Morecambe Bay Independents
Encyclopedia
The Morecambe Bay Independents are a minor political party
in Morecambe
, Lancashire
. The group ran Lancaster City Council from 1999 to 2003, and successfully campaigned in 2005 for the creation of Morecambe Town Council.
After being founded in the 1980s, the party won 13 seats on Lancaster City Council
in May 1992. That year they stood Mark Turner for the Morecambe and Lunesdale seat in the general election
, receiving 916 votes (2.1%). A former MBI councillor, Kathleen Egerton, was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide in 1995. After a by-election victory and a defection by former mayor Shirley Burns from the Conservatives in May 1998, they became the official opposition on the council.
They gained power on Lancaster City Council in 1999 when they more than doubled their seats to 22, sitting as a minority administration. The Labour Party
refused to sit in cabinet with them. Councillor Carol Broad was expelled from the group in July 2001, in the same week that another councillor, John Fretwell, defected to the Conservatives
. Turner, a founding member, left the party in January 2002 due to the row over Broad. The then-leader of the MBI, Tricia Heath, was leader of Lancaster City Council for four years, but in May 2003 she lost her council seat, and the number of their seats fell from 16 to 11. Heath placed some of the blame for her loss on the District Auditor's report on "Blobbygate", a scandal over a deal the council made with Noel Edmonds in the mid-90s about a theme park in Morecambe. Another councillor, Shirley Reid, was expelled from the group in December 2003 for not attending meetings.
They had twelve of the sixty councillors on Lancaster City Council after the 2007 election
(behind Labour on 14 and equal to the Greens and Conservatives), but Heath failed in her bid to be re-elected. They won twenty-five of the twenty-six councillors on Morecambe Town Council in 2009 with 64% of the vote, despite facing opposition from a new group of independents called Residents First.
Evelyn Archer stood down as leader of the MBI group in January 2010, being replaced by David Kerr. Archer was first elected in 1991, lost her seat in 1995, then was re-elected in 2003.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. The group ran Lancaster City Council from 1999 to 2003, and successfully campaigned in 2005 for the creation of Morecambe Town Council.
After being founded in the 1980s, the party won 13 seats on Lancaster City Council
City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster , is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Morecambe, Heysham, and Carnforth, as well as...
in May 1992. That year they stood Mark Turner for the Morecambe and Lunesdale seat in the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, receiving 916 votes (2.1%). A former MBI councillor, Kathleen Egerton, was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide in 1995. After a by-election victory and a defection by former mayor Shirley Burns from the Conservatives in May 1998, they became the official opposition on the council.
They gained power on Lancaster City Council in 1999 when they more than doubled their seats to 22, sitting as a minority administration. The Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
refused to sit in cabinet with them. Councillor Carol Broad was expelled from the group in July 2001, in the same week that another councillor, John Fretwell, defected to the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Turner, a founding member, left the party in January 2002 due to the row over Broad. The then-leader of the MBI, Tricia Heath, was leader of Lancaster City Council for four years, but in May 2003 she lost her council seat, and the number of their seats fell from 16 to 11. Heath placed some of the blame for her loss on the District Auditor's report on "Blobbygate", a scandal over a deal the council made with Noel Edmonds in the mid-90s about a theme park in Morecambe. Another councillor, Shirley Reid, was expelled from the group in December 2003 for not attending meetings.
They had twelve of the sixty councillors on Lancaster City Council after the 2007 election
Lancaster Council election, 2007
Elections to Lancaster City Council took place on 3 May 2007. The whole council was up for election and in remained in No Overall Control with Labour and the Liberal Democrats losing seats to the Greens and Conservatives.-Election result:...
(behind Labour on 14 and equal to the Greens and Conservatives), but Heath failed in her bid to be re-elected. They won twenty-five of the twenty-six councillors on Morecambe Town Council in 2009 with 64% of the vote, despite facing opposition from a new group of independents called Residents First.
Evelyn Archer stood down as leader of the MBI group in January 2010, being replaced by David Kerr. Archer was first elected in 1991, lost her seat in 1995, then was re-elected in 2003.
External links
- Website from 2005 on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...