservative councillors, so I want to be their voice and to fight with Residents of Wilmslow to keep our green fields undeveloped."
The total votes cast was 887 which represents a turnout of 27.9%.
The vacancy arose due to the resignation of Fiona McNulty, who was elected in May 2015 but resigned after 11 months due to work commitments.
Speaking after the result the Conservative candidate Dr Chetan Katre told wilmslow.co.uk "I would like to thank my opponents for a clean contest fought on matters of policy. It has been a pleasure speaking with so many residents and I would like to thank them for their time and for coming out to vote at the height of the holiday season.
"This was a hard fought contest and I congratulate Mark while expressing disappointment that the factors clearly swaying the result were Cheshire East matters rather than those influenced by Wilmslow Town Council."
Birgitta Hoffmann said "I am quite pleased to have gained 5% of the vote in a ward where no Lib Dems have stood for some years and look forward to building on this with other Liberal Democrats in future elections.
"Many thanks to the other teams and candidates and to the election officials for a productive and positive campaign."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Hard luck to Birgitta (Lib) & Chetan (Cons)
KEITH CHAPMAN
Wilmslow East Town Councillor
[ Except the 'COGS' ( Concrete over green spaces.. brigade ) of course ! ... who's comments will follow shortly.. you know the ones... who don't want to live in an inner city but want to make Wilmslow an extension of Ancoats ! ]
Mark.... Congratulations, and good luck in the role !
A very clear message from the people of Wilmslow East.
Our RoW team of committed and hard working members are also to be congratulated on achieving the victory they so thoroughly deserved. We must also congratulate and thank the voters of East ward who were only too delighted to join the RoW team at the ballot box.
They were doing it for the much ignored people of Wilmslow, the people the Conservative party pretends to represent but when shove comes to push have always and will continue to put their party's interests first, second and last.
Mark along with Councillor David Jefferay on WTC and Councillor Toni Fox on CEC will not let our supporters and voters down - many are already seeing the big difference between our team and the Conservatives.
All candidates were prepared to attend 6/pa until next WTC election.
Keith Chapman, Wilmslow East Town Councillor
RoW tried time after time to point out to your party's councillors that accepting commercial development on the green belt would be giving the green light to wider elements of development at that site, commercial, housing, a hotel or whatever else RL could dream up to add value to its asset, all in complete disregard for the well-being of its neighbours. Money counts first and people well down the ladder as far as that company is concerned.
Only latterly has your Conservative majority realised they have made a mistake, a mistake RoW has been attempting to point out to you for the past 3 or 4 years. Interestingly the WTC Conservatives will not speak the truth, that is "RoW told us so and we now accept its point of view". If you and your colleagues would do so there will then be an honest and meaningful relationship between the two groups. However it is sad to see the WTC Conservatives belatedly claiming their volte face as their own initiative when it is clearly not.
I appreciate that your party's councillors may have changed since May 2015 but it the past decisions by that group of Conservatives that has set the RL agenda.
RoW is more than happy to work with the Conservative group for the real betterment of the town's residents; our members, supporters, voters and councillors will always put the true betterment of the town's well being first, working to our maxim of "People Before Party". We really need to see the Conservatives acting to the same norm, not words but actions.
It would also be a great step forward if CECs Conservative councillors would do the same but from what we have seen and heard, even this past week, hell will probably freeze over before any man or woman has the backbone to stand up to their party's demands.
http://bit.ly/2aCxNdU
http://bit.ly/2aCyMeg
All of the above are members of one party. One has been booted out and is under serious criminal investigation; one was sacked by the New Prime Minister, one spent £2000 of our money on a patch of weeds under the railway viaduct!
Dave Cash makes a very good point- will these two arriviste candidates bother to turn up for the WTC meetings as members of the public?
Maybe I was a little too naive back in 2012 when the Local Plan kicked off. However, with 4 years of painful experiences attempting to have honest, open discussions with CEC councillors, some of our own so called "representatives", the Council's leadership, senior planning officers and our M.P., the overriding experience is that none of these people are remotely concerned with the people of Wilmslow's concerns with the destruction of the town's Green Belt and by over development.
As far as they are concerned, the public's voice is "irrelevant",thus ignored & dismissed at a stroke. We know that housing etc is required; we are attempting to have the right kind of developments in the right places.
Cllr Michael Jones just uttered quite meaningless palliatives ("I'll tell them what they want to hear and then do as we wish" - e.g. at Dean Row Village Hall), willingly supported by George Osborne M.P, then second in command of the government, by our CEC Conservative councillors, followed by the then WTC.
