Conservatives defy Wiltshire trend in Warminster elections

Conservative candidates held their ground in the Warminster area at last week’s Wiltshire Council elections, bucking the wider Wiltshire trend that saw the party suffer significant losses and lose overall control of the council.

Barry Pirie (Warminster Broadway), Andrew Davis (Warminster East), and Bill Parks (Warminster North & Rural) were all re-elected as Conservative councillors. The only change came in Warminster West, where Independent candidate Russell Hawker won by just two votes – narrowly beating Reform UK’s Freddie Merrett and unseating former Conservative councillor Pip Ridout.

Reform UK made a notable impact across Warminster, finishing second in all four divisions. The party narrowly missed out on victory in Warminster West and gained substantial vote shares elsewhere, reflecting its rising support both locally and nationally.

Following the result, Cllr Bill Parks who had a large majority in his ward, said, “A huge thank you to everyone who kindly voted for me to continue as their councillor. It has been an honour to represent them and I’m proud to have been asked to keep going.”

When asked why he thought Warminster had bucked the countywide trend, Cllr Parks said, “I have worked hard to be an accessible councillor who stands up for our communities, supports residents, business and the most vulnerable. As someone who lives locally, I hear from people every day about the issues that matter.

“I truly believe that building this visible presence, helping the community and attracting investment over a number of years has been rewarded by my re-election. Judging my performance on local issues set against national issues, over which I have little control, has been the deciding factor in trusting me to serve for a further term.”

Cllr Andrew Davis, re-elected in Warminster East, added, “I am so pleased to be given the honour of being re-elected the councillor for Warminster East and would like to thank everyone that voted for me and helped with my campaign.

“I realise that some people voted with national politics in mind rather than local.

“I can assure you that I will play my part in making sure that the residents, not just of Warminster East, but the whole of Warminster will be well represented.”

Barry Pirie, who was elected in Warminster Broadway, said he is “delighted, humbled, and honoured” to serve for another four years and pledged to “work tirelessly to be the strong voice for all residents.”

Cllr Pirie highlighted key concerns raised during his campaign, including the need for better infrastructure, environmental protection, public safety, and well-maintained roads. “I will do all that I can to make a positive difference for our community,” he said. “I also look forward to working with my fellow Warminster councillors to form a strong united team to represent Warminster town and rural areas at County Hall.”

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Wylye Valley, Conservative Christopher Newbury also held his seat.

The Warminster results contrast with the wider county picture. The Conservatives lost 24 seats overall, dropping from 61 to 37 councillors. The Liberal Democrats made major gains and are now the largest group on Wiltshire Council with 43 seats. Reform UK now holds 10 seats across Wiltshire.

With no party holding a majority, negotiations are ongoing to determine who will lead the council. Cllr Hawker, now sitting as an Independent, is expected to play a key role in the discussions about who will lead the council. He also thanked voters for their support.

Wiltshire Council election results in full:

Warminster Broadway

Garry Irvin (Ref) 382

Martin Papworth (LD) 316

Barry Pirie (Con) 534

Portia Williams (Grn) 98

Turnout: 32.84%

Warminster East

Andrew Davis (Con) 458

William Hawkins (LD) 156

Paul MacDonald (Ind) 276

John Mellor (Grn) 73

Aaron Scott (Ref) 412

Turnout: 32.14%

Warminster West

Andrew Bryant (LD) 143

Russell Hawker (Ind) 295

Freddie Merrett (Ref) 293

Pip Ridout (Con) 274

Turnout: 28.85%

Warminster North & Rural

Ray Andrews (Ref) 354

John Marsden (LD) 295

Bill Parks (Con) 732

Turnout: 31.70%

There was no election for Warminster Town Council as in all wards the number of candidates did not exceed the number of available seats, so the candidates are elected unopposed.