a|| reports: MIKE BAESS
LABOUR'S eight-year reign of power came to abrupt end on Thursday night as the Liberal Democrats snatched a dramatic victory -- to force a hung council on Waltham Forest.
The Lib Dems knocked out allthree standing Labour councillorsin Wood Street ward to force theborough's first hung council since1982.
The town hall elections also leftthe borough without any black councillors - bothCrispin St.Hill and deputy mayor Sylbert Rudder wereousted by Lib Dem candidates.
The Tories made no gains but held onto their16 seats to resume their role as opposition party.
But it was a close calland the Lib Dems were the only victors, havingraised their profile by three seats to 14councillors.
Labour says it will tryand form an administration but any controversialissues are likely to be vetoed by the other twoparties.
All three parties have flatly refused to form analliance but any two could link up in order toforce a certain issue through.
The reckoning for Labour came within fiveminutes when both the Leyton and Wood Street results came through.
At 12.15pm the returning officer declared theLib Dems to have taken Leyton ward and out went Denis Gray andCrispin St.Hill. Mr Gray lost out by just 19 votes.
But the real shocker came minutes later whenthe Lib Dems sensationally took Wood Street,with the Tory vote there collapsing.
Labour leader, Cllr Evan Jones said: "We lost out because the Toryvote in Wood Street collapsed - basically we got stuffed because of theLib Dem and Tory pact. We'll see how they work together.
"The last time there was a hung council inWaltham Forest, the Lib Dems approached us to form an administration.
"We did not want to do that then and we don'twant to now. We will try and form an administration on our own."
Deputy Tory leader, Cllr Roger Evans saidthat his group was "very pleased" with the result.
"We were pleased to hold onto all our seatsand our performance was creditable compared withother Conservative groups in London," saidMr Evans.
"We have not ruled out making any deals andwe are discussing what to do this week."
Lib Dem leader, Cllr Graham Woolnough saidthat this was the best ever performance by the group in Waltham Forest.
"I am extremely pleased following ourexcellent result on Thursday when we made net gains from Labour inWood Street ward and gave notice to the Conservatives in Hale End,"by coming within 200 votes of them, that after several years of unbridledLabour control we will be in a position to have a real influence onWaltham Forest Council," said Mr Woolnough.
"Our immediate aim will be to control theexcesses of Labour without supporting extremism and cuts from theConservatives.
"Gone are the days of Labour's massivebureaucracy and inefficiency and their fundingof pet projects. We intend enforcing sanity on thenext administration -whichever party formsit."
| Waltham Forest Yellow Advertiser, May 13, 1994. |
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WALTHAM FOREST COUNCIL-- the new line-up
The new council composition is as follows;
CANN HALL - Clyde Kitson (Lib Dem), Elizabeth Phillips (Lib Dem) and Keith Rayner (Lib Dem)
CATHALL - Liza Cragg (Lab), David Lee (Lab) and Terry Wheeler (Lab)
CHAPEL END - Patricia Atherton (Lib Dem), Robert Belam (Lib Dem) and Graham Woolnough (Lib Dem)
CHINGFORD GREEN - Derek Arnold (Con), Michael Fish (Con) and Michael Lewis
ENDLEBURY-MIaden Jovcic (Con) and Waldemar Neilson-Hansen (Con)
FOREST - Kabal Dhillon (Lab), Denise Liunberg (Lab)and Mohammed Rahman (Lab)
GROVE GREEN -Tarsem Bhogal (Lab), Andrew Lock (Lab) and Paul Redcliffe (Lab)
HALE END - Lesley Finlayson (Con) and Norman Douglas (Con) HATCH LANE - Laurie Braham (Con), Geoffrey Walker (Con) and Jane Watts (Con)
HIGH STREET -Liaquat Ali (Lab), Aktar Beg (Lab) and Jennifer Williams (Lab)
HIGHAM HILL-Robert Carey (Lib Dem), Robert Wheatley (Lib Dem)
HOE STREET -Mohammed Nasim (Lab), Sylvia Poulsen (Lab) and Eric Sizer (Lab)
LARKSWOOD -Michael Thompson (Con), John Walter (Con) and Eric Williams (Con)
LEA BRIDGE - Anthony Buckley (Lab), Sarah Buckley (Lab) and Meher Khan (Lab)
LEYTON - Loretta Hodges (Lib Dem), Bob Sullivan (Lib Dem) and Charles Tuckey (Lib Dem)
LEYTONSTONE-Chris Brind (Lab), Jennifer Gray (Lab) and Huw Morgan-Thomas (Lab)
LLOYD PARK - Evan Jones (Lab), Narinder new Matharoo (Lab) and John Tearson (Lab)
ST JAMES STREET - Mohsin Beg (Lab), Mohammed Khan (Lab) and Diana Murray (Lab)
VALLEY - Jeremy Evans (Con), Nial Finlayson (Con) and John Gover (Con)
WOOD STREET -Neat Chubb (Lib Dem), Peter Leighton (Lib Dem) and Sean Meiszner (Lib Dem).
| Waltham Forest Yellow Advertiser, May 13, 1994. |
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