Newly-elected Councillor Jane Ellis on the campaign trail with Gainsborough MP Edward Leigh. Photo: Gainsborough Conservatives
A West Lindsey District Council by-election has been held by the Conservative candidate – despite a drop in votes.
Jane Ellis pipped her opponents to the post with 378 of the 1,064 ballot papers issued cast in her favour at last night’s (Thursday) Torksey by-election.
She was followed by Liberal Democrat Noel Mullally (346), Brexit Party candidate Nicholas Pearson (299) and Labour’s Perry Smith (37).
When compared to May’s local election, despite a higher turnout (37% in May) the swing saw the Conservatives lose 94 votes, while the Lib Dems gained 12. Labour and Brexit Party did not run in May.
Following her win, Councillor Ellis thanked staff and supporters and wished her opponents well.
“I will work hard for everyone across the Torksey ward in my new role and I hope we can all come together to build a bright future for everyone,” she said.
Conservative leader of the district council, Councillor Giles McNeill said he was “enormously pleased” by the result.
“After eleven years in power at the council, nine years in government, all the time protecting delivery of frontline local services, as funding from central government has disappeared to still be holding seats in tight contests like this, especially with the malestrom of Brexit, is a real achievement,” he said.
A total of four ballot papers were spoilt.
Councillor Jane Ellis with supporters on the campaign trail. Photo: Gainsborough Conservatives
The turnout of the 2,448 electorate ward was 43.46%.
Mr Kinch, who had served the ward since 2003 said at the time that his business interests were “increasingly” coming into conflict with his role and that he wanted to spend more time with his young family.
The results mean the status quo is kept at the council, with the make-up continuing to be Conservative 18, Liberal Democrat 12, Lincolnshire Independent 2, Gainsborough Independent 2, Independent 2.
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There are now just 20 students and one staff with COVID-19 at the University of Lincoln.
The positive cases dropped by more than 60% in the past week, as some students prepare to go home for Christmas after the start of mass testing.
The University of Lincoln said on November 24 that it had 61 coronavirus cases (58 students and three staff), but this number has now fallen to just 21 (20 students and one member of staff).
This news comes after a testing programme began at the University of Lincoln on November 30, where asymptomatic students can voluntarily book a test online until December 9.
It is recommended that students should test negative twice, three days apart, before travelling home for Christmas, but this is not a mandatory requirement.
Results will be received within an hour for each of the two tests required. If students test negative they can travel home immediately. If they test positive they must isolate in Lincoln before going home.
They’re doing it in a marquee outside the university’s sports hall. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A University of Lincoln spokesperson, said: “The number of positive cases confirmed amongst our students and staff is 21 (less than 0.5% of our University population).
“Our dedicated team of staff continue to deliver care packages to any students who require them. All students have access to a wide range of academic and professional services to support them and help them make the most of their time here.”
Bishop Grosseteste University
On-campus coronavirus testing was also implemented for staff and students at Bishop Grosseteste University from November 30, although testing is not mandatory.
Staff and students will be able to receive Lateral Flow Testing to identify whether or not they are carrying the virus. This will run daily until December 11.
In addition to this, there will also be the opportunity to undertake testing throughout the evening of December 7 and 11.
The testing process will take place in the university’s sports hall, with individuals required to take two separate tests across four days. Slots need to be booked in advance – see more information here.
The university moved to online learning from November 30 but those remote to campus are still able to visit to access the testing facility.
Four students at Bishop Grosseteste University are self-isolating due to a positive test result.
The latest data, which was released on December 3, also states that seven students are self-isolating with suspected symptoms and waiting to be tested or to receive a test result.
Also, 92 students and two members of staff are self-isolating as a precautionary measure because a close contact/member of their household has suspected symptoms or tested positive – see the full data here.
The MP for Grantham and Stamford said Lincolnshire should be divided into two lockdown tiers, with the south of the county going into tier 2, while central and northern areas remain in tier 3.
Gareth Davies MP voted in favour of the new three-tier system, but he disagrees with the ranking for his constituency: “In the south of Lincolnshire we all know that we very rarely travel to the north where they are having extremely high rates of infection, so it is only right that the government look at south Lincolnshire on its own merits.”
South Holland and South Kesteven are the only two districts in Greater Lincolnshire with lower infection rates than the national average, but are still in tier 3 restrictions.
Gareth Davies added: “I was profoundly disappointed to see this given that our rates of infection were more in line with a tier 2 classification.”
“We have been assigned to tier 3 because of the extremely high rates of infection in the north of the county, specifically East Lindsey and Boston.”
Gareth Davies, Grantham and Stamford MP
On December 2, South Holland had the lowest infection rate in Greater Lincolnshire, with 121 per 100,000 of the population. It ranked 208th in the country out of 380 authorities.
South Kesteven was the second lowest district in Greater Lincolnshire with an infection rate of 148.1 on December 2 and ranked 151th.
Both districts are below the national average of 157.6, and infection rates are reducing each day.
| Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite
Gareth Davies has worked with Sir John Hayes, MP for South Holland and the Deepings, to call for a review of their specific tier on a more localised basis, so that the movement patterns of south Lincolnshire residents are better reflected.
Together with Sir Edward Leigh MP, County Council Leader Martin Hill and other local leaders, they wrote to the Prime Minister to call for a district-based approach to tiering.
Sir John Hayes, South Holland and the Deepings MP.
Matt Hancock replied: “We will formally review the data and tier allocations for all area across England on December 16 and every two weeks thereafter, and I can assure you that we will again assess each area individually, including areas within Lincolnshire such as south Lincolnshire, on its own merits based on the five criteria we set out in the Winter Plan.”
He added the government will take “into account the very challenging impact of tier 3 measures.”
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