27 to contest 20 seats on new council
Apr 16 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal
A TOTAL of 27 candidates are standing for the 20 seats on a new town council. Elections take place on May 1 for seats on the new Stanley Town Council, which was formed following a campaign supported by Labour MP Kevan Jones, but opposed by the Labour leadership of the local authority, Derwentside District Council.
But the fledgling council is already assured of having a number of Independents and Liberal Democrats among its membership.
In two wards, Catchgate and Tanfield, four Independents and one Liberal Democrat are standing unopposed.
In Catchgate the unopposed candidates are Independents Joan Nicholson and David Walker, while in Tanfield Independents Janet Atkinson and Joyce Charlton, as well as Liberal Democrat David Bowerbank, are also unopposed.
In another ward, Craghead and South Stanley, Labour candidates Sally-Beth Marshall, Paula Murray and Tina-Marie Perry are all standing unopposed.
But Mr Jones said: “The presence of Independents and Liberal Democrats on the new town council is not a bad thing, it is good for democracy.
“The most important thing is that the people standing for the town council are committed to Stanley and what is best for the town. That is why having its own town council is so vital.”
The issue of a town council for Stanley, County Durham, has caused a split among Labour party loyalists.
Some supported Mr Jones who campaigned for the council to be established to give Stanley residents a greater say in their own affairs. He also supported the abolition of Derwentside District Council and for services to be provided by a single unitary authority covering County Durham.
But other party loyalists supported Alex Watson, leader of the Labour-controlled Derwentside District Council, who said the decision by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to give the go-ahead for a town council was “a bad day for democracy”.
Calls for a town council to be set up in Stanley resulted in a 2,500 signature petition in favour of the move being submitted to Derwentside District Council in May 2005.
