Local elections 2023: Tories hold East Cambs as 18-year-old wins seat

East Cambridgeshire District Council leader Anna Bailey with 18-year-old Lucius Vellacott

An 18-year-old was elected as the Conservatives maintained power in Lib Dem target East Cambridgeshire.

Lucius Vellacott won one of 15 seats for the Tories to the district council as they narrowly defeated the Lib Dems, who were elected to 13 - the same share as in 2019.

Meanwhile, Peterborough City Council remained under no overall control, with the Tories one short of a majority.

Labour held Cambridge City Council, while Fenland stayed Conservative.

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East Cambridgeshire's Conservative leader Anna Bailey said she was "chuffed to bits", acknowledging a "difficult picture nationally" for the Conservatives.

She said victory was "the result of four years of really hard work delivering for our residents", pointing to initiatives such as freezing council tax.

Labour maintained their majority on Cambridge City Council

Labour held on to Cambridge, winning most of the 14 seats available, but saw its majority narrow in some wards to the Conservatives.

Leader of the council, Anna Smith, said she was "absolutely thrilled", adding their priorities were to "tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies, tackle the poverty crisis, maintain key services, build council housing and support the homeless".

Zachary Marsh, from the Conservatives, said that even without winning seats the party had sent a message to other parties about the proposed congestion charge in the city.

"People who do not normally vote Conservative are backing us this time to send a message to the people in charge that they feel ignored and want to have their say and want this policy gone," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Greens gained a new seat in Newnham, while the Liberal Democrats remain the main opposition on the council.

Conservatives celebrate at East Cambridgeshire

Analysis

Hannah Olsson, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire political reporter

Nationally it may have been a bad election for the Conservatives, but in Cambridgeshire the party will breathe a sigh of relief, and in some cases even celebrate.

The question is why. What is so different here?

The debate about whether Cambridge should have a congestion charge is one reason, particularly in Cambridge and East Cambridgeshire, with the Conservatives being staunchly against the proposal, and appealing to voters keen to voice their frustration at the idea.

Meanwhile, Peterborough City Council has been struggling with its finances in the last couple of years, but there have been divisions within opposition parties and it looks as though voters there have decided not to rock the boat.

In Fenland District Council, of the 43 seats available, 35 went to the Conservatives, a gain of two.

Independents and Liberal Democrats have six and two seats on the council respectively.

Of the 21 seats up for election in Peterborough, Labour lost two of its seats while the Tories gained two seats.

The results mean the council now has 30 Conservative councillors, 14 Labour, eight Lib Dem, three Green and five independents.

Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of both Peterborough City Council and the Conservative group, said he was "disappointed" not to have taken more seats in closer ward races.

Getting voters to see local issues against a "difficult national background" which people relate to may have made the difference, he said.

Dennis Jones, the Labour group leader, said: "The reality is the big majorities have stayed the big majorities."

"I think what people have done here in Peterborough is stay with the person, so I don't think it's down to Labour, Liberal Democrat or anybody else," he added.

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