LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HOLD REDUCED LEAD.

Richmond's Liberal Democrats clung on to power on Thursday night, but with a vastly reduced majority.

They lost nine of their 43 seats on what proved to be a great night for the Conservatives.

The new-look council now has 34 Lib Dems, 14 Conservatives and four Labour candidates.

"We have held the flagship and next time we will sink it," declared Tory leader Coun Tony Arbour.

"These results show the Liberals have finally been rumbled."

Most pleasing to the true blue supporters was the capture of Palewell, the first time they have won a seat on the Surrey side of the borough since 1982. The vote went to seven recounts, and was eventually decided by just two votes.

And there was shock news for former mayor Geoff Pope as he and Denise Carr lost their Twickenham South seats to the Conservatives.

Council leader David Williams retained his seat in Ham and Petersham and said: "I am very pleased with the result but obviously sorry to have lost some good friends. We still have a very comfortable majority and we have a vote of public confidence."

He added: "We will continue to run the borough to the best of our ability and I hope the Conservative group will be more constructive than they have been in the past. I hope we can work together."

Richmond bucked the general trend by achieving a 50 per cent turnout. Labour councillor Michael Gold, who saw his own majority rise from 100 to 400. He said: "There is a tradition of a good turnout in the borough. It is the nature of the people who live here to take an interest in their council.

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