Cannock Chase election: Conservatives claim local issues won the day after extending control
The Conservatives remain firmly in control of Cannock Chase Council after the local elections – winning the seat long held by former Labour leader George Adamson.
Taking the Labour seat in Hednesford Green Heath was the sole gain for the Tory group, which took control of the authority for the first time last year by wiping out Labour.
The Tories also narrowly missed out on taking a number of other seats.
The results mean the Conservatives now have 25 seats to Labour’s eight, extending their majority on the council to nine.
The Chase Community Independents have three seats, while the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have two each. There is one independent councillor.
Council leader Olivia Lyons said she was delighted to retain her own seat in Rugeley’s Western Springs ward, saying the result proved the party’s message of campaigning on the local issues rather national politics was the correct move.
She won with 918 votes over Labour’s David Gaye with 678 and a 31.2 per cent voter turn out.
“This result means that we got the message across at the doorstep," the council leader said.
"We talked to residents about this being a local election, about local issues. We know there are difficulties with the national picture and there’s no denying that.
