By Robert Haile
The electorate have spoken and the make up of the Shadow Westmorland and Furness Council has been decided.
Of the 65 seats available the Liberal Democrats took 36 seats with the Labour Party taking 15, Conservative Party have 11, Independents 2 and there will be 1 Green Party Councillors.
The Greystoke and Ullswater ward recorded the highest voter turnout with 47.66 percent as the Liberal Democrats took 11 of the 16 seats in Eden with the Conservatives taking 3 with the Labour Party and Independents taking just 1 seat each.
Cumbria currently works with a county and borough, district or city council but from April 2023 this system will change to a unitary authority with the county being split into two.
Cumberland will be made of Copeland Borough, Allerdale Borough and Carlisle City while Eden District, South Lakeland District and Borrow Borough will form Westmorland and Furness.
Of the 65 councillors for Westmorland and Furness South Lakeland will elected 30, Eden 16 and Barrow 19.
Below is the full set of results with turnout in each ward as votes cast and percent with each candidate with the number of votes gained.
Those elected are in bold as in some wards there is more than one councillor.
Eden
Alston and Fellside – Votes 3757 41.31 percent
Mary Robinson – Independent 984
Michael Timothy Hanley – Labour Party 824
Ian Lindsey – Labour Party 572
Michael Richard Beveridge – Conservative Party 425
Dale Andrew Normington – Conservative Party 403
Andy Baker – Liberal Democrat 402
Richard Raymond William Sanderson – Liberal Democrat 147
Appleby and Brough – Votes 3551 40.23 percent
Andy Connell – Liberal Democrat 986
Graham Simpkins – Liberal Democrat 631
Gareth Hayes – Independent 609
William Patterson – Independent 511
Colin Smith – Conservative Party 451
Harry Berkeley – Conservative Party 363
Eamont and Shap – Votes 1570 45.55 percent
Neil Hughes – Liberal Democrat 1031
Tom Lowther – Conservative Party 539
Eden and Lyvennet Vale – Votes 3457 42.03 percent
Lorna Ann Baker – Liberal Democrat 960
Neil McCall – Liberal Democrat 816
Paula Breen – Conservative Party 630
David Whipp – Conservative Party 585
Mike Tonkin – Independent 466
Greystoke and Ullswater – Votes 1625 47.66 percent
Judith Margaret Derbyshire – Liberal Democrat 1150
Debbie Wicks – Conservative Party 475
Hesket and Lazonby – Votes 3220 40.93 percent
Colin Atkinson – Conservative Party 676
Hilary Frances Carrick – Conservative Party 658
Elaine Mary Martin – Independent 599
David Ryland – Independent 530
Roger Burgin – Liberal Democrat 484
David Evans – Liberal Democrat 229
Belinda Lucy Lloyd – Green Party 44
Kirkby Stephen and Tebay – Votes 2877 41.9 percent
Phil Dew – Conservative Party 861
John Stephen Murray – Liberal Democrat 697
Adrian Harvey Martin Waite – Liberal Democrat 557
Sandy Lancaster – Independent 496
Ray Briggs – Conservative Party 266
Penrith North – Votes 4261 37.84 percent
Patricia Ann Bell – Liberal Democrat 1277
Mark Brian Rudhall – Liberal Democrat 820
Ali Ross – Green Party 675
Helen Jane Fearon – Conservative Party 519
Harry Fearon – Conservative Party 444
Wade Tidbury – Green Party 266
Scott Jackson – Independent 138
Peter Devine – Independent 122
Penrith South – Votes 3670 28.55 percent
Virginia Christine Taylor – Liberal Democrat 911
Mike Eyles – Liberal Democrat 899
Gillian Elizabeth Barnes – Conservative Party 520
Matt Vickers – Conservative Party 459
Lee Quinn – Independent 397
Margaret Clark – Independent 272
Richard Kevin O’Brien – Green Party 212