BREXIT was this week being blamed for the Conservatives’ poor showing in last Thursday’s first-ever elections to the new Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWAT).

They won only ten of the 59 seats on the new authority, with the Liberal Democrats winning 30 to gain overall control.

The Tories had majorities on both the former councils – West Somerset and Taunton Deane – but have slipped to third on the new council behind the Lib Dems and 12 Independents.

As an inquest took place into why the party won only ten seats, candidates reflected on an exceptionally low turnout and voters being concerned with Brexit rather than local issues and disillusioned with party politics.

Former West Somerset Council leader Anthony Trollope-Bellew was one of the Conservatives to win a seat and is the frontrunner to become the group’s leader on SWAT.

“I was expecting a bad result, but not as bad as it was,” he told the Free Press. “It was appalling.”

He said that while he wanted to campaign on local issues, people just wanted to talk about Brexit and the result was a protest abstention.

“The turnout was almost half what we usually get for a local election,” he said.

“On the doorstep we were constantly told ‘I have always been a Conservative. I voted to leave the EU and it hasn’t happened. I won’t be voting Conservative again.’

“Remainers are also blaming the Conservatives for having a referendum in the first place.

“And all this has been reflected in the fact that we are now in third place in the new council. There will be some interesting times ahead!”

For the full report, and election results, buy today’s Free Press.