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Landslide Win for Lib Dem 

(2 May 2003)

The local elections took place on May Day, 1st May this year.  We were voting for both the Borough and the Parish Councils.

Cookham's three Borough Councillors Tom Denniford, Alan Jay and Michael Lawrence who represent the Conservative Party were all toppled by the three Lib Dem candidates, Mandy Brar, David Ricardo and Margaret Cubley. Lib Dems repeated this victory throughout the Borough.

Charles Kennedy is so pleased with the results he is coming to Maidenhead today to meet all the new Lib Dem Councillors.

The results for the Borough came out at 1.28am and could not be believed by some of the former councillors.  The results were close:

Mandy Brar with the highest number of votes is well known in Cookham, she has been on the Parish Council for several years and many residents can always be sure of a friendly welcome at her shop Hillcrest Stores which she runs, which is situated close to Whyteladyes Lane.

David Ricardo has lived in Cookham all his life and is a Parish Councillor and is related to the great philanthropist Colonel Ricardo who was also on the Parish Council in the early 1900s.  Colonel Ricardo is supposedly the character that Toad was based upon in the Wind and the Willows.  David became known in Cookham for his fight for Marsh Meadow in 2000 when it was planned to build a car park there.  During that time he was often in the local, national and international newspapers and also on national television and radio.  He really put Cookham on the map.  

Margaret Cubley lives at Temple Island near Bisham, however she and her husband have an allotment in Cookham Dean.  Margaret is on Bisham Parish Council. Many may have met her as part of the CPRE where she is famed for the lunches she prepares for their fund raising events including the strawberry and cream dessert.  

All three are also on the Cookham Society Committee.  They are also on the Cookham Society Planning Committee.  It should be interesting having three Borough Councillors involved or could it be a conflict of interests??

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