AN all-out election in Cherwell threw up “an air of uncertainty” for the district as all candidates faced the vote across newly revised wards.

It was the first district council election since the Local Government Boundary Commission set new ward boundaries across the district and meant the council would lose two members.

Conservatives kept their hold over the council securing 38 wins, eight Labour councillors and two independent councillors.

For the Liberal Democrats it was a sad loss as it lost its previous seat on the council.

The results meant that Conservative candidate Norman Bolster and Labour’s Matt Johnstone will no longer be seating on the council.

Deputy leader of Cherwell District Council George Reynolds said: “It was not only an all-out election but three candidates for each wards which meant there was an enormous amount of split votes and strange combinations which would not usually happen.

“So for all parties that did have an affect this year.

“But we have all had to weather it out and the Conservatives still got a good hold on the majority.”

The revised boundaries were put into place to ensure all councillors represent a similar number of residents, making it 16 wards instead of 28 with three councillors per ward.

This also meant that in order for the council to get back to running elections by thirds, this year’s winners were elected for either two, three or four years depending on the number of votes they received.

Throughout the morning on Friday returning officer Sue Smith said: “At the moment from my point of view the process it is going very smoothly, we have had no issues.

“We have had a few fairly difficult years in election terms and we seem to be getting through the process quite quickly.”

She added: “The all-out election means there are more candidates and more uncertainty of different ward boundaries.

“It is difficult to predict – not that I would – but for candidates with the new boundaries there is an air of uncertainty which we are not used to having in Cherwell.

“It matters more when it is an all-out election as the highest number of votes is in for four years and will not have to go up again in two years time.”

Cherwell District Council will retain elections by thirds from 2018 onwards, which mean one third of those elected this time will serve for two years, one third for three years and one third for four years.

Sean Woodcock said: “Disappointed not to take the council, we had a good manifesto of things we wanted to do.

“People in Grimsbury, Ruscote and Hightown have shown how, in Banbury, Labour is the real opposition to the Tories. And in Bicester East we were very close, so we are confident it is a stepping stone to better things.”