THE Conservatives yesterday ended the 16-year Liberal Democrat control of Vale of White Horse District Council.

The result, part of a miserable local election showing across the country for the Lib Dems, last night saw Tony De Vere considering whether to stand down as the local area leader.

Mr De Vere blamed national political issues after his party lost 13 seats to the Conservatives.

The Tories now hold 31 of the 51 seats, the Lib Dems 19, and Labour one. The council previously had 33 Lib Dems and 18 Conservatives.

Mr De Vere, who kept his Abingdon Abbey and Barton seat, said: “There is a national trend and the combination of having run the AV vote on the same day has brought a lot a Conservative voters out.

“I don’t that Nick Clegg and the leadership have been fairly treated, but getting that message over to the national media and local media, they don’t quite appreciate that.”

He said the local party would choose its leader within the next two weeks, adding: “I am not sure what I am going to do.”

He added: “I am disappointed. But I am more disappointed for all of my colleagues who lost by very few votes.

“But we will be back. We will be a very enthusiastic opposition and we want to ensure the Conservatives carry on the very good work we started. And we will hold them to task.”

Jenny Hannaby, who was the Lib Dems’ executive member for commercial services, said the party needed to have some “real hard talking” with the national leadership.

Chairman of the council Beth Fleming lost her Abingdon seat along with executive members Mary De Vere and Richard Gibson.

The Conservative new leader of the council, Matthew Barber, said: “Undoubtedly some of it is down to the national swing but a lot of it is down to the local campaign.”

He promised the party would deliver election promises such as free parking in council car parks and pledged to remove red tape.

Mrs Hannaby, who kept her Wantage Segsbury seat, said: “There is no such thing as free parking. They will still have to be maintained and who is going to subsidise that?”

Conservative MP Nicola Blackwood, who took the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency from Lib Dem Evan Harris last May, said: “There was a positive vision put forward for Abingdon and people did not just vote against something, they voted for something positive.

“And there is now a lot of work to do to make sure that they deliver on these promises.”

Labour’s Aidan Melville, who took the Abingdon Caldecott seat from the Lib Dems, said: “We have shown today that actually Labour can win in Abingdon if we try.”

Council chief executive David Buckle, also boss of South Oxfordshire District Council, said he would look to make savings between the two Tory councils, perhaps through sharing one building. He said: “I make no secret about the fact that I want to discuss accommodation.”