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Tories lose flagship Cheshire East Council for first time

BBC Cheshire east countBBC
Conservatives lost seats on Cheshire councils amid a growing vote for hyper-local parties

The Conservatives have lost control of the flagship Cheshire East Council for the first time after losing 19 seats.

The party's majority was eaten away by Labour, which gained nine seats, and candidates representing hyper-local independent interests.

Conservatives occupy 34 of the council's 82 seats.

On the neighbouring Cheshire West and Chester Council, Labour lost its majority in the first poll since extensive boundary changes.

Labour fell one seat short of the 36 required to take control of the authority as the Lib Dems, the Greens and independents all gained seats.

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The councils were formed in April 2009 after the amalgamation of seven local authorities across the county.

Cheshire East Council has been under scrutiny over the conduct of senior officials and the way contracts were awarded.

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Phil McCann, Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

What happened on Cheshire East Council is a real shock.

It's down to three things: Brexit, the growing trend of independent candidates winning in Tory heartlands like Knutsford and Wilmslow and the terrible headlines that have surrounded the council recently.

On Cheshire West and Chester Council, Labour took some seats in traditional Conservative areas and will feel like things would have turned out much better if it wasn't for the boundary changes.

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