Lib Dems welcome new group members

11.55.07am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Jun 2009

Following a number of victories and retirements, the Liberal Democrat Group on the County Council which remains at 23, is welcoming a considerable number of new members.

The party won a number of seats in Thursday's elections. Andrew Pellew took King's Hedges in Cambridge City from Labour and in Huntingdonshire, Graham Wilson was elected for the Huntingdon East and Godmanchester Division.

However, the most spectacular results came from South Cambridgeshire, where in Cottenham, Histon and Impington, Susan Gymer pushed out Tory Cabinet Member, Matt Bradney and in Melbourn where Susan van de Ven won on an 8% swing. November's Hardwick by election winner, Fiona Whelan increased her by election winning margin of 200 to an incredible 780!

Sadly Hazel Williams, who will be a great loss to the group, failed to hold her Burwell seat by just 31 votes. Elsewhere, the party lost seats in Soham & Fordham, in St Neots Eaton Socon & Eynesbury and in Littleport where we had three popular Liberal Democrat Councillors all retiring from the Council.

Liberal Democrat Leader, David Jenkins, welcomed the new, younger team and commented that "I was pleased to see the strong showing in South Cambridgeshire which demonstrated that the principled and considered stances we have adopted on TIF and the guided bus have been appreciated and accepted by the community."