What the election results could mean for Salisbury and Wiltshire

Ballots have been counted and councillors, old and new, have been elected.

The Swindon and Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner saga remains ongoing, with a police investigation currently underway and a re-run of the election taking place this summer.

But apart from that, successful candidats in the city and across the county are ready to get down to business.

So what could this mean for us?

In Salisbury, it was almost all changed.

Previously a conservative majority, the new council is a political mix with 11 Conservative, six Labour and six Liberal Democrat councillors and one Independent.

Map from Richard Johnson

Salisbury City Council results

The previous council had 15 Conservative, 5 Labour, 1 Lib Dem, 1 Independent.

New members of the council include Charles McGrath, Ed Rimmer, Mary Webb, Cliona Hibbert, Mark Mewse, Paul Cunningham, and Jo King (all Conservative); Samuel Charleston, Victoria Charleston, Alan Bayliss, Chris Stanway, and Paul Sample (Liberal Democrat); John Wells and Jenny Bolwel (Labour), and Annie Riddle (Independent). 

This could affect all kinds of policy decisions, especially as no party can command the majority.

Could a Lib-Lab coalition pact be in the offing, in order to get policies through?

One thing that will be affected by the changes in council, both Wiltshire and Salisbury, is the People Friendly Streets scheme.

The scheme was suspended indefinitely after the Conservative-led council withdrew its support - as did MP John Glen, and the Salisbury Business Improvement District.

The city council did eventually vote to support its reintroduction - after an extraordinary three-and-a-half-hour meeting - but Wiltshire Council will be keen to see if this support remains in place in the new council, before any decisions are made.

If Salisbury is to experience any real, meaningful change, without a one-party majority, a cross-party consensus is going to have be found on the key issues.

• 'A clear want for change' - Response to Conservatives losing council majority
• 'Nothing should be behind closed doors' Labour councillor says
• Lib Dems call for 'diversity and more representation' in city council

Wiltshire Council

The Tories have a massive majority - winning 61 of the 98 available seats.

The only three Labour seats in the entire county are in Salisbury and Laverstock, and Brian Dalton and Paul Sample took two seats for the Lib Dems.

Other new faces include the Conservative's Mark McClelland, Charles McGrath. and Zoe Clewer.

Wiltshire Council will have a new leader, though. Downton and Ebble Valley's Richard Clewer.

After a previous leader being not too far from Devizes, a chief from the south of the county could be good for Salisbury - someone much more in tune with the city's issues and the context around them.

This could range from transport - long term solutions to traffic problems are going to be needed to be found - to solving the high street crisis, and helping local economies boom post-Covid.

Only time will tell what all these results for the average man and woman on the street, but, as ever, the Journal will keep you up-to-date with all of it.

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