We are now 19 seats on Harlow council even with dirty tricks being played

Campaign of lies and disinformation fails to halt Labour slide

Harlow’s Labour Party continued their slide as they lost control of the Harlow Common ward last night, leaving them with just 6 Labour Councillors out of 33 and not one of the 11 wards in Labour control.

Harlow’s MP Bill Rammell, who had taken a high profile during the campaign, cut a lonely figure at 11pm, as he paced the dimly lit empty foyer of the Latton Bush Centre, his mobile ‘phone clamped to his ear while his local activists stood in stunned silence as it became clear from the mounting bundles of votes wrapped in blue paper that Conservatives had secured another overwhelming endorsement from the electorate.

Perhaps he was simply saying he would be home early as there would be no victory celebration after the count, but more likely he was reporting the bad news to Labour HQ, perhaps to Gordon Brown himself.

As soon as the result was announced the room emptied of Labour supporters as Conservatives and Liberal Democrats remained to congratulate themselves, and each other, on Labour’s misery.

Conservatives see the result as a rejection by Harlow Common residents of Labours campaign of lies and misinformation about plans for Council housing and rubbish collection. Not only was their victory based in the more Conservative Latton Bush half of the ward, but was equally apparent in the traditionally staunch Labour half of Potter Street.

The Conservative Candidate, Clive Souter, said of his victory, “Labour tried every trick in the book to hang on to this ward. Their literature was nothing but a dishonest attempt to scare residents with the spectre of rotting waste and rats and the Council selling off their Council houses from under them. Nothing could be further from the truth and they know it.”

New Leader of the Council, Conservative Andrew Johnson, said, “This win has given us a comfortable cushion to govern Harlow over the next two years. I am sorry Labour campaigned the way they did. Councillor Edna Stevens, their local Party Chairman, offered us her resignation from the all-party Member Waste Group when she found that 4 out of her six Councillors were releasing literature that went against her position on waste collection. She at least showed some honour. Even Bill Rammell joined in with quotes against his own Government’s policy on reducing landfill. As for selling off Council houses, it has always been Conservative policy to follow the wishes of tenants and that remains the position. Labour know that too.”

Robert Halfon said, “This was another remarkable victory in the very heat of Labour territory. I am pleased we fought a clean campaign on the issues and am very proud to be part of Harlow’s desire for change. It is a shame that our opponents adopted the tactics they did, but dirty campaigning brings its own reward, and that is inevitable defeat. It just shows the desperation of a party that has lost the faith of the people. The result continues the huge swing to Conservatives, over 16% ahead of Labour”

Ends

Notes for Editors

The Harlow Common by-election produced a surprisingly good turn-out at 2059. (37.2%) and takes the totals of Councillors to:

Conservative 19, Liberal Democrat 8, Labour 6

Vote:

Conservative 959 (46.6%)
Up 3.1% from 2007

Labour 628 (30.5%)

Down 14.5 %

Lib Dem 419 (20.3%). Up 8.7%

Independent is 53 (2.6%)

Technical swing Labour to Tory is 8.8%