By Robert Haile

Only one fifth of Cumbrians turned out to vote for the May elections.

As the country went to the polling stations to vote for Mayors, MPs and Councillors Cumbrians were asked to elect a new Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

With the three main parties standing new candidates for election it came down to the Cumbrian electorate to choose.

The new Commissioner covers the county and works with Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.

The Labour and Co-operative Party’s David Allen was elected with 38,708 votes with Mike Johnson taking 24,863 for the Conservative Party as Liberal Democrat’s Adrian Waite was third with 18,100.

The surprise is not the Labour win, as many had predicted that, but the 21.17 percent turnout among the electorate – meaning 1 in 5 Cumbrians voted in the election.

The turnout didn’t improve in the local elections for either candidates or voters with Westmorland and Furness Council Grange and Cartmel seat garnering the most with 43.01 percent of the ward.

As Penrith West garnered 20 percent of its electorate again a 1 in 5 of voters exercising their right to choose.

While turnout was poor it was difficult in Cumberland to find candidates to fill the seats required as there were 16 uncontested local elections.

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Local elections are usually a low turnout the Ipsos Veracity Index, that measures trust in professions, released its latest index in December 2023 and registered Government Ministers and Politicians at their lowest trust rating since the survey started in 1983.

Less than 1 in 10 people trust Politician to be truthful while Government Ministers have the backing of 10 percent of the population.

When the next General Election is called in the next seven months it could be a rough time for those seeking your trust and vote.

Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Results:

• David Allen (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 38,708 (Elected)
• Mike Johnson, (Conservative Candidate – More Police, Safer Streets) – 24,863
• Adrian Waite (Liberal Democrats) – 18,100

Turnout was 21.17 percent

Penrith Town Council: Penrith West Ward Results:

• DAVIES, Susan Jane – Liberal Democrats – 175 (ELECTED)
• SENCIER, Daniel – Labour Party – 154
• LAYCOCK, Phil – Conservative Party Candidate – 59
• DAVIES, Jonathan – Putting People and Place First – 58

Turnout was 20.00 percent

Westmorland and Furness Council: Grange and Cartmel Ward By-election Results:

• HULL, Andy – Liberal Democrat’s – 2852 (Elected)
• HIBBERT, Ally -Conservative Party Candidate – 691
• POWELL-DAVIES, Martin – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – 151

Turnout was 43.01 percent

Staveley-in-Cartmel Parish Council Results:

• RHODES, Richard David Walton – Independent – 96 (Elected)
• GORSE, Arnold John – 84 (Elected)
• NEWBY, Ann – 82 (Elected)
• LEE, Katie – 73 (Elected)
• STRAFFORD, Adam James – Independent – 59 (Elected)
• STEWART, Gregor – Independent – 56

Ulverston Town Council: Town Ward Results:

• SCROGHAM, Michelle – Labour Party – 244 (Elected)
• WILSON, Shirley-Anne – Labour Party – 199 (Elected)
• RONSON, Sam – Labour Party – 197 (Elected)
• FILMORE, Simon James – The Green Party – 106
• COOPER, Ben Thomas – Conservative Party Candidate – 84

Ulverston Town Council: South Ward Results:

• PICKTHALL, Judy – Labour Party – 232 (Elected)
• CLARK, John – Labour Party – 187 (Elected)
• STANTON, Marion Esther – Labour Party – 181 (Elected)
• HORNBY, Peter – Conservative Party Candidate – 158
• IRVING, Thomas Denney – Conservative Party Candidate – 151
• THOMPSON, Greg John – The Green Party – 122
• HADDOW, Ronald Brian – Conservative Party Candidate – 121

Ulverston Town Council: East Ward Results:

• SCROGHAM, Laura Michaela – Labour Party – 201 (Elected)
• WILSON, Mark – Labour Party – 183 (Elected)
• HOWARD, Christine – Labour Party – 165 (Elected)
• BROADHEAD, John Philip – The Green Party – 155
• BROADHEAD, Shelley Anne – The Green Party – 150
• HOWLETT, Peter Alan – The Green Party – 128
• ARCHER, Sarah Jane – Conservative Party Candidate – 100

Ulverston Town Council: North Ward Results:

• FILMORE, Judy – The Green Party – 367 (Elected)
• DRAKE, Jackie – Labour Party – 293 (Elected)
• O’HARA, Rob – The Green Party – 252 (Elected)
• SHAW, Bill – The Green Party – 240
• ROBINSON, Gary – Labour Party – 221
• TAYLOR, Bobby – Labour Party – 190
• MORRIS, Alison Elaine – Conservative Party Candidate – 116

Ulverston Town Council: West Ward Results:

• HORNBY, Margaret – Conservative Party Candidate – 262 (Elected)
• IRVING, Helen – Conservative Party Candidate – 262 (Elected)
• PIERCE, Helen Joy – Labour Party – 206 (Elected)
• PICKTHALL, Colin – Labour Party – 184
• JONES, Gordon Thomas – Labour Party – 176
• MCARTHUR, John – Labour Party – 176

Ulverston Town Council: Central Ward Results:

• SCROGHAM, Graham – Labour Party – 216 (Elected)
• HUNT, Eirik Raymond Haugsbak – Labour Party – 190 (Elected)
• SMITH, Paul Graham – Labour Party – (Elected)
• JOHNSON, Stephen – The Green Party – 114
• HANCOCK, Janet Eileen – Conservative Party Candidate – 111
• HUDSON, Andrew – Independent – 111