And politicians wonder why there is so much widespread public contempt for them. They cannot see it, so there is no further point in their being around blighting our lives, "in the name of God, Go!" (Leo Amery MP, Conservative, 1940)
RoW puts the voice of people first, Roll on the next round of elections.
I would hope that all WTC councillors listen to each other's point of view, and don't just stick to their starting positions. I certainly listen to your current WTC Councillor David Jefferay, and I have been influenced by what he had to say, and by the ROW campaign. There is no shame in that, as his and the ROW view represents an important strand of opinion in the town. I think we should remember that Wilmslow Town Council is a parish council with very limited powers. It is composed of people who are not career politicians, but who are prepared to give up their free time to be involved in how their local community evolves. Let's emphasise our common ground rather than any differences which may exist, and we can hopefully improve outcomes for Wilmslow.
Keith Chapman, Wilmslow East Town Councillor
However, I appreciate your comments but may I suggest you read through the WTC policies and minutes. You will then get the picture of WTCs recent history on the matter of the town's Green Belt sites.
WTC will have been seen to have been clearly following the same strategy as that of CECs councillors, where they unashamedly persist in putting their PARTY BEFORE PEOPLE; as you know, we honestly proclaim we put PEOPLE BEFORE PARTY. A major philosophical difference between you and RoW.
We fully understand the town council has limited powers but your Conservative predecessors saw fit to follow the party line and it is this gorge feeding of that doctrine that has cost the Conservatives the credibility you desire.
RoW is an independent group with no party affiliations believing the best way forward for the council is to be fully independent. Alderley Edge has done it, why not Wilmslow?
None of you are "professional" politicians, we are very appreciative of David and Mark, but if that is the case, what I fail to understand is why you and your Tory colleagues feel it necessary to stand under a party banner? Why not stand as independent, be your own man and be seen fully to be for the electorate and not be tarnished by a toxic political party?
Keith, you will always be welcome to "cross over" and join us in RoW - Wilmslow needs more independent minds on its council.
WTC has a voice together and 'colours' aside joined up thinking is the way forward..
As always it is a pleasure to debate with you. Far from being toxic the Conservative party is absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of the nation, and I am proud to represent it. It is the only party which understands that wealth needs to be created before it can be spent. It is the only party in favour of small government and enterprise. I stand under the Conservative banner because the party has policies ranging across an entire spectrum at national and local level. It is not a one issue pressure group like RoW. Being a party representative does not mean one cannot think and act with independence of mind. This is particularly true at the level we are talking about. Perhaps yourself, David and Mark might like to consider joining us as we agree on your main issue, and probably on many others!
Keith Chapman, Wilmslow East Town Councillor
Unfortunately for you, your local Party is "toxic", it has poisoned its own well of support. You really need to start asking yourself why is this?
Probably well before your sojourn in Wilmslow, the people of this town had the benefit of the long lamented Wilmslow U.D.C. That council was made up entirely of independent people with no party affiliations whatsoever, no demands, no whips, no party dogma. The councillors were seen very clearly to work totally for the inhabitants - I have many examples of these well respected people acting for us. - and were prepared to disagree with government and argue for us on matters of prime concern. Unfortunately, this independence has been usurped by respective political parties across the country, in Wilmslow, in the old Macc B.C. and latterly in Cheshire East by the Conservative Party.
The damage locally to the Conservative party has been done and you will be tarred by that brush Keith.
If you truly are of an independent mind, you will only be able to prove it to the electorate when you jettison the Conservative label by joining a truly apolitical group such as our RoW.
Jump, Keith! You will get a soft landing in RoW and will be your own independent man.
Since 1979 until 2015 the Handforth Ratepayer Councillors have been the only Independent voice for local democracy at Borough level. We have been honoured to represent the people and not a party, putting people before party politics but we have been lone voices in the Conservative wilderness around us.
That hegemony was broken last year by the election of RoW Cllr. Toni Fox in Wilmslow Dean Row ward, the election of Independent Cllr. Craig Browne in Alderley Edge ward and the very close election in Wilmslow East ward.
People are fed up with electing Councillors who afterwards do not represent them, voting against greenbelt, tied to a party's will, selling their souls for a chairmanship of a committee given out to them for party loyalty by the part leader.
Our loyalty is to our residents and we are very proud to say so.