Cllr Phil North, after winning election to Hampshire County Council
Every month, the Andover Advertiser brings you a column from the leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Phil North.
Cllr North is the borough councillor for Bourne Valley, and at last week’s elections, was elected to Hampshire County Council to represent Andover South.
Here is what he had to say this week: Thank you to everyone who voted in the local elections last week. I’m truly humbled to have been elected to the County Council and will continue to work my socks off to repay the faith the people of Andover South have shown in me.
ANDOVER’S Conservatives are celebrating after winning four seats at the borough council elections. The result of last Thursday’s ballot has reversed the 2019 swing which saw the Andover Alliance make large gains. This puts the party firmly back in the driving seat at Test Valley Borough Council, strengthening its overall majority with four new representatives. Jan Budzynski (Conservative, St Mary’s) and Jim Neal (Conservative, Millway) have been re-elected as borough councillors after losing their seats during the Alliance’s surge two years ago. The scandal-hit party, headed up by outgoing Andover mayor, Richard Rowles, split after it was hit by a number of resignations in its first year and incidents of political infighting.