Conservatives buck national trends in Fenland as party's majority strengthens

The Conservative Party has swept Fenland District Council (FDC), despite ward boundary changes resulting in fewer guaranteed wins.

The party, which also had a good night in Peterborough – albeit failing to gain a majority on the council – remains in control with 35 councillors out of a possible 43 across 18 wards.

The Labour Party is still unrepresented at FDC, while the Liberal Democrats kept two seats, both in Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary.

The Greens, which had one seat prior to this year’s elections, now have none.

FDC has long had a strong cohort of independent councillors, but this shrunk as the Conservatives made gains.

There are now six independents, down from nine.

Cllr Charlie Marks, who was elected in Chatteris North and Manea, helped to strengthen the Conservative contingent, winning as a member of their party despite sitting as an independent before the election.

As well as a stronger Conservative majority (overall they gained eight seats), FDC will look a little different because of its new shape.

After a Local Government Boundary Commission for England review, its ward boundaries were redrawn ahead of the election – having previously been identified as a council with numerous “rotten boroughs” by the Electoral Reform Society.

In 2019, it topped its list of councils with the most councillors who will be elected without a vote taking place (12) and its list of councils with the most guaranteed councillors for one party (15 for the Conservatives).

This year, there were only three guaranteed Conservative seats.

But that hasn’t caused any upsets and FDC’s Conservative majority is secure for another four years.

The district council has been blue since the turn of the century.

Its current leader is Cllr Chris Boden, who retains his Whittlesey East and Villages for a third term.

Compared to the national picture, the Conservatives have bucked trends in both Peterborough and Fenland by making gains.

Across England, the Conservatives have lost more than 350 councillors while Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have all increased their share.