Bridge Ward is one of those wards in Ipswich that Labour rather contemptuously treats as a “vote bank” which is there to parachute in high flying councillors who do not have the ability to connect with their constituents and so need a safe seat. Not surprisingly they don’t tend to live in their ward.
Jim Powell did not have that handicap and lives in Maidenhall Aprroach. Quite rightly he has a high personal vote. Together with the higher turnout and the more partisan atmosphere of the election he did well and got a majority over me of around 170.
However looking at the County results in 2005 and allowing for Jim Powell’s personal vote, the predictions were that the majority would be more than double that, around 400, even in a bad year for Labour.
This showed Labour that they cannot take Bridge for granted. It’s time to spend a little less time on public transport policy and a bit more on the Hayes and the Maidenhall Estate.
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