Updated Thursday 24th May 2001
County Election:
Ruffles Seeks County Seat

Conservative District Councillor Peter Ruffles is standing for Hertford's St.Andrew's ward in the County Council Elections.

Peter Ruffles is well-known in the town and has lived in Hertford for many years. He is a founder and worker for victim support, a prisoner visitor, churchman and local historian.

Local Tories are campaigning on local crime, housing development, local roads and education. Overdevelopment in the town and surrounding countryside is a particular concern to the local party, who have vowed to fight the high housing figures proposed by the Labour government, saying that planning decisions should be taken locally.

Background

Hertfordshire County Council elections will take place on Thursday 7th June 2001, with 77 seats being contested by 258 candidates.

The ruling Conservative administration, led by Robert Ellis, has a four seat majority and is confident of success in next month's poll. Until 1999 the council was controlled by a Labour/LibDem coalition, which fell following a by-election.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are prepared to share power if the Conservatives fail to win enough seats, but neither are prepared to share power with the Conservatives as long as Robert Ellis remains leader of the Tory group.

The following candidates are standing for election:

All Saints
 
Frank Escott  Conservative
Kate Scarth  Labour
Beryl Wrangles  Liberal Democrat
 
St.Andrew's
 
Peter Ruffles  Conservative
John Courtneidge  Labour
Jack Coote  Liberal Democrat
 
Hertford Rural
 
Bryan Hammond  Conservative
Peter Warren  Labour
Martin Harris  Liberal Democrat
Lydia Howitt  Green