Craig Browne has been elected to represent the Alderley Edge ward on Cheshire East Council.
The AlderleyEdgeFIRST candidate has defeated Conservative candidate Frank Keegan by 1500 votes to 958 votes. The turnout was 66.66%.
Craig has lived in Alderley Edge since 1996, but has been connected with the village all of his life as his family first moved here in the 1920s.
Craig is 40 years old and for the last ten years he has been running his own consultancy business, helping charities to devise and implement fundraising strategies. Craig also helps to assess and evaluate international co-operation projects on behalf of the British Council, as well as the European Commission.
Speaking after the result was announced, Craig told me "Obviously I am delighted to be elected as the independent candidate for Alderley Edge.
"It's a huge honour and privilege and I would like to thank the people who elected me by voting for our independent agenda for change in Alderley Edge.
"There's a saying that you cannot please all of the people all of the time and so I recognise that I won't please everybody, however I will never give less than my best as a councillor."
Craig added "I need to thank my fellow candidates and supporters within the AlderleyEdgeFIRST group without whom the campaign would not be possible.
"I would also like to recognise Frank's tenure as a councillor, firstly for Macclesfield Borough Council and laterly for Cheshire East unitary council and I wish him well."
Frank Keegan has been a resident of Alderley Edge for 34 years. He has represented Alderley Edge as a Borough Councillor for 15 years and as a Parish Councillor for 28 years.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Congratulations to Craig and to the brilliant AlderleyEdgeFIRST team alongside him - you've come from nowhere in February, worked really hard and achieved a resounding and thoroughly deserved victory today.
"Rumour at the count is that tomorrow's Parish Council result will be an overwhelming victory. "
How do you make that one out them Mark, is it "rigged"
For the first time in my 30 years of residency in this Village, and whatever the outcome tomorrow, Alderley Edge FIRST has introduced the fresh air of democracy into this Parish.
Good luck to you and all our future councillors.
Respect for 15 years service from Frank.
Thank you to everyone in Alderley Edge who voted for Craig as Ward Councillor, we hope that now we can develop a healthy relationship with Cheshire East Council, for the good of the village & its residents.
Now for tomorrow (gulp!)
Or perhaps, at the verification we got to look at a load of the ballot papers as they were resolved with the numbers issued and just by looking and counting what we could see, were able to form an sensible sample ? The law requires that ballot papers are face up during the verification process.
You have just gone up in my estimation. I hope that you and I can have drink together some day.
Well done everybody who voted.
Certainly a gracious comment from you which was nice to see.
However, if you put Craig's 'win' down to a better campaign, I think you miss the basic point. AE1 itself was only born extremely recently through the sheer frustration of many people towards the attitudes of the incumbent Council.
Candidates or parties tend not to 'win' elections. Rather, incumbents 'lose' them when they upset the voters enough.
I had already made up my mind towards the incumbent Council when I read the so-called 'Parish Pledge'. However, if you want feedback on 'campaigns', I, like a number of people commenting on a different thread on this site, was disgusted to have Craig's opponent door-knock this past Tuesday evening and tell me a whole lot of untruths and/or distorted 'half-truths' about AE1. I lost any remaining respect for him at that point and it merely confirmed my decision to vote the way I did.
Excellent news and a breath of fresh air for Alderley Edge.
Best wishes in your future role.
Seriously, well done Craig, your in-tray will be full, local issues to resolve will seem huge, but, you have "no shoes to fill." Go for it!
All the very best and thanks for standing.
Many Congratulations.
Mike
Sorry don't know why such a ridiculous delay. They finished counting ages ago.
By running in this election and thereby causing AlderleyFirst's great result is the best thing Frank Keegan has done for the village in 26 years as a councillor
Sounds like a Tee Shirt slogan to me.