Dudley local election results: Tories take UKIP seats in dramatic dead heat
It was a good night for the Conservatives in Dudley, who gained six seats and ended up tied with Labour with 35 each.
Tory leader Patrick Harley is highly likely to continue in control with the support of the two non-Labour councillors - independent Heather Rogers, who is a former Conservative, and Kerry Lewis, the only UKIP councillor left on a Black Country authority.
Full local election coverage:
One of the high-profile casualties was MEP and now former UKIP councillor Bill Etheridge, who lost the Sedgley ward by 498 votes to Conservative candidate and nightclub owner Shaun Keasey.
Mr Etheridge said: "I have been honoured to serve Sedgley for the last four years. The result is an amazing one for Shaun - I think Shaun will be a great councillor.
"I want to say very clearly the people have spoken and I accept that. It is time for UKIP to think about its future and it is time for Gerard Batten the leader of UKIP to think about his future. It is time for us to start moving on."
After retaining his seat with a 1,294 majority, Councillor Harley said: "I am elated. We had six targets seats and six gains.
“We were really defiant, we could really not afford to lose any seats – we had to make those six gains to ensure Labour didn’t take control.
“I am confident we will get the UKIP and Independent councillors on board. We have a great relationship with those two councillors and they have supported us over the last 12 months. I have no doubt that they will support us again."
On winning the Lye & Stourbridge North seat, Dudley Labour leader Pete Lowe said: "We are left with 35 Labour seats and 35 Conservative seats. The UKIP member will go on and very quickly join with the Conservative party.
"I congratulate Patrick Harley on his successful night.
"There are Labour councillors who have fought so hard. Candidates who have fought an excellent campaign. We fight to live another day.
"The message to the people of Dudley is very clear - the Labour group will continue to fight for Dudley and in Dudley.
"I want to thank each and every resident who voted for me."
The Conservatives gained one seat from Labour, with 18-year-old Jake Cooper winning Belle Vale from Labour’s Ian Cooper.
He said he plans to ‘stand up for younger people’ on the council.
Dudley Council results - ward by ward
What happened: The Conservatives gained six seats (five of them from UKIP)
Political make-up: No overall control (Cons – 35; Lab – 35; Indep – 1; UKIP – 1)
Turnout: 30.33 per cent
* Party previously holding seat
Amblecote (Cons hold)
Paul Bradley (Cons)* – 1,562
Barbara Deeley (UKIP) – 215
Peter Drake (Lab) – 895
Ian Flynn (Lib Dem) – 161
Belle Vale (Cons gain)
Ian Cooper (Lab)* – 1,534
Jake Cooper (Cons) – 1,669
Bill McComish (Green) – 156
Brierley Hill (Lab hold)
Phil Atkins (Cons) – 834
John Dyer (Democrats and Veterans) – 65
Gordon Elcock (Green) – 132
Zaraf Islam (Lab)* – 1,078
Terry Thorn (UKIP) – 218
Brockmoor and Pensnett (Lab hold)
Clare Bramall (Lib Dem) – 53
Rich Colley (UKIP) – 175
Judy Foster (Lab)* – 987
Sue Greenaway (Cons) – 940
Castle and Priory (Lab hold)
Martin Day (UKIP) – 250
Alan Finch (Lab)* – 1,654
Ryan Priest (Lib Dem) – 51
Richard Tasker (Cons) – 831
Coseley East (Lab gain)
Josef Baker (Cons) – 894
Bec Gentle (Lab) – 1,150
Karen Jones (UKIP) – 249
Catherine Maguire (Green) – 63
Cradley and Wollescote (Lab hold)
Pam Archer (Green) – 148
Mitchell Bolton (UKIP) – 487
Tim Crumpton (Lab)* – 1,425
Kamran Razzaq (Cons) – 704
Gornal (Cons gain)
Mitch Barlow (Green) – 66
Dave Branwood (Lab) – 1,047
Bryn Challenor (Cons) – 1,942
Roger Scott-Dow (UKIP)* – 270
Halesowen North (Cons gain)
Lois Bramall (Lib Dem) – 95
Stuart Henley (UKIP)* – 582
Joe Roberts (Cons) – 1,550
Parmjit Sahota (Lab) – 1,375
Halesowen South (Cons hold)
Ray Burston (Cons) – 2,321
Derek Campbell (Lib Dem) – 238
James Walker (Lab) – 945
Hayley Green & Cradley South (Cons hold)
Andrea Goddard (Cons)* – 1,843
Delesh Patel (UKIP) – 122
John Payne (Green) – 174
Donella Russell (Lab) – 875
Kingswinford North and Wall Heath (Cons hold)
Jonathan Bramall (Lib Dem) – 197
Damian Corfield (Lab) – 952
Edward Lawrence (Cons)* – 2,460
Kingswinford South (Cons hold)
Taryn Bradley (Green) – 187
Jay Griffiths (Lab) – 922
Patrick Harley (Cons)* – 2,216
Lye and Stourbridge North (Lab hold)
Naz Ahmed (Green) – 136
Euan Dunn (UKIP) – 229
Pete Lowe (Lab)* – 1,589
Thomas Ruff (Cons) – 985
Netherton, Woodside and St Andrew’s (Lab hold)
Martin Berrington (Cons) – 703
Dean Horton (UKIP) – 246
Elaine Taylor (Lab)* – 1,376
Alex Wright (Green) – 181
Norton (Cons hold)
Christopher Bramall (Lib Dem) – 400
Colin Elcock (Cons)* – 2,278
Monika Narad (Lab) – 865
David Powell (UKIP) – 145
Pedmore and Stourbridge East (Cons hold)
Jon Dean (Lab) – 897
Simon Hanson (Lib Dem) – 258
Angus Lees (Cons)* – 2,269
Glen Wilson (UKIP) – 167
Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood (Lab hold)
Chris Barnett (Lab)* – 1,053
Chris Blake (Cons) – 957
Lee Taylor (Lib Dem) – 54
Angela Walker (UKIP) – 277
Sedgley (Cons gain)
Bill Etheridge (UKIP)* – 498
Mushtaq Hussain (Lab) – 742
Shaun Keasey (Cons) – 1,936
Elaine Sheppard (Lib Dem) – 110
St James’s (Lab hold)
Khurshid Ahmed (Lab)* – 1,265
Malcolm Davis (Cons) – 990
Mick Forsyth (UKIP) – 244
Benjamin France (Lib Dem) – 90
St Thomas’s (Lab hold)
Jonathan Elliott (Cons) – 630
Francis Sheppard (Green) – 91
Steve Waltho (Lab)* – 2,121
Phil Wimlett (UKIP) – 215
Upper Gornal and Woodsetton (Cons gain)
Lynette Corfield (Lab) – 1,148
Chris Neale (Cons) – 1,180
Dean Perks (UKIP)* – 431
Kelly Richards (Green) – 79
Wollaston & Stourbridge Town (Cons hold)
Nicholas Barlow (Cons)* – 1,914
Harriet Foster (Lab)– 1,771
Andi Mohr (Green) – 268
Wordsley (Cons gain)
Kevin Billingham (Lab) – 947
Paul Brothwood (UKIP)* – 679
Donna Harley (Cons) – 1,463
David Sheppard (Lib Dem) – 102
