May 5, 2023 5.44 am This story is over 18 months old

South Holland leader out as Indies tear into Tory seats

Balance of council on a knife edge
Former South Holland District Council leader, Lord Gary Porter.

The Conservative party has barely held its grip on South Holland District Council, but lost its leader and other big names.

The Conservatives started the election with 25 seats at the table, however, ended Thursday night/Friday morning with 19 seats, while Independent numbers rose from 12 to 18.

The biggest loss of the night for the party was Gary Porter who had led the authority for the Tories for 20 years.

Mr Porter stood for the Spalding St Mary’s Ward where he received 368 votes, but South Holland Independents members Dave Ashby and Mark Le Sage pipped him to the post with 472 and 559 votes respectively.

South Holland leader Gary Porter lost his ward and his seat at the top of the table. | Image: SHDC

Roger Gammba-Jones, another fixture on the council for many years, also took a surprising loss with South Holland Independent Aaron Spencer and fellow Conservative Jan Whitbourn taking the seat.

Interestingly, Mr Spencer lost his Five Villages seat at Boston Borough Council on the same night as he gained the Spalding Wygate Ward, receiving 257 votes in one and 423 in the other.

Following the vote, Lord Gary Porter told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: “It’s one of those things, everyone who stands for election knows there are only two ways it can go. I’ve been lucky for the last five or six elections where it has gone one way, and tonight the electorate has decided it was going to go the other.”

He praised his opposition candidates, adding: “I have no complaints about the people who beat me, or the way they fought their campaigns.”

However, he said he would not be returning to the council saying “politics is a one way valve”.

“I’ve done it for 20 years, I gave it my best shot. I’ve loved it to bits, been really proud to be able to do it… But when people tell you it’s time to go, that’s it. It’s time to go. So I’m off.”

The loss of Mr Porter, along with the Boston and South Kesteven leaders, will be seen as a sign of trouble for the Conservative party who they have been a part of for some time.

With such a tight result, the future remains far from plain sailing for South Holland.

Take a look back at the night’s full local election coverage on the My Local Lincolnshire website here.