New female faces

2:17pm Friday 9th May 2008

BEFORE the local elections in County Durham, we hoped for some new blood to steer the new unitary council through its early days.

The election certainly delivered that, mostly Liberal Democrat, Independent and Conservative blood. To a degree it also delivered new, younger and female faces, most notably in Willington where a Conservative - 20-year-old Becky Brunskill - was elected in the former pit community.

If Miss Brunskill was symbolic of her party's resurgence nationally, the performance of the Liberal Democrats showed how the local party could do well even when their national standing is no better than flat.

The gains they have made in Durham City, Wear Valley, Sedgefield and Easington establish them as the principal opposition party to Labour. On the new county council, a miserly eight-seat majority means Labour will have to work hard and be disciplined if it is to develop and implement policies effectively.

That has not come naturally to the group in recent years and last Friday, the ballot boxes had been hardly been put away before a fresh round of speculation began about the suitability of the present leader.

Despite the Willington upset, the Conservatives may feel they could have done better given the triumphs elsewhere in the country. Gains in Teesdale and the rural wards contested on Harrogate Borough Council were expected, but the party will be disappointed not to have made any impact in the Durham City seats. Their bigname candidate, Michael Bates - formerly MP for Langbaurgh - picked up little support.

What was most refreshing about the results was the number of successful female candidates.

Almost a third of the 126 Durham councillors are women, a major improvement on the old county authority that was generally elderly and male.

What was most reassuring was the poor showing of the British National Party. The good sense of the people of Durham and Harrogate, in realising that the BNP had nothing constructive to offer, prevailed.