Tories hold seat in by-election

Julian Whittle | Friday, 26 January 2007 Source: News and Star

THE Conservatives held Brampton and Gilsland in a Cumbria County Council by-election last night.

Carlisle guest house-owner Lawrence Fisher topped the poll with 717 votes.

Labour's Alex Faulds was runner up with 363 while David Fraser of the British National Party was third on 88. The turnout was 23.3 per cent.

The by-election was called after the sitting Conservative councillor, the Hon Philip Howard, quit in November blaming the pressures and frustrations of council work.

Mr Fisher, a former Carlisle city councillor, said: "The other parties concentrated on Brampton but we canvassed the whole ward."

Mr Faulds, the only candidate to live in Brampton, was also pleased with the outcome.

He said: "Our share of the vote has gone up."

The British National Party took 7.5 per cent of the votes cast in what was its first Cumbria County Council election.

Mr Fraser, a self-employed joiner from Carlisle, said the BNP would be fielding several candidates at the city council elections in May.

The result leaves Labour as the largest party on the county council but a Conservative/ Liberal Democrat alliance remains in control.