Tories vote down Windsor Town Council - Residents ask, "Why do the Tories Hate Windsor?"

Voting in council on Tuesday 20th July 2021 Windsor & Maidenhead Conservatives voted against giving Windsor its own Town Council.

Most parts of Windsor & Maidenhead have Town or Parish councils except Windsor and Central Maidenhead.

Conservative arguments tried to imply a Town Council would cost more, would create an unneccessary tier of government and create more councillors. They also tried to claim, despite a petition signed by thousands of Windsorians and consultation responses overwhelmingly in favour of setting up a Windsor Town Council that there wasn't public demand for a Windsor Town Council.

The most bizarre event of the evening was Cllr David Hilton (Conservative, Ascot & Sunninghill) being called to propose the motion for a town council, making it clear he opposed the creation of a Windsor Town Council and voting against his own motion. The proposal itself had come from a council committee with a Conservative majority.

"The only conclusion can be that the Conservatives opposed the creation of a Windsor Town Council for the simple fact they know that they are unpopular in Windsor and wouldn't win elections to such a town council.

"As Liberal Democrats we have proposed the creation of this Town Council for a decade, not for any party advantage, we simply believe it is the right thing to do." says local Lib Dem campaigner Julian Tisi.

In a named vote all the Conservatives present opposed the creation of a Windsor Town Council, whilst opposition councillors from every other party supported the introduction of more democracy to Windsor.

Windsor councillors opposing a Windsor Town Council were:

• John Bowden, Conservative - Windsor, Eton & Castle*

• Samantha Rayner, Conservative - Windsor, Eton & Castle*

NON-WINDSOR councillors opposing a Windsor Town Council were:

• Christine Bateson, Conservative - Suningdale & Cheapside*

• Gurpreet Bhangra, Conservative - Maidenhead, Boyn Hill

• David Cannon, Conservative - Datchet, Horton & Wraysbury*

• Gerry Clark, Conservative - Bisham & Cookham*

• David Coppinger, Conservative - Bray*

• Phil Hasler, Conservative - Maidenhead, Cox Green*

• David Hilton, Conservative - Ascot & Sunninghill*

• Maureen Hunt, Conservative - Hurley & Walthams*

• Andrew Johnson, Conservative - Hurley & Walthams*

• Greg Jones, Conservative - Maidenhead Riverside

• Sayanora Luxton, Conservative - Sunningdale & Cheapside*

• Ross McWilliams, Conservative - Maidenhead, Cox Green*

• Gary Muir, Conservative - Datchet, Horton & Wraysbury*

• Julian Sharpe, Conservative - Ascot & Sunninghill*

• Donna Stimson, Conservative - St Mary's

• John Storey, Conservative - Ascot & Sunninghill*

• Chris Targowski, Conservative - Maidenhead Riverside

• Leo Walters, Conservative - Bray* (PC)

*Councillors representing wards which have parish councils. (PC) Borough Councillors who are also parish or town councillors.

Notably Windsor Conservative Councillors Samantha Rayner & John Bowden who represent Windsor - Eton & Castle voted against Windsor Town Council, despite also representing Eton & Eton Wick which have a Town Council. Cllr Rayner famously lives in Colnbrook, which is in Slough Borough Council.

WINDSOR Councillors Voting for a Windsor Town Council

• Karen Davies, Liberal Democrat - Windsor, Clewer East

• Amy Tisi, Liberal Democrat - Windsor, Clewer East

• Helen Price, The Borough First - Windsor, Clewer & Dedworth East

• Lynne Jones, Old Windsor Residents' Association - Old Windsor & Windsor Boltons*(PC)

• Neil Knowles, Old Windsor Residents' Association - Old Windsor & Windsor Boltons*(PC)

• Carole Da Costa, West Windsor Residents' Association - Windsor, Clewer & Dedworth East

• Wisdom Da Costa, West Windsor Residents' Association - Windsor, Clewer & Dedworth West*

• Jon Davey, West Windsor Residents' Association - Windsor, Clewer & Dedworth West*

non-WINDSOR Councillors Voting for a Windsor Town Council

• John Baldwin, Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead, Belmont

• Clive Baskerville, Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead, Pinkney's Green

• Simon Bond, Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead, Belmont

• Mandy Brar, Liberal Democrat - Bisham & Cookham*(PC)

• Gurch Singh, Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead, St Mary's

• Geoffrey Hill, The Borough First - Maidenhead, Oldfield

• Ewan Larcombe, National Flood Prevention Party - Datchet, Horton & Wraysbury*(PC)