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Reform wins first seats on Isle of Wight

Rufus Pickles
Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC Caroline Gladwin at the count. People are sat at desks behind her. She wears a Reform rosette, and a dark blazer over a flowery dress. She has long curly light brown hair. BBC
Caroline Gladwin was one of two Reform UK candidates to win seats on the council for the first time

Reform UK has won two council by-election races on the Isle of Wight.

Caroline Gladwin and David Maclean won Central Rural and Lake North ward's respectively, which are the party's first seats on the Isle of Wight Council.

Independent candidate Becca Cameron won the Freshwater South by-election.

Also Jonathan Bacon, who led contentious plans to close six Isle of Wight primary schools, lost his seat on Brading Town Council to Nick Binfield, a prominent campaigner against the closure of Brading Primary School.

Becca Cameron wears a light green collared shirt and green trousers. She has dark blonde hair, tied up. She wears a rosette with her name on. She is at the count, flanked my an older man and woman. They all look happy.
Independent candidate Becca Cameron (centre) won the Freshwater South by-election

Full council elections planned for Thursday were cancelled earlier this year because of the authority's involvement in a devolution plan.

After winning her seat, Ms Gladwin said: "I think this is a positive thing. The old parties have failed and people are looking for something new.

"We will look out for rural residents and farmers which the other parties haven't done."

Ms Gladwin received 410 votes, with Conservative candidate Simon Richards on 220 and the Green Party's Julia Laursen on 219.

She replaces Suzie Ellis who previously represented the ward as a Conservative councillor.

She added that her party would be "bringing something new to County Hall".

David Maclean received 291 votes in Lake North, with the Conservatives' Adrian Whittaker coming second, with 232 votes.

The two new Reform UK candidates have not said if they will back the Alliance Independents, made up of different parties who currently lead the council.

Counting agents at the Westridge Centre. They are looking through piles of voting slips.
The count took place at the Westridge Centre

Becca Cameron replaces fellow independent councillor John Medland as Freshwater South's County Hall representative after receiving 472 votes.

Reform UK's candidate Bill Nigh came second with 269.

She said: "The people of Freshwater have spoken – they have stood up to fight to protect our beautiful area before it is destroyed forever.

"People visit the West Wight for its beauty, its open spaces, for its inspiration, its nature, peace and tranquillity, and not to see mass housing developments the government is forcing upon us.

"Building on our green fields ignores our unique protected landscape and will damage our vital tourist industry forever.

"The people of Freshwater say no. I will fight tooth and nail for my amazing community and protect all that we love and cherish."

Jonathan Bacon Jonathan Bacon has short grey hair and a grey beard. He wears glasses and is wearing a dark suit. He is stood in front of a shelf filled with CDs.Jonathan Bacon
Jonathan Bacon led contentious plans to close six Isle of Wight primary schools

Mr Bacon garnered the fewest votes in the Brading Town Council election, with 81, while Mr Binfield was elected for the first time with 168 votes.

Mr Binfield said: "I am delighted to have been elected onto Brading Town Council.

"I look forward to working with the community and other councillors to work positively for our community, and to continue to support our school and other aspects of our community."

Mr Bacon, whose county seat was not up for election, has been approached for comment.

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