Mansfield Independents

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox political party | name = Mansfield Independents | logo = File:Mansfield Independents logo from 2019.png | logo_size = 150px | colorcode = {{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}} | leader =  | foundation = 14 July 2005 | dissolved = 13 May 2025 | headquarters = Mansfield, Nottinghamshire | website = | country = the United Kingdom | leader1_title = Treasurer | leader1_name = | leader2_title = Nominating Officer | leader2_name = | ideology = Localism | slogan = Putting people before politics <ref>''Independent'', Issue 1 2019. A newspaper Promoted and Published by Kate Allsop. Accessed 2 October 2019</ref> | position = | seats1_title = Mansfield District Council | seats1 = | seats2_title = Nottinghamshire County Council | seats2 = }}

'''Mansfield Independents''', previously known as '''Mansfield Independent Forum''',<ref name="Chad rename">[https://www.chad.co.uk/news/politics/new-name-still-same-committment-people-first-mansfield-943905 New name but still the same {{sic|commi|ttment|nolink=y}} to people first in Mansfield] ''Chad'', Mansfield local newspaper, 5 September 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020</ref> was a local political party in the local government district of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England. It was officially registered in 2005, having already successfully campaigned for the election of Tony Egginton as Mayor of Mansfield two years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mansfield Independent Forum|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP504|website=Electoral Commission|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref> Egginton had stood for election after being convinced to do so by the leader of the pro-Mayoralty campaign, Stewart Rickersey.

At the May 2023 Mansfield local elections, four MI members were successful. On 25 October 2024, three long standing members defected to Reform UK, marking a new political group on the council.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj0rq1n8r7o Three independent councillors defect to Reform UK] ''BBC News'', 25 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024</ref> The party was de-registered in May 2025.<ref name=dissolved>{{cite web |title=Mansfield Independents |url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP504 |website=Electoral Commission |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref>

==History==

The directly elected Mayor of Mansfield was created following moves made by Mansfield-based businessman Stuart Rickersey to change the governance of Mansfield through a public referendum.<ref>[http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/mansfield-businessman-to-make-changes-1-695596 Mansfield businessman to make changes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216050439/http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/mansfield-businessman-to-make-changes-1-695596 |date=16 December 2013 }} ''Mansfield Chad'', local newspaper, July 2001 Retrieved 2 December 2014</ref> Local newsagent Tony Egginton was encouraged to stand as an independent candidate in the ensuing election, and was elected to the position on 17 October 2002.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2338527.stm | work=BBC News | title=Voters snub parties in mayor polls | date=18 October 2002}}</ref>

Following Egginton's successful election as Mayor, Rickersey then recruited many ward councillor-candidates to challenge Labour's traditional domination at the May 2003 local elections, winning control of the council with 25 seats.<ref>{{cite web|title=Make or break time for independents|url=http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/make-or-break-time-for-independents-1-695015|publisher=Mansfield and Ashfield Chad|access-date=26 February 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060732/http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/make-or-break-time-for-independents-1-695015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most of the newly elected councillors were new and inexperienced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Independent revolution's driving force announces shock resignation|url=http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/independent-revolution-s-driving-force-announces-shock-resignation-1-692147|publisher=Mansfield and Ashfield Chad|access-date=26 February 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053433/http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/independent-revolution-s-driving-force-announces-shock-resignation-1-692147|url-status=dead}}</ref> Egginton formed his Cabinet mostly of MIF members including Rickersey as Portfolio Holder for Corporate Issues.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor unveils new Mansfield cabinet|url=https://www.chad.co.uk/news/mayor-unveils-new-mansfield-cabinet-1-709261|publisher=Mansfield and Ashfield Chad|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref> The party was officially registered with the electoral commission on 14 July 2005, formalising the existence of a party that had unofficially existed since Egginton's election. Fellow Mansfield Independent Kate Allsop was elected as Executive Mayor to succeed Egginton following his retirement in 2015.

In 2015 Councillor Sid Walker of the Mansfield Independents, then sitting as a UKIP councillor, was investigated by Mansfield District Council for posting racist material on Facebook and calling a constituent a "left wing bitch".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chad.co.uk/news/racist-photo-storm-to-be-probed-by-council-2196539|title='Racist' photo storm to be probed by council|website=chad.co.uk}}</ref>

In September 2019 the party was renamed to the Mansfield Independents.<ref name="Chad rename"/> The party was formally dissolved and de-registered with the Electoral Commission in May 2025.<ref name=dissolved/>

==Election results==

The Mansfield Independent Forum has contested elections since Tony Egginton's election in 2002, first informally as an alliance of independent councillors in 2003 and then formally as a registered UK political party from 2005 onwards.

=== Mayoral elections ===

Tony Egginton served as Mayor of Mansfield from 2002 until his retirement in 2015. He was succeeded by Kate Allsop, also of the Mansfield Independents. {| class="wikitable" |+ ! rowspan="2" |Year ! rowspan="2" |Candidate ! colspan="2" |Popular vote ! rowspan="2" |Position ! rowspan="2" |Majority |- !1st Pref !2nd Pref |- |2002 |Tony Egginton |4,150 |5,951 |'''#1''' |588 |- |2007 |Tony Egginton |12,015 |13,720 |'''#1''' |4,936 |- |2011 |Tony Egginton |10,901 |12,680 |'''#1''' |63 |- |2015 |Kate Allsop |17,604 |22,600 |'''#1''' |2,880 |- |2019 |Kate Allsop |5,860 |7,928 |'''#2''' |{{font colour|red|-2}} |- |2023 |Mick Barton |4,992 |N/A |'''#3''' |{{font colour|red|-4,995}} |}

=== District Council elections === {{See also|Mansfield District Council elections}} Mansfield Independent Forum councillors held a majority on Mansfield District Council from 2003 to 2011. The party lost control of the council to the Labour Party in 2011 before regaining control in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Mansfield-1973-2011.pdf|title=Mansfield District Council Election Results 1973-2011|website=Elections Centre|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref> In the 2023 local elections, the Mansfield Independents suffered an almost total wipe-out, losing all but four of their seats on Mansfield District Council, and finishing in third place in the Mayoral Election.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Topping |first1=Andrew |last2=Pridmore |first2=Oliver |last3=Beck |first3=Laycie |date=2023-05-05 |title=Labour hold overall control with large majority in Mansfield |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/full-mansfield-district-council-2023-8404530 |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=NottinghamshireLive |language=en}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Councillors ! colspan="2" |Control |- |2003 |{{Composition bar|25|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Mansfield Independent Forum}} |Mansfield Independent |- |2007 |{{Composition bar|29|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Mansfield Independent Forum}} |Mansfield Independent |- |2011 |{{Composition bar|10|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}} |Labour |- |2015 |{{Composition bar|15|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Mansfield Independent Forum}} |Mansfield Independent |- |2019 |{{Composition bar|13|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|No Overall Control}} |No Overall Control |- |2023 |{{Composition bar|4|37|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}} |Labour |}

=== County Council elections === {{See also|Nottinghamshire local elections}} Mansfield Independent Forum has been represented on Nottinghamshire County Council since 2009. Following the 2017 election the party became the junior partner in a governing coalition with the Conservatives.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mansfield Independent Forum join forces with Tories to control County Hall|url=https://www.chad.co.uk/news/mansfield-independent-forum-join-forces-with-tories-to-control-county-hall-1-8535444|publisher=Mansfield and Ashfield Chad|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Councillors ! colspan="2" |Control |- |2005 |{{Composition bar|0|66|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}} |Labour |- |2009 |{{Composition bar|6|66|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |Conservative |- |2013 |{{Composition bar|2|66|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Labour Party (UK)}} |Labour |- |2017 |{{Composition bar|4|66|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|No overall control}} |No overall control |- |2021 |{{Composition bar|0|66|hex={{party color|Mansfield Independent Forum}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |Conservative |}

=== UK Parliament elections === {{See also|Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)}} The party fielded a candidate in the 2005 election, coming third behind Labour and the Conservatives.<ref name=electoralcalculus2005>{{cite web|title=Election Data 2005|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> In the 2010 general election they were reduced to fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats.<ref name=electoralcalculus2010>{{cite web|title=Election Data 2010|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|archive-date=26 July 2013 }}</ref> The party did not field official candidates in the 2015, 2017 or 2019 elections. {| class="wikitable" !Year !Candidate !Votes !% !Position |- |2005 |Stewart Rickersey |6,491 |17.0 |#3 |- |2010 |Andre Camilleri |4,339 |9.0 |#4 |}

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

Category:2005 establishments in England Category:Locally based political parties in England Category:Political parties established in 2005 Category:2025 disestablishments in England Category:Political parties disestablished in 2025 Category:Defunct political parties in England