The leader of Northamptonshire County Council has suggested the low turnout at last week’s council election indicates people are happy with the way the Conservatives have run the authority for the past eight years.
Less than 31 percent of Northamptonshire residents voted in Thursday’s election, which saw the Conservatives secure 63 per cent of the seats on offer at County Hall.
On election night, many commentators criticised the low turn out, but reflecting on the vote on Tuesday afternoon, the leader of the authority, Councillor Jim Harker (Con, Ise) argued that if people had been unhappy with this party’s leadership, they would have been voted out.
He said: “I don’t know why people don’t turn out to vote, it doesn’t send out any kind of message at all.
“You can only take the view that those who don’t vote must be perfectly happy with the situation as it is.”
The Conservatives secured a 15 seat majority at County Hall, with Labour finishing second with 11 seats and the Liberal Democrats third with six.
Commenting on the low turnout, Councillor Harker added: “I just think it’s a shame, but we did all we could to encourage people to come out and vote, I don’t know what else we can do.
“I don’t agree with making it illegal not to vote, but I’m surprised more people didn’t turn out to express their view.”
Councillor Harker is expected to be chosen as the Conservative party’s leader for the coming years during a party meeting on Thursday.
During the meeting, members of the council’s cabinet and a deputy leader will also be chosen.
He has said his party’s main priorities over the coming four years will include improving the way vulnerable children are looked after, boosting broadband coverage across the county and improving the county’s roads.