Shock loss for leader
The Labour Party in Wyre Forest felt the mid-term backlash against Tony Blair last night with the shock loss of its long-serving leader.
Jamie Shaw was edged out of his seat after 23 years in one of the closest counts ever in the district's elections as the Health Concern party gained another seat overall.
Voting left the council with no overall control. Health Concern took one seat off Labour in Areley Kings leaving the party with 10 councillors while the Conservatives remained on 18 votes. Liberals stayed on seven seats with Labour dropping from four to three.
Party officials and supporters held their breath at the Wyre Forest Glades Arena as Mr Shaw finished just 11 votes behind Health Concern's John Thomas who took the Areley Kings seat with 648 votes.
Stourport Mayor Michael Partridge finished just one vote behind Mr Shaw.
Mr Shaw, Labour leader since 1989, was visibly stunned by the result and said he was for once "lost for words." He said: "I will be very disappointed when I wake in the morning to realise I've lost. I just can not think of any real reason why I lost votes but maybe the Labour voters have shown their disapproval with the national scene."
Another surprise result was the loss of long-serving Stourport councillor June Salter who was edged out by just eight votes to Health Concern's David Millis in the Mitton ward. And it was a disappointing night for the Conservatives who made only one gain when Jenny Greener took Bewdley off Mavis Baillie.
Elsewhere Mike Price trounced the opposition to take the late Mike Oborski's seat in Offmore for the Liberals. The council now has 18 Conservatives, 10 Health Concern, seven Liberals and three Labour councillors.
