Although I did not win on this occasion, the large reduction in the Liberal Democrat majority would not have been acheived without the amount of support that I received from the people of Matlock regardless, in many cases, to party allegiance.
Th
e failure of the Labour party to field a candidate yet again, did leave a void in the choice that Matlock residents were offered in this important election, and I feel that this explains the large number of spoilt voting papers recorded in the Matlock ward.
My non-election to the county council means that there will not be an elected representative from Matlock in the new controlling Conservative group to voice the needs of the people of Matlock. Matlock will be the only community in the whole of Derbyshire not to have this representation.
I would like to assure all those that voted for me and those who did not, that I will continue to fight for a better Matlock with my work on the Derbyshire Dales District Council, and I am looking forward to representing the town as your Mayor during the coming months.
Finally could I thank all the members of the Conservative election team for their hard work and dedication.
Geoff Stevens
Conservative Candidate
Matlock Division